Neurophenomenology and Transpersonal Studies
Charles D. Laughlin, Adam J. Rock, Jenny Wade
Wiley eBooks August 20, 2026 DOI: 10.1002/9781394215683.ch17 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Key points | Argues that combining phenomenology and neuroscience into "neurophenomenology" is the most direct way to study the relation between consciousness and the nervous system, and that a naturalistic, introspective cultural neurophenomenology suited to cross-cultural and ethnographic fieldwork can generate but not verify theories about the neurophysiology driving experience; verification requires methods consonant with cognitive neurophenomenology. |
Abstract
The most direct method for ascertaining the relations between consciousness and the nervous system is by combining the methods of phenomenology and neuroscience into a kind of neurophenomenology. In keeping with the field of anthropology, the value of neurophenomenology is naturalistic and introspective, and application is directed toward diverse subjects encountered in cross-cultural experience and comparison, especially as appropriate to ethnographic and applied fieldwork; e.g., consciousness, religion and spiritual practices. For cultural neurophenomenologists, the challenge is to acquire the requisite training in neuroscience, as well as learn to use transpersonal field methods to access the experiences had by one's non-Western hosts while in alternative states of consciousness. If only naturalistic methods are used in cultural neurophenomenology, conjectures or theory can be made about the neurophysiology driving experience, but verifying those conjectures will rely on methods more consonant with cognitive neurophenomenology.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on philosophy of mind, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychosis as a state of aberrant salience: a framework linking biology, phenomenology, and pharmacology in schizophrenia. | 2003 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From dopamine to salience to psychosis--linking biology, pharmacology and phenomenology of psychosis. | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How do the brain's time and space mediate consciousness and its different dimensions? Temporo-spatial theory of consciousness (TTC). | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The phenomenology of deep brain stimulation-induced changes in OCD: an enactive affordance-based model. | 2013 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Looking for the Self: Phenomenology, Neurophysiology and Philosophical Significance of Drug-induced Ego Dissolution | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cites 6
- Predicting Responses to Psychedelics: A Prospective Study Frontiers in Pharmacology November 2, 2018
- Effortless awareness: using real time neurofeedback to investigate correlates of posterior cingulate cortex activity in meditators' self-report Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2013
- Mindfulness-induced selflessness: a MEG neurophenomenological study. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2013
- The neurophenomenology of neutral hypnosis. Cortex February 1, 2013
- The socialization of hallucinations: Cultural priors, social interactions, and contextual factors in the use of psychedelics. Transcultural Psychiatry October 1, 2022
and 1 more in the library