Alex Gómez-Marín is a physicist turned neuroscientist investigating human consciousness in the real world. He holds a degree in physics, a masters in biophysics, and PhD in theoretical physics from the University of Barcelona, followed by two postdoctoral fellowships as a neuroscientist at the EMBL Centre for Genomic Regulation and at the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown in Lisbon. For the last decade Alex has been a principal investigator at the Institute of Neurosciences in Alicante, Spain, and director of the Behaviour of Organism Laboratory. He is currently a senior researcher there and an associate professor of the Spanish Research Council. He was director of the Pari Centre from 2022 to 2025. In 2023 he was awarded the Linda O'Bryant research prize by the Institute of Noetic Sciences. He is currently a member of the advisory board of the Dutch Brain Interface Initiative and of the Bamberg Mathematical Consciousness Science Initiative. He is also executive editor of Robert Kuhn's the Landscape of Consciousness Website. Alex has published over a hundred articles in science journals, including Nature Neuroscience, Neuron and Science. He is also the author of The Science of the Last Threshold: a Journey to the Limits of Life, Death, and Consciousness, recently published in Spanish by Planeta.

Imaginal Inspirations is hosted by David Lorimer, Programme Director of the Scientific and Medical Network and Chair of the Galileo Commission, an academic movement dedicated to expanding the evidence base of a science of consciousness. Imaginal cells are responsible for the metamorphosis of the caterpillar into a butterfly, which is the Greek symbol for the soul. These cells are dormant in the caterpillar but at a critical point of development they create the new form and structure which becomes the butterfly.

Do listen to our podcast series 'WISE SCIENTISTS' now available on this platform.

scientificandmedical.net

galileocommission.org

beyondthebrain.org

Works and links mentioned:

Alex Gomez-Marin websites:

https://alexgomezmarin.com/

https://behavior-of-organisms.org/read-us/

Alex's new book (in Spanish):

https://www.planetadelibros.com/libro-la-ciencia-del-ultimo-umbral/426278

Conversations with Rupert Sheldrake:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQNvVzO_W4Ey7PMrmkMtyG1kiOfdTjSUn

Conversations with Iain McGilchrist:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqBHk3itxyPBWvU7N2ZNCRXpjzMStjgm6

Conversations with Edi Bilimoria

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfTXnMCtFTg&list=PL4rGdOl4mCsLRxr-CNvzn4JDNkV9y6dk5

Conversations at the Pari Center:

https://paricenter.com/?s=Alex+Gomez-Marin

Conversation at the Essentia Foundation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7NIicE_h9w

Conversation at the Institute of Arts and Ideas:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6OHF4mJvKY

Recommended books:

Sri Aurobindo's Savitri:

https://www.sriaurobindoashram.org/sriaurobindo/downloadpdf.php?id=43

Henri Bergson's Matter and Memory:

https://dn790009.ca.archive.org/0/items/matterandmemory00berguoft/matterandmemory00berguoft.pdf

Production: Martin Redfern https://www.beaconhillbroadcast.com/

Artwork: Amber Haas

Music: Life is a River, by Magnus Moone