This article uncovers the congruity of Neo-Platonism in Autobiography of a Yogi by Yogananda. The philosophy of Neo- Platonism postulates that the phenomenal creation is the emanation of the Cosmic One which radiates pervasive wisdom, the world soul and the living being. Thus, the spark of divinity dwells in every living being. Likewise, Yogananda’s Autobiography of a Yogi expounds that the...
Classical psychedelics appear efficacious in improving psychological well-being in randomized clinical trials, but their effects in the population at large are relatively unknown. In the present paper, which includes three studies conducted by online survey with a collective 3,157 participants, classical psychedelic users showed greater psychological strengths and well-being, and lower levels...
The emergence of new technologies such as AI, machine learning, and so on drives the discussion over human consciousness among researchers from various disciplines, particularly those from philosophy of mind and computer science. This is true since certain academic theories argue that new technology like this is much more efficient at simulating human tasks. This allows the discussion...
There is a conflict between humans’ need to focus on the present circumstances and their ability to plan and reminisce, which often results in mind wandering. Contemporary techniques with ancient roots, such as mindfulness, are useful in solving some of the problems associated with excessive mind wandering but largely fail to recognize the importance of planning and reminiscing. This lack of...
The articles in this issue reflect an important paradox. The ethnographic research presented in these articles suggest that consciousness is formed socially and in interaction with environmental factors and, to some extent, is a learned attribute. In that sense, it would be fluid, malleable, and processual. On the other hand, there is evidence that it has some intrinsic boundaries, such that...
Our chapter traces the origins of the psychoanalytic method back to experiences of non-ordinary states of consciousness achieved through the practice of hypnosis. Psychedelic medicines have the capacity to reveal hidden aspects of the unconscious mind that include symbolic elements and early organizational structures that correspond to Freud’s primary process thinking and which underpin...
The debate about whether, and in what sense, there is ‘spiritual intelligence’ remains unresolved. We suggest it will be helpful to make a distinction between strong and weak versions of the claim. The strong version proposes that there is a separate and distinct spiritual intelligence that meets the criteria set out by Howard Gardner in his ‘multiple intelligences’ framework. This involves...
ReligionsFebruary 24, 2023José Eduardo Porcher, Fernando Carlucci2 citations
In this paper, we take our cue from Kevin Schilbrack’s admonishment that the philosophy of religion needs to take religious practices seriously as an object of investigation. We do so by offering Afro-Brazilian traditions as an example of the methodological poverty of current philosophical engagement with religions that are not text-based, belief-focused, and institutionalized. Anthropologists...
Abstract This chapter explores the consequences of adopting a biomedical model of mind for notions of agency and discourse. The biomedical model of mind is the consequence of positivist, pragmatist, and mechanical uses of empirical psychology. The pharmacological use of psychology is elaborated through a description of the various uses of drugs as technological tools for pathology and...
The incredible complexity of physiological signals, along with the awareness that physiological time series contains hidden information, has sparked a surge in the interest to conduct neuroscientific research. The human brain is one of the most significant instances of intricate physiologic oscillations as recorded through Electroencephalogram (EEG). In this article, we propose a methodology...