Web resources on consciousness, philosophy, and such. Web resources related to consciousness, philosophy, and such. Compiled by David Chalmers Here are a small number of high-quality academic resources on the web that I find useful or interesting. The emphasis is on sites containing real intellectual content. See also my lists of people with online papers in philosophy and of online papers on consciousness. Consciousness resources Philosophy resources Philosophy journals online Cognitive science resources Meta-resources Disorders of consciousness Interactive demonstrations Miscellaneous sites with interesting content Go to: David Chalmers' home page.
Human Connectome Project | Mapping the human brain connectivity. Our brains are wired so we can better hear ourselves speak, new study shows. Like the mute button on the TV remote control, our brains filter out unwanted noise so we can focus on what we’re listening to. But when it comes to following our own speech, a new brain study from the University of California, Berkeley, shows that instead of one homogenous mute button, we have a network of volume settings that can selectively silence and amplify the sounds we make and hear.
Activity in the auditory cortex when we speak and listen is amplified in some regions of the brain and muted in others. In this image, the black line represents muting activity when we speak. (Courtesy of Adeen Flinker) Neuroscientists from UC Berkeley, UCSF and Johns Hopkins University tracked the electrical signals emitted from the brains of hospitalized epilepsy patients. They discovered that neurons in one part of the patients’ hearing mechanism were dimmed when they talked, while neurons in other parts lit up. The auditory cortex is a region of the brain’s temporal lobe that deals with sound. Morality Study Narrows Gap Between Mind And Brain. Brain+Illusions.jpg (JPEG Image, 950x848 pixels) - Scaled (71. 100 Ways To Become More Conscious: How To Raise Your Consciousness.
1. Connect with nature – Go for a walk in the forest, jungle, field of daisies, or wherever you feel like getting a connection with nature. It is possible to feel at deep sense of peace and oneness when you attempt to connect with nature. As you learn to connect and appreciate nature, you allow your consciousness to rise up. 2. Get your body moving – Exercise and dancing will raise your consciousness by promoting healthy brainwave patterns, healthy neurotransmitter levels, and great circulation throughout your nervous system. 3. . - Whether you are an advanced meditator or a beginner, the benefits are tremendous and will allow you to tap into your highest state of conscious functioning if you stick around long enough. 4.
. - Find only friends that align with who you are, your beliefs, and your values – they will make you more conscious. 5. . – If you have the intention to raise your consciousness and state of awareness, you are on the right track. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17.
BBC Documentary on Consciousness. Photos du journal - No Hope For the Human Race. Francisco Varela « Neurophenomenology. (Part I is here, and part III is here) In certain respects, development of the view that embodied experience is crucial to understanding the mind and brain reached a nadir in the period after World War II, at least within psychology. Behaviorism had redefined psychology as an “objective” science with no need to refer to consciousness or phenomenology. There was continuation of phenomenological research from the German gestalt psychologists, but it was not until after World War II that clinically-oriented humanistic psychology explicitly articulated the need for more holistic, “person-centric” perspectives emphasizing existential concerns: the search for meaning, the experience of health and illness, emotions, and consciousness.
However, clinical neurologists continued to advance an approach to psychological and cognitive phenomena that reflected a richer and broader understanding of the mind. Phenomenologist Maurice Merleau-Ponty “Inside and outside are inseparable” (pg. 407) Francisco Varela : Human Consciousness : Articles. ‘Neurophenomenology : A Methodological Remedy for the Hard Problem’ Journal of Consciousness Studies, "Special Issues on the Hard Problems", J.Shear (Ed.)
June 1996. HTML Version ‘The Specious Present: A Neurophenomenology of Time Consciousness’ To appear in:J.Petitot, F.J.Varela, J. HTML Version PDF Version The Gesture of Awareness - An account of its structural dynamics N. PDF Version First-person Methodologies: What, Why, How? Francisco J. HTML Version. Patricia Churchland on Neurophilosophy. Cosmic consciousness. Cosmic consciousness is a book published by Richard Maurice Bucke in 1901, in which he explores the phenomenon of Cosmic Consciousness, "a higher form of consciousness than that possessed by the ordinary man", a consciousness of "the life and order of the universe". History[edit] In 1901 Canadian psychiatrist Richard Maurice Bucke published Cosmic Consciousness: A Study in the Evolution of the Human Mind, in which he explores the phenomenon of Cosmic Consciousness, "a higher form of consciousness than that possessed by the ordinary man", a consciousness of "the life and order of the universe".
Bucke discerns three forms or grades of consciousness: Simple consciousness, possessed by both animals and mankind;Self-consciousness, possessed by mankind, encompassing thought, reason, and imagination;Cosmic consciousness, a consciousness of "the life and order of the universe", possessed by few man, but a next step of human evolution, to be reached by all in the future.
According to Juan A. The brain’s silent majority - 2009 FALL. When you have no clue, call it glue. “Glia,” the Greek word for glue, was the name the pathologist Rudolph Virchow gave, back in 1856, to the gelatinous substance that forms the bulk of the brain. And it stuck. These days, scientists use it to denote the matter that accounts for 90 percent of the brain’s cells and more than half its volume — but, like the late comic Rodney Dangerfield, “can’t get no respect.”
Neurons, the “talented tenth” of the human brain that hog the lion’s share of brain scientists’ attention, are indeed a work of evolutionary art. “When the brain is injured, the neighborhood astrocytes go into a completely altered state.” We now know they’re doing much more. Certainly, it’s no stretch to imagine that knowing what glial cells do, and how they do it, could help explain brain disorders and how to cure them. From time to time, Ben Barres brings a brain in to his office. The guardian angels of the synapses Arne Hurty But Barres had a hunch they did more. Consciousness. Consciousness-Evolution.pdf (Objet application/pdf)
Chakra. Quantum mind–body problem. An interpretation of quantum mechanics is a set of statements which attempt to explain how quantum mechanics informs our understanding of nature. Although quantum mechanics has held up to rigorous and thorough experimental testing, many of these experiments are open to different interpretations.
There exist a number of contending schools of thought, differing over whether quantum mechanics can be understood to be deterministic, which elements of quantum mechanics can be considered "real", and other matters. This question is of special interest to philosophers of physics, as physicists continue to show a strong interest in the subject. They usually consider an interpretation of quantum mechanics as an interpretation of the mathematical formalism of quantum mechanics, specifying the physical meaning of the mathematical entities of the theory. History of interpretations[edit] Main quantum mechanics interpreters Nature of interpretation[edit] Two qualities vary among interpretations:
The Primacy of Consciousness - Peter Russell - Full Version. Mirror neuron. A mirror neuron is a neuron that fires both when an animal acts and when the animal observes the same action performed by another.[1][2][3] Thus, the neuron "mirrors" the behavior of the other, as though the observer were itself acting. Such neurons have been directly observed in primate species.[4] Birds have been shown to have imitative resonance behaviors and neurological evidence suggests the presence of some form of mirroring system.[4][5] In humans, brain activity consistent with that of mirror neurons has been found in the premotor cortex, the supplementary motor area, the primary somatosensory cortex and the inferior parietal cortex.[6] The function of the mirror system is a subject of much speculation.
Discovery[edit] Further experiments confirmed that about 10% of neurons in the monkey inferior frontal and inferior parietal cortex have "mirror" properties and give similar responses to performed hand actions and observed actions. Origin[edit] In monkeys[edit] In humans[edit] Qualia. Un article de Wikipédia, l'encyclopédie libre. Les qualia sont les propriétés de la perception et généralement de l'expérience sensible. C'est ce qu'on ressent lorsqu'on perçoit ou ressent quelque chose : qu'est-ce que ça fait de voir un objet rond, rouge et granuleux ? Les qualia constituent ainsi l'essence même de l'expérience de la vie et du monde. Ce sont des phénomènes psychiques et donc subjectifs, constitutifs des états mentaux. On distingue généralement : Par définition, les qualia sont inconnaissables en l'absence d'une intuition directe : on ne peut pas faire connaître le rouge, ou la couleur en général, à quelqu'un qui ne la connaît pas directement.
Ils sont donc aussi incommunicables. Le mot qualia (à prononcer /ˈkwɑlia/, au singulier quale) vient du latin qualis qui signifie quel, de quelle sorte, de quelle espèce, de quelle nature[1]. Définition[modifier | modifier le code] Daniel Dennett distingue quatre propriétés généralement attribuées aux qualia : Daniel C. Integral theory consciousness. Ken Wilber Journal of Consciousness Studies, 4 (1), February 1997, pp. 71-92 Copyright, 1997, Imprint Academic Abstract: An extensive data search among various types of developmental and evolutionary sequences yielded a `four quadrant' model of consciousness and its development (the four quadrants being intentional, behavioural, cultural, and social). Each of these dimensions was found to unfold in a sequence of at least a dozen major stages or levels. Combining the four quadrants with the dozen or so major levels in each quadrant yields an integral theory of consciousness that is quite comprehensive in its nature and scope.
Introduction There has recently been something of an explosion of interest in the development of a `science of consciousness', and yet there are at present approximately a dozen major but conflicting schools of consciousness theory and research. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. The Four Corners of the Kosmos Figure 1: The Four Quadrants. Quantum mind. The quantum mind or quantum consciousness hypothesis proposes that classical mechanics cannot explain consciousness, while quantum mechanical phenomena, such as quantum entanglement and superposition, may play an important part in the brain's function, and could form the basis of an explanation of consciousness. It is not one theory, but a collection of distinct ideas described below. A few theoretical physicists have argued that classical physics is intrinsically incapable of explaining the holistic aspects of consciousness, whereas quantum mechanics can. The idea that quantum theory has something to do with the workings of the mind go back to Eugene Wigner, who assumed that the wave function collapses due to its interaction with consciousness.
The philosopher David Chalmers has argued against quantum consciousness. Description of main quantum mind approaches[edit] David Bohm[edit] In trying to describe the nature of consciousness, Bohm discusses the experience of listening to music. Science and Philosophy of Consciousness. Culture Vaults : Resonant Frequencies and the Human Brain. One of the great revelations of 20th century science is that all existence can be broken down into simple wave functions. Every photon, energy emission, and elementary particle rings with its own unique wave signature.
When we see a color, we are actually seeing a distinct frequency of visible light. When we hear a sound, our eardrums are actually being vibrated by subtle waves in the air molecules around us. Even the neurochemical processes of human consciousness our very thoughts ring with their own distinct wave patterns. By studying the way that waves interact with other waves, researchers have found that even low-powered oscillations can have enormous effects on standing waves, physical structures, and even the human brain. Tesla first realized the massive potential of resonant waves in 1898 when he performed a simple experiment with an electromechanical oscillator the size of an alarm clock. "The principle cannot fail," Tesla would say. Monroe's Big Discovery The Neural Radio.
The Internet and the New Transformation of Consciousness. John H. Van Ness (email: JohnVanNess@vngroup.com) What distinguishes human life from all other life forms? What makes human life unique on this planet? Jane Goodall , who spent 40 years studying the life of chimpanzees in Tanzania, has discovered that the chimps display many qualities that we had thought were uniquely human: personality, the ability to reason, the capacity for love and altruism as well as violence and cruelty. However only humans have developed a sophisticated spoken language. Anthropologist Mary Catherine Bateson recently described humanity’s new phase of evolutionary development. In The Web of Text and the Web of God , the late professor of English, Alan Purves finds that the internet is a major cause of this transformation into the post-modern world, which he calls the world of hypertext or the world of cyberspace.
Since I am disabled and homebound, I spent some years being isolated from the rest of the world. Does the internet satisfy “all desire”? . Theory of mind. Definition[edit] Theory of mind is a theory insofar as the mind is not directly observable.[1] The presumption that others have a mind is termed a theory of mind because each human can only intuit the existence of his/her own mind through introspection, and no one has direct access to the mind of another. It is typically assumed that others have minds by analogy with one's own, and this assumption is based on the reciprocal nature of social interaction, as observed in joint attention,[4] the functional use of language,[5] and the understanding of others' emotions and actions.[6] Having a theory of mind allows one to attribute thoughts, desires, and intentions to others, to predict or explain their actions, and to posit their intentions. Theory of mind appears to be an innate potential ability in humans; one requiring social and other experience over many years for its full development.
Different people may develop more, or less, effective theories of mind. Development[edit] Autism[edit] Home. Philosophy of mind. The Nature of Consciousness: How the Internet Could Learn to Feel - Steve Paulson. Consciousness Studies. Thoughts on Consciousness | OF MY OWN ACCORD. Philosophy of mind. | Center for the Study of Language and Information. Table of contents. Changing minds and persuasion -- How we change what others think, believe, feel and do. THE EMERGENT SELF. Mind in Life - Evan Thompson. Online papers on consciousness. Antoine Lutz's Homepage.
Consciousness. The Society for the Anthropology of Consciousness | Exploring the origins and future of consciousness. Jim Robbins. Brainwave entrainment. Changing minds and persuasion -- How we change what others think, believe, feel and do. Conscience. Reconstructing visual experiences from brain activity evoked by natural movies. - GallantLabUCB.
Whole Brain Emulation: The Logical Endpoint of Neuroinformatics? The riddle of free will goes unsolved. Philosophy of mind. Consciousness. The Brain is Wider Than the Sky by Bryan Appleyard – review | Books | The Observer. Top 10 Common Faults In Human Thought. Consciousness Philosophy. Clearing the Mind: How the Brain Cuts the Clutter | Mind, Brain & Senses. Teaching the Gifted and Talented: 33 Websites Where You Can Find Good Resources.
Mindfulness (psychology) Conscience. Global Consciousness Project -- consciousness, group consciousness, mind. Extended consciousness. Consciousness, Higher-Order Theories of Paul Thompson's Research Publications. The Fascinating Story of the Twins Who Share Brains, Thoughts, and Senses. Personal Identity Self-Consciousness Dualism and Mind List of Values. Quantum Consciousness . Stuart Hameroff. 15 Styles of Distorted Thinking. Neural correlates of consciousness. 100 Ways To Become More Conscious: How To Raise Your Consciousness. Scientific evidence for survival of consciousness after death. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Top 10 Thinking Traps Exposed. Higher consciousness. Category:Consciousness studies. Laboratory of Visual Neuroscience : : Susana Martinez-Conde, Director. Labos. A Glorious Piece of Meat: The Neural Basis of Consciousness. The Neuroscience of Emotions.