Body and Consciousness: A Conversation with Antonio Damasio
Anthropology of Consciousness September 1, 2000 DOI: 10.1525/ac.2000.11.3-4.54 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Interview Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that consciousness research can inform anthropological studies of altered states, and that anthropologists are well suited to contribute to understanding the consciousness problem, particularly through cross-cultural perspectives on body-brain relationships. |
Abstract
This is an interview with neurologist Antonio Damasio, MD, PhD, whose work on consciousness has influenced scholars in a variety of fields, including anthropology. Damasio addresses a number of issues, including the neurobiology of altered states, the neurology of flow and other optimal, pleasurable states, and the potential to identify biological markers that are common to the experience of altered states in a variety of cultures. Damasio also discusses the relationship between body and brain, and concludes by discussing the scope of the consciousness problem and contributions to the solution that anthropologists might be well suited to make. Key words: body, consciousness, altered states, interview.