The Inventor of the Microprocessor on Consciousness and Awakening | Federico Faggin
A New Way of BeingShow Notes
In this conversation, I’m joined by physicist and microprocessor pioneer Federico Faggin for an exploration of consciousness, reality, and awakening. Federico is widely recognised for his role in shaping modern computing, yet after years of professional success he found himself deeply unhappy. In 1990, a spontaneous awakening experience radically shifted how he understood himself and the nature of reality. Rather than dismissing that experience, he spent decades integrating it with science, leading him to a view in which consciousness and free will are fundamental to the universe, not products of the brain. We talk about direct experience, science, meaning, and what all this might mean for humanity at this point in time.
In this conversation, we explore: Federico’s background in physics and computing, and how his inner life didn’t match his outer success Why professional achievement alone didn’t bring fulfilment Federico’s spontaneous awakening experience in 1990 and how it changed everything The importance of direct experience over concepts or beliefs Why love is not something we find outside ourselves How Federico developed his model of reality after his awakening Quantum physics explained in clear, simple terms A practical analogy for understanding the collapse of the wave function The limitations of materialism and the flaws of “scientism” Free will, the separate self, and what it really means to choose The deeper purpose of the human experience How suffering, war, and evil can be understood through this lens Simon’s own kenshō experience and what followed The difference between talking about awakening and living it Why responsibility and honesty are essential for real awakening The post-awakening “dark night” and integration Why this moment in history feels pivotal The relationship between fear, science, and belief systems Why consciousness must be the starting point The spiritual quickening happening now What needs to change — individually and collectively Why love, ultimately, matters more than fear
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