Neurophilosophy of Consciousness, Vol.Vii


Book Description

The information explosion we have witnessed in the last two decades has unexpectedly accelerated the relentless, forward evolutionary process of complexity as experienced in the real existential reality as narrated from human to human in the language semantic accounts of our communications. Sometimes there are consistent, verifiable experiences by all witnesses that resist being described in common language terms and their undeniable presence must then be inferred by using justifiable representation and must be communicated instead in a justifiable symbolic or sentential representation as an ideal explanation model. We then have two choices to fashion our model, we can either sacrifice the elegance of the model if we base it strictly on verifiable observables or emphasize on the elegance of a more demanding mathematical logic representation of the same subjective experience. Both approaches lead to the same speculations/conjectures about the micro or macro cosmological environment of the unseen. The author endorses the Lagrangian Quantum Field Theory (QFT) as our most empirically, well-confirmed physical theory where the ideal explanation of the metaphysical component of the empirical object/events is more reliable than the axiomatic approach mathematical theorists prefer. However the best of both must harmonize. The reliance on verifiable sensory facts excels in the expediency of calculations and their intuitive understanding because it is closer to phenomenological experimental manipulation in the physics lab. That makes the derived metaphysical ideal model poem more credible when applying the theory to make predictions. If we had to choose only one it is clear that when pragmatics and rigor lead to the same conclusion, then, as the author has argued, pragmatics trumps rigor due to the resulting simplicity, efficiency, and increase in understanding made possible. Most important, however, is that it allows for preparations for unexpected new environmental circumstances as they get empirically detected. Consequently, a hybrid unit wholeness of existential mesoscopic reality is defended.




Neurophilosophy


Book Description

"A Bradford book." Bibliography: p. [491]-523. Includes index.




Neurophilosophy of Consciousness, Vol. V and Yogi


Book Description

In this continuation of our speculations and conjectures about brain dynamics as it pertains the attainment of the introspective self conscious state and the concomitant brain proto language faculty activation -both sine qua non antecedents to the decision making process- we are now trying to get a clearer picture about what seems to our species confusion of consciously experiencing two simultaneous but opposing perspectives of the same existential 4-d reality and how it may impact the conscious free judgment on the priority to be assigned to any important and relevant issue to the human species. Which one should we adopt to guide our lives today and the day after tomorrow? Of course we are more concerned with the above average responsible citizen looking beyond the conveniences of a quotidian hedonistic Sartrean existentialism where pleasurable enjoyment is routinely satisfied ahead of known but ignored necessities for the lasting survival of the human species generations ahead. How can we reconcile these seemingly opposing views we need to take into account? This realistic approach is called compromise, hybridization or complementarity and the assumption that hidden variables -if any- beyond human brain phenomenological or combinatorial threshold would always bring Heisenberg-type uncertainties to reckon with. These can be either the choice of exclusive biopsychosocial (BPS) imperatives for any living species survival as opposed to the altruistic, spiritual life against self interests of the historical prophets or the more familiar Einstein, Podolsky, Rosen (EPR) complementarities between the position of a particulate object of mass (m) and its momentum when we try to measure them. Likewise for energy and time. Underlying these seemingly opposite/contrasting appearances are subthreshold physical interactions. These considerations force you to adopt a quantum statistical probabilistic view of reality relying on falsifiability, predictability and mathematical logic manipulations of symbolic representations of measurable/observed facts. But when it comes to human judgments these coexisting complementarities, i.e., the subconscious species survival BPS imperative drives we share with other evolved species to stay alive now and then and the conscious species survival across generations sacrifices a few were willing to endure against self interest, resist being framed into coherent rules of metaphysical logic for analysis..




Neurophilosophy at Work


Book Description

Churchland explores the unfolding impact of the several empirical sciences of the mind, especially cognitive neurobiology and computational neuroscience on a variety of traditional issues central to the discipline of philosophy. Representing Churchland's most recent research, they continue his research program, launched over thirty years ago which has evolved into the field of neurophilosophy. Topics such as the nature of Consciousness, the nature of cognition and intelligence, the nature of moral knowledge and moral reasoning, neurosemantics or world-representation in the brain, the nature of our subjective sensory qualia and their relation to objective science, and the future of philosophy itself are here addressed in a lively, graphical, and accessible manner. Throughout the volume, Churchland's view that science is as important as philosophy is emphasised. Several of the color figures in the volume will allow the reader to perform some novel phenomenological experiments on his/her own visual system.




Consciousness and the Brain


Book Description

WINNER OF THE 2014 BRAIN PRIZE From the acclaimed author of Reading in the Brain and How We Learn, a breathtaking look at the new science that can track consciousness deep in the brain How does our brain generate a conscious thought? And why does so much of our knowledge remain unconscious? Thanks to clever psychological and brain-imaging experiments, scientists are closer to cracking this mystery than ever before. In this lively book, Stanislas Dehaene describes the pioneering work his lab and the labs of other cognitive neuroscientists worldwide have accomplished in defining, testing, and explaining the brain events behind a conscious state. We can now pin down the neurons that fire when a person reports becoming aware of a piece of information and understand the crucial role unconscious computations play in how we make decisions. The emerging theory enables a test of consciousness in animals, babies, and those with severe brain injuries. A joyous exploration of the mind and its thrilling complexities, Consciousness and the Brain will excite anyone interested in cutting-edge science and technology and the vast philosophical, personal, and ethical implications of finally quantifying consciousness.




Handbook of Research on Evidence-Based Perspectives on the Psychophysiology of Yoga and Its Applications


Book Description

While yoga was originally intended to be practiced for spiritual growth, there is an increasing interest in applying yoga in all areas of life. It is important to understand this ancient science and way of life through as many perspectives as possible (e.g., based on biomedical engineering). As its popularity and interest grows, more practitioners want to know about the proven physiological effects and uses in healthcare. The Handbook of Research on Evidence-Based Perspectives on the Psychophysiology of Yoga and Its Applications provides research exploring the theoretical and practical aspects of yoga therapy and its physiological effects from diverse, evidence-based viewpoints. The book adds in-depth information regarding the (1) physiological effects of yoga; (2) neurobiological effects of yoga meditation; (3) psychological benefits related to yoga, such as mental wellbeing; (4) molecular changes associated with yoga practice; and (5) therapeutic applications (for lymphedema, mental health disorders, non-communicable diseases, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and trauma, among other conditions). Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics such as pain management, psychotherapy, and trauma treatment, this book is ideally designed for yoga practitioners, physicians, medical professionals, health experts, mental health professionals, therapists, counselors, psychologists, spiritual leaders, academicians, researchers, and students.




The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy and Neuroscience


Book Description

This title is a collection of interdisciplinary research from contributors including both philosophers and neuroscientists. Topics covered include the neurobiology of learning and memory perception and sensation, neurocomputational modelling neuroanatomy, neuroethics, and neurology and clinical neuropsychology.




Philosophers on Consciousness


Book Description

We know, more intimately than anything else, what it's like to undergo a rich world of experiences: agonizing pains, dizzying pleasures, heady rage and existential doubts. But, despite the incredible advances of physical science, it seems that we're no closer to an explanation of how this inner world of experiences comes about. No matter how detailed our description of the physical brain, perhaps we'll always be left with this same question: how and why does the brain produce consciousness? This book is a short, accessible and engaging guide to the mystery of consciousness. Featuring remastered interviews and original essays from the world's leading thinkers, Philosophers on Consciousness sheds new light on the most promising theories in philosophy and science. Beyond understanding the mind, this is a journey into personal identity, the origin of meaning, the nature of morality and the fundamental structure of reality.




Unlocking the Brain: Volume 2: Consciousness


Book Description

Neuroscience has made considerable progress in figuring out how the brain works. We know much about the molecular-genetic and biochemical underpinnings of sensory and motor functions. Recent neuroimaging work has opened the door to investigating the neural underpinnings of higher-order cognitive functions, such as memory, attention, and even free will. In these types of investigations, researchers apply specific stimuli to induce neural activity in the brain and look for the function in question. However, there may be more to the brain and its neuronal states than the changes in activity we induce by applying particular external stimuli. In Volume 2 of Unlocking the Brain, Georg Northoff addresses consciousness by hypothesizing about the relationship between particular neuronal mechanisms and the various phenomenal features of consciousness. Northoff puts consciousness in the context of the resting state of the brain thereby delivering a new point of view to the debate that permits very interesting insights into the nature of consciousness. Moreover, he describes and discusses detailed findings from different branches of neuroscience including single cell data, animal data, human imaging data, and psychiatric findings. This yields a unique and novel picture of the brain, and will have a major and lasting impact on neuroscientists working in neuroscience, psychiatry, and related fields.




Neuro-Philosophy and the Healthy Mind: Learning from the Unwell Brain


Book Description

Applying insights from neuroscience to philosophical questions about the self, consciousness, and the healthy mind. Can we “see” or “find” consciousness in the brain? How can we create working definitions of consciousness and subjectivity, informed by what contemporary research and technology have taught us about how the brain works? How do neuronal processes in the brain relate to our experience of a personal identity? Where does the brain end and the mind begin? To explore these and other questions, esteemed philosopher and neuroscientist Georg Northoff turns to examples of unhealthy minds. By investigating consciousness through its absence—in people in vegetative states, for example—we can develop a model for understanding its presence in an active, healthy person. By examining instances of distorted self-recognition in people with psychiatric disorders, like schizophrenia, we can begin to understand how the experience of “self” is established in a stable brain. Taking an integrative approach to understanding the self, consciousness, and what it means to be mentally healthy, this book brings insights from neuroscience to bear on philosophical questions. Readers will find a science-grounded examination of the human condition with far-reaching implications for psychology, medicine, our daily lives, and beyond.