Bioenergycorrection as an ancient way of correcting vital energy flow is well known in many multi-millennial traditions, having withstood the test of time to this day, with some modern modifications. On the wave of the expansion of integrative medicine since the mid-1990s in China, the US and Europe, some bioenergycorrection techniques have been subjected to scientific research and have been...
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...
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...
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...
Relating explicit psychological mechanisms and observable behaviours is a central aim of psychological and behavioural science. One of the challenges is to understand and model the role of consciousness and, in particular, its subjective perspective as an internal level of representation (including for social cognition) in the governance of behaviour. Toward this aim, we implemented the...
To varying degrees, people have the capacity to alter their subjective experience such that it misrepresents reality in ways consistent with their goals and such that the misrepresentation can be sustained over at least minutes despite clear contrary evidence. In other words, people have a capacity for phenomenological control. People can use this capacity to fulfill requirements of social...
The science of animal consciousness investigates (i) which animal species are conscious (the distribution question) and (ii) how conscious experience differs in detail between species (the quality question). We propose a framework which clearly distinguishes both questions and tackles both of them. This two-tier account distinguishes consciousness along ten dimensions and suggests cognitive...
Introduction: The efficacy of interventions based on mindfulness and compassion has been demonstrated in both clinical and general population, and in different social contexts. These interventions include so-called attentional and constructive meditation practices, respectively. However, there is a third group, known as deconstructive meditation practices, which has not been scientifically...
Brain–Computer Interfaces (BCIs) are specialized systems that allow users to control computer applications using their brain waves. With the arrival of consumer-grade electroencephalography (EEG) equipment, brain-controlled systems began to find fertile ground in mental training. One particular area that is gradually gaining attention is that of mindfulness training. In this paper, the results...
The Out of Body Experiences (OBE) are the subject of research since the beginning of last century, however there is still no screening questionnaire for this phenomenon.Nevertheless, the literature is controversial about the definition and understanding of OBE and its etiology, which suggests the existence of multiple phenomena under the same term OBE.In a qualitative and quantitative research...