I've been a longtime fan of the Sam Harris' podcast. But in this episode in which he interviews his wife—who'd just published a book on consciousness—I heard something I'd never heard before.

But first, this:

• Panpsychism: This will break your face—Is the view that mind or a mind-like aspect is a fundamental and ubiquitous feature of reality. Everything has a primitive form of mentality is what it's saying, including atoms. In writing her book she was surprised how many neuroscientists she spoke with agreed with the theory.

As I've said, I heard many of his podcasts by now. Early in the interview he and his wife have a moment where they share a deep laugh. The kind of laugh that only happens with two deeply connected people. It was a sound unlike anything I ever heard from him before.

It struck me immediately: This is why we torture ourselves in seeking, grappling and struggling with, and then so often failing at, romantic relationships—it's for moments like this. Those that you only share with rare, deep connections: People you love.

What a sap I've become—goddam maturity!

Here the entire interview in all its ponderous (and sometimes hard to follow) wonder here:
https://samharris.org/podcasts/159-conscious/