Psychology as an empirical science has targeted human cognition for more than a century. Typically, the focus of these investigations was on isolated mental processes, which were studied in individual participants in confined laboratory settings. The present commentary aims to show how a relatively recent paradigm shift, the (renewed) conception of humans as fundamentally social, can shape our...
Abstract This review critically examines Frances Egan’s Deflating Mental Representation (MIT Press, 2025), a seminal work in the philosophy of mind that challenges traditional conceptions of mental representation and intentionality. Egan argues for a deflationary account wherein ascriptions of content to mental states are pragmatically grounded and serve primarily as explanatory tools, rather...
The Language of Thought Hypothesis (LOTH) posits that mental states operate through a language-like representational system physically implemented in the brain. However, this purely symbolic approach faces a significant limitation: certain mental phenomena—such as intuitions, emotions, and intentions—lack the syntactically compositional structure required by LOTH and therefore cannot be...
The Tri-Council of Self: A Three-Entity Governance Model for Mental Stability Author: Khan Tahsin AbrarAffiliation: Independent Researcher, BangladeshEmail: khan.tahsin.abrar.kta@gmail.comORC-iD: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-4631-6768 Date: 8th August, 2025 AbstractThis paper introduces The Tri-Council of Self, a novel self-regulation framework that models the human agent as three co-equal...
As Zen Buddhism continues into its second century in the United States, the practices and philosophies transmitted have gone through major, though necessary transformations. At present, the vast majority of Zen temples and centers are “convert” communities that have over time adjusted language, ritual, and tradition to suit pastoral and theological needs. This article lays out a blueprint for a...
Traditional trauma-focused psychotherapies (TFPs) were developed based on an anxiety disorder model of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, PTSD is a more complex disorder with heterogeneous onset, presentation, trajectory, and treatment responsivity. As half of treated patients do not respond to first-line treatments, innovative therapies are emerging to improve outcomes. This...
This opinion article aims to highlight the potential mechanisms behind a specific stage of Yoga Nidra (YN) practice, i.e., the formulation and repetition of Sankalpa, encouraging scholars to further study it and providing athletes with suggestions on how to use it for their sport and health. YN can be defined as a meditation practice encompassing a sequence of breathing, guided body awareness,...
This chapter explores the profound connection between yoga, conscious breathing, and kinesthetic learning, advocating for an embodied approach to knowledge acquisition and self-development. It posits that learning is not solely a cognitive process but is deeply rooted in physical experience. The chapter details how yoga, as an embodied pedagogy, enhances body awareness, motor skills, and the...
Abstract This chapter addresses concerns that have been raised concerning any project that seeks to “naturalize” Buddhism. One major concern is that the embrace of physicalism would render the karma-rebirth ideology highly implausible. Another concern is that physicalism’s illusionism would seem to be incompatible with the central role of meditation in Buddhist practice, given the common...
Abstract This chapter presents evidence from empirical research on cognitive development, as well as from philosophy of consciousness, for a central claim of a physicalist illusionism: that meta-cognition involves the subject’s post-hoc application of theory of mind to their own case. It explores recent work on the child’s acquisition of theory of mind, and the debate concerning whether there...