arXiv Preprint Archive
November 27, 2016
Nadav Amir, Israel Nelken, Naftali Tishby
preprint
The attentional blink (AB) effect is the reduced ability of subjects to report a second target stimuli (T2) among a rapidly presented series of non-target stimuli, when it appears within a time window of about 200-500 ms after a first target (T1). We present a simple dynamical systems model explaining the AB as resulting from the temporal response dynamics of a stochastic, linear system with...
Phenomenology and Mind
November 26, 2016
Michele Di Francesco, Massimo Marraffa, Alfredo Paternoster
4 citations
The current philosophical discussion on the self and consciousness is characterized by a contrast or dilemma between the no-self (eliminativist) perspective, on the one hand, and the arguably naïve account that takes the self as a robust entity, on the other.in order to solve the dilemma, in this paper we suggest restoring a robust theory of the subject based on a bottom-up approach (fully...
Phenomenology and Mind
November 26, 2016
Richard Charles Strong
This short essay attempts to flesh out the extended mind thesis by showing the nontrivial role of the body in skilled epistemic action. This is attempted by bringing Merleau-Ponty’s notion of the body schema together with Clark and Chalmers account of the extended mind. What the author hopes to show is that the incorporation of new habits into one’s body schema can make a meaningful difference...
November 21, 2016
Vikas S. Kamble
Meditation and mindfulness are well known Buddhist coping resources [1]. The issue of academic stress and ways of coping much studied across many different cultures [2] but very few research has been conducted in a Buddhist context. The Buddhism is a dominating religion in Asian countries and rapidly spreading through the world. There are other coping resources also available in Buddhism. In...
International Journal of Dharma Studies
November 21, 2016
Andrew O. Fort
4 citations
In this article, I offer a brief history of the Contemplative Studies initiative at Texas Christian University, then discuss some of the theoretical underpinning for our program, indicating the value of contemplative pedagogy in academia and Religious Studies in particular. I argue that such pedagogy addresses central concerns of liberal arts education, that is, enhancing insight into and...
International Journal of Applied Linguistics & English Literature
November 19, 2016
Swati Samantaray
2 citations
Cosmic mysticism is an immediate experience of oneness with God by means of ecstatic and wordless contemplation. The Indian Renaissance poets Rabindranath Tagore and Sri Aurobindo are spiritual humanists who believe that the entire creation is pervaded by the presence of God. Their exceptional minds have an instinctive urge to synthesize and transform, transmute and transcend the aspects of...
bioRxiv Preprint Server
November 15, 2016
Arturo Tozzi, Colin James, James F Peters
1 citation
preprint
Experimental procedures in neuroscience rely on the standpoints that the mind is a functional state of the brain and a clear subdivision among different mental faculties does exist in the cortex. According to cognitive neuroscientists, the term "mind" encompasses just the "cognitive" faculties, such as consciousness, perception, thinking, judgement, memory, leaving apart the "emotional" states....
Scientific Reports
November 14, 2016
Goldy Yadav, P. Mutha
Paced deep breathing practices, a core component of a number of meditation programs, have been shown to enhance a variety of cognitive functions. However, their effects on complex processes such as memory, and in particular, formation and retention of motor memories, remain unknown. Here we show that a 30-minute session of deep, alternate-nostril breathing remarkably enhances retention of a...
Religions
November 14, 2016
Jeffrey S. Lidke
8 citations
This paper is a call for the development of a neuroscientific research protocol for the study of the impact of Tantric practice on the autonomic nervous system. Tantric texts like Abhinavagupta’s Tantrāloka map out a complex meditative ritual system in which inward-gazing, apophatic, sense-denying contemplative practices are combined with outward-gazing, kataphatic sense-activating ritual...
Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews
November 11, 2016
Olga Valieva, Leah M Welsh, Betty J. Amuzu et al.
Background: Patients with chronic pain are often crippled by psychological distress, depression and fear. These patients also can develop altered pain perception, with enhanced brain activity in pain-responsive regions and those associated with anxiety/depression. Exercise and meditation can impact pain-reducing brain areas and positively influence pain characteristics. Purpose: To alter pain...