This paper proposes a framework that adapts irreducible consciousness to govern human-AI co-design, positioning consciousness as central to intelligence. Drawing insights from quantum mechanics, infant cognitive development, the limbic system, and the philosophical hard problem of consciousness, we explore the implications of consciousness for human-AI codesigns. We address legal complexities,...
After a century and a half of focus on Buddhist doctrine, academic attention is increasingly being paid to practice. What remains undertheorized, however, is the relation between the two. An example of this is the idea that tantric practice is simply a ritual technology, separate and autonomous from doctrinal formulation. This is a persisting academic trope, one that conceptualizes doctrine and...
Abstract The concept of “efficacy” is dually grounded in theory and in individual experience. On the one hand, it is a key issue in many religious practices, from intercessory prayer to healing rituals. On the other hand, the concept concerns causality, belief, and intentionality and is here localized within recent discussions of predictive mind and embodied cognition and related to the...
Understanding what makes us conscious is one of the major frontiers of science. There are two main approaches to the mystery of consciousness. The first regards conscious states (i.e., being conscious) and how certain global states (e.g., of arousal) can support the formation of any conscious experience. Insights into the neural processes underlying the capacity for consciousness stem from...
Meditation training is widely used to enhance mental well-being. However, a mechanistic cognitive science framework for understanding how it transforms mental processing is still needed. The act of practicing meditation involves trying to be deliberately conscious of a target content. This requires monitoring the contents of one’s consciousness and regulating them in favor of the target. I...
There is a growing hype regarding the efficacy of psychedelics to fundamentally change how we interact with the theme of death. The underlying evidence consists of anecdotal and self-report data collected in naturalistic and clinical settings suggesting that psychedelics inculcate more acceptance and less fear and anxiety of one’s mortality. However, given hundreds of empirical studies...
В статье анализируется распространение эзотерического буддизма (Ваджраяны) в России, включая его проникновение в нетрадиционные для него регионы. Рассматриваются причины роста интереса: поиск альтернатив материализму, психологическая саморегуляция (mindfulness), синтез с другими духовными практиками, а также экологическое сознание. Уделяется внимание критике с позиции православного богословия:...
Abstract:The Besloten hofes (enclosed gardens) of Mechelen are cabinet-shaped altarpieces that feature miniature garden spaces filled with an assortment of handmade silk flowers, devotional images, and relics. This article examines the process of creating these silk flowers and their impact on the presumed crafters or restorers—the professed nuns at the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwegasthuis (Hospital of...
Defining "dance" is challenging, because many distinct classes of human movement may be considered dance in a broad sense. Although the most obvious category is rhythmic dancing to a musical beat, other categories of expressive movement such as dance improvisation, pantomime, tai chi, or Japanese butoh suggest that a more inclusive conception of human dance is needed. Here we propose that a...
Tanya Luhrmann’s notable contribution to the cognitive study of religion consists of demonstrating that religious experience is based on purposeful practice of the believer. Through this practice, the objects of religious doctrine – gods and spirits – eventually begin to be perceived as more real and present. However, considering realness only in the context of encounters with invisible beings...