May 1, 2009Amberlee Woods, Ellen Schelly Hill1 citation
The purpose of the study was to research trance and altered states of consciousness (ASC), within dance, psychotherapy and anthropological literature, so that dance/movement therapists may practice with an informed understanding of the altered state experience, its potential therapeutic benefit, and methods for working with altered states in the practice of dance/movement therapy (DMT). The...
The authors used a 5-round Delphi study with a panel of 7 experts in meditation research to achieve agreement on a set of criteria for a working definition of “meditation” for use in a comprehensive systematic review of the therapeutic use of meditation. Participants agreed that essential to a meditation practice is its use of (a) a defined technique, (b) logic relaxation, and (c) a...
In the first part of the essay, I describe phenomenologically the transition between dreaming and wakefulness in order to determine whether a reliable dream memory can result from this transition (after all, we have no evidence of our dreams other than our memories). This description shows that this is indeed the case and indicates the conditions under which we can apprehend dreams without...
Background and purpose: We have investigated the ability of the β 3 ‐adrenoceptor antagonist 1‐(2‐ethylphenoxy)‐3‐[[(1S)‐1,2,3,4,‐tetrahydro‐1‐naphthalenyl]amino]‐(2S)‐2‐propanol hydrochloride (SR59230A) to affect the hyperthermia produced by methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in conscious mice and whether α 1 ‐adrenoceptor antagonist actions are involved. Experimental approach: Mice were...
Alcohol consumption alters consciousness in ways that make drinking both alluring and hazardous. Recent advances in the study of consciousness using a mind-wandering paradigm permit a rigorous examination of the effects of alcohol on experiential consciousness and metaconsciousness. Fifty-four male social drinkers consumed alcohol (0.82 g/kg) or a placebo beverage and then performed a...
Sleep slow waves are the main phenomenon underlying NREM sleep. They are homeostatically regulated, they are thought to be linked to learning and plasticity processes and, at the same time, they are associated with marked changes in cortical information processing. Using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and high-density (hd) EEG we can measure slow waves, induce and measure plastic...
Abstract Pojo Chinul (1158–1210) is one of the most influential figures in Korean Zen Buddhism. Chinul’s Zen is characterized by huatou (or “a critical phrase”) meditation, a version of the encounter dialogue (Chin. gong’an; Kor. kongan; Jap. kō an) method. At the basis of Chinul’s huatou meditation, also known as Kanhua Zen, lies his philosophy of mind. By tracing Chinul’s account of mind, one...
World FuturesApril 20, 2009Kullervo Rainio2 citations
Attempts to create a coherent scientific picture of the world as a whole on the basis of quantum physics has sped up at the turn of the millennium. There particularly seem to be expectations that the development of a new kind of quantum mechanics could make it possible to describe both matter and consciousness in one frame of reference (“dual aspect approach”). These ideas are often results of...
William S. Haney, in his wide-ranging overview of consciousness studies and science-fiction literature in the posthuman era, creates a compelling argument for the return of consciousness studies to the field of English studies. More convincing is his analysis of short science fiction literature, specifically cyberpunk, and the posthuman condition. Haney brings to the discussion a learned...
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review machine consciousness (MC) and machine modelling of consciousness (MMC) with acknowledgement that their study may contribute to understanding of biological consciousness. The death of Peter Fellgett, the first Professor of Cybernetics in the UK, is noted, with a brief reference to his work on infra‐red spectroscopy and slightly more on his work on...