Dynamics
The antipodes Of the mind November 7, 2002 DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780199252923.003.0022 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that Ayahuasca visualizations develop according to formal-phenomenological patterns, not computational or representational mechanisms, and that these patterns define pivotal configurations in the visionary experience. |
Abstract
Abstract In this chapter I continue with the ‘How?’ question and consider a number of patterns which, to my mind, are important determinants of the way Ayahuasca visualizations develop. Following my general (that is, not specific to my study of Ayahuasca) radical phenomenological approach to cognition, unlike most investigations in contemporary cognitive science my analysis does not deal with putative underlying mental representations and computational operations modelled in conjunction with them. In line with my attempt to offer a systematic and comprehensi1.re phenomenological account, I highlight patterns that are operative in the visionary experiences induced by Ayahuasca and that define configurations that are pivotal to their progression. This should be borne in mind even when I use terms such as ‘process’ and ‘mechanisms’. In all cases these should be read only in a formal-phenomenological sense, not one that reifies underlying structures and processes.