Download or read book Exploring Frontiers of the Mind Brain Relationship written by Alexander Moreira-Almeida and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-11-25 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The conscious mind defines human existence. Many consider the brain as a computer, and they attempt to explain consciousness as emerging at a critical, but unspecified, threshold level of complex computation among neurons. The brain-as-computer model, however, fails to account for phenomenal experience and portrays consciousness as an impotent, after-the-fact epiphenomenon lacking causal power. And the brain-as-computer concept precludes even the remotest possibility of spirituality. As described throughout the history of humankind, seemingly spiritual mental phenomena including transcendent states, near-death and out-of-body experiences, and past-life memories have in recent years been well documented and treated scientifically. In addition, the brain-as-computer approach has been challenged by advocates of quantum brain biology, who are possibly able to explain, scientifically, nonlocal, seemingly spiritual mental states. Exploring Frontiers of the Mind-Brain Relationship argues against the purely physical analysis of consciousness and for a balanced psychobiological approach. This thought-provoking volume bridges philosophy of mind with science of mind to look empirically at transcendent phenomena, such as mystic states, near-death experiences and past-life memories, that have confounded scientists for decades. Representing disciplines ranging from philosophy and history to neuroimaging and physics, and boasting a panel of expert scientists and physicians, including Andrew Newberg, Peter Fenwick, Stuart Hameroff, Mario Beauregard, Deepak Chopra, and Chris Clarke the book rigorously follows several lines of inquiry into mind-brain controversies, challenging readers to form their own conclusions—or reconsider previous ones. Key coverage includes: Objections to reductionistic materialism from the philosophical and the scientific tradition. Phenomena and the mind-brain problem. The neurobiological correlates of meditation and mindfulness. The quantum soul, a view from physics. Clinical implications of end-of-life experiences. Mediumistic experience and the mind-brain relationship. Exploring Frontiers of the Mind-Brain Relationship is essential reading for researchers and clinicians across many disciplines, including cognitive psychology, personality and social psychology, the neurosciences, neuropsychiatry, palliative care, philosophy, and quantum physics. “This book ... brings together some precious observations about the fundamental mystery of the nature of consciousness ... It raises many questions that serve to invite each of us to be more aware of the uncertainty of our preconceptions about consciousness ... This book on the frontiers of mind-body relationships is a scholarly embodiment of creative and open-minded science.” C. Robert Cloninger, MD Wallace Renard Professor of Psychiatry, Genetics, and Psychology, Washington University School of Medicine St. Louis MO

Download or read book Exploring the Mind Brain Connection written by Jorge Angel, M.d. and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2008-07-01 with total page 175 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In recent years, a keen interest has emerged in the world of science regarding the relationship between the biological and the psychological aspects of the mind. How can the neural activity of the brain create thoughts, memory, feelings, and emotions? The answer to this question is the subject of this book. Jorge Angel M.D. posits that, although the mind is the byproduct of the firing of neurons in different parts of the brain, it is also the organizing principle of brain activity. The brain and the mind have a symbiotic relationship that is present throughout the life span of the individual. In an effort to find answers to the riddle of the mind-brain relationship, Dr. Angel describes his personal experiences of many years in the practice of the healing arts, and he draws on a lifetime of study into the biology of the brain. The author maintains that the mind is much more than consciousness. Consciousness has been described metaphorically as the small tip of an iceberg floating in a sea of unconsciousness. Dwelling on the evolutionary development of the brain, he explains how intellectual experience arises from the activity of cell aggregates in the residual reptilian, residual mammalian, and rational parts of the brain that we have inherited from our animal ancestors through billions of adaptive trade-offs over millions of years. The human mind is one of the last unresolved mysteries in the world of science. This book provides a meaningful insight into the nature and function of the mind in normal subjects and their ability to think, feel, and remember. It also portrays in detail the changes that can be brought on the mind of humans by an assortment of psychological and neurological disorders.

Download or read book Science of Life After Death written by Alexander Moreira-Almeida and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2022-07-01 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the best available empirical evidence regarding one of the most challenging and pervasive questions throughout ages, cultures, and religions: the survival of human consciousness after death. It begins with a contextual overview of belief in personal survival and refutes misguided historical and epistemological arguments against the notion of survival after death (e.g., irrational, purely religious, impossible to be addressed by science, that has been proved false by neuroscience). The book provides an overview of the scientific evidence regarding the survival of human consciousness after death, focusing on studies on mediumship, near-death and out-of-body experiences, and reincarnation. Featured topics of coverage include: The belief in life after death in the contemporary world as well as in the history of religions and philosophy. The key misguided arguments and prejudices against the academic study of afterlife survival. What constitutes empirical evidence for survival after death? The main explanatory hypotheses alternative to survival after death. The chief cultural barriers to a fair examination of the available evidence for survival of consciousness after death. Science of Life After Death is an essential resource for researchers, professors, and graduate students as well as clinicians, therapists, and other professionals in developmental and clinical psychology; spirituality, religious. and consciousness studies; psychiatry; neuroscience / neurology; phenomenology / philosophy; complementary and alternative medicine; and all interrelated disciplines.

Download or read book The Survival Hypothesis written by Adam J. Rock and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2014-04-30 with total page 319 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Contemporary parapsychology tends to be preoccupied with ESP (telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition) and psychokinesis. In contrast, this cutting-edge anthology assembles an international team of experts from the fields of psychology, parapsychology, philosophy, anthropology and neuroscience to examine critically what is referred to as the survival hypothesis: the tentative statement or prediction that some aspect of our personhood (e.g., consciousness) persists subsequent to the death of the physical body. The appraisal of the survival hypothesis will be restricted to the phenomenon of mediumship; that is, humans who ostensibly communicate with the deceased. The book has been divided into four main sections: Explanation and Belief; Culture, Psychopathology and Psychotherapy; Empirical Approaches; The Present and Future. The issue of postmortem survival is supremely relevant to us all because the human encounter with death is, of course, a certainty.

Download or read book The Mind Brain Relationship written by Regina Pally and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-03-29 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book describes how neural circuitry develops epigenetically, in a manner that directly reflects early environmental influences. It provides a systematic and comprehensive overview of the state of the art in the field, and discusses the structure and function of memory.

Download or read book Exploring the Mind brain Relationship written by Robert Galbraith Heath and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Encountering Mystery written by Dale C. Allison and published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. This book was released on 2022-07-26 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Despite widespread skepticism on the matter, a significant number of people today have stories of religious experience—moments of inexplicable terror or rapturous joy, visions, near-death experiences of the afterlife, encounters with angels, heavenly voices, and premonitions. How should rationally minded people respond? What would your reaction be if someone told you that, one night while sitting alone, she saw through the window a brilliant light descend from the sky until it was so large that it filled the room—and that it radiated a feeling of “pure love”? And what would you say if a friend confided that one night he woke up and could not move, felt he was being suffocated, and sensed an evil spirit in the room? By default in the secular age we are skeptical about anything mysterious or supernatural. More likely than not, most people would respond to the stories above with embarrassment and concern about the person’s grasp of reality, or they would attempt to explain them away through rational or scientific means. But the truth is that religious experiences like these are not as uncommon as they seem—although talking about such experiences often is. This is the case even in a faith tradition such as Christianity, despite the Bible’s numerous accounts of miraculous and mysterious happenings. In Encountering Mystery, noted biblical scholar Dale Allison makes the argument that stories of religious experience are meaningful and not to be marginalized—and that we have a moral prerogative to lovingly engage with such stories regardless of whether we have had similar experiences. Through a close look at phenomena such as moments of inexplicable terror or rapturous joy, visions, near-death experiences of the afterlife, encounters with angels, heavenly voices, and premonitions, Allison shows how ordinary practices of faith need not be at odds with individual religious experiences. Above all, he enjoins us to be honest about the persistence of religious experience in a secular age and to make space for those who encounter mystery in their lives.

Download or read book Signs of Reincarnation written by James G. Matlock and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2019-06-15 with total page 409 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Signs of Reincarnation provides the first comprehensive look at the belief in reincarnation and the evidence for past lives from historical records, anthropological studies, and contemporary research. Matlock discusses various ways the evidence may be interpreted and shows that although reincarnation entails a rejection of the materialist notion that consciousness is generated by the brain, it does not require the acceptance of any radically new concepts or the abandonment of well-established findings in mainstream psychology or biology. This book offers students, scholars, and anyone interested in the possibility of reincarnation an essential grounding in beliefs, cases, and theory, while opening doors for future research into the extension of consciousness beyond our present lives.

Download or read book Become Conscious of Wholeness written by Edwin E. Olson and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2021-11-30 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How can we transcend our tribal, philosophical, and religious differences? Is it possible to develop a global consciousness to resolve the peril to our biosphere and other human-made existential crises? Become Conscious of Wholeness: Humanity’s Only Future explores how connecting human consciousness with Universal Consciousness will give individuals and societies a sense of being complete, not fragmented. Accessing Universal Consciousness, the fundamental wisdom, intelligence, and love in the Universe, will align their identity and purpose and free them from limiting beliefs and fears. Universal Consciousness is the organizing, unifying force, beyond space and time, filled with the creative potential from which our diverse philosophies, religions, and primordial traditions emerged. When Consciousness is understood from multiple scientific, spiritual, psychological, and mystical perspectives, what is of ultimate value becomes clear—our relationships with each other and the Earth, our essential Wholeness. The reader will explore various portals to Universal Consciousness, drawing upon their own mystical and spiritual experience to develop a more holistic Self. Specific action steps are also presented to reframe religion, reimagine education and mental wellbeing, and reform the business organizations, government agencies, and divisive politics that perpetuate a fragmented view of reality.

Download or read book Spirituality across Disciplines Research and Practice written by Marian de Souza and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-06-29 with total page 351 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book collects multiple disciplinary voices which explore current research and perspectives to discuss how spirituality is understood, interpreted and applied in a range of contexts. It addresses spirituality in combination with such topics as Christian mysticism, childhood and adolescent education, midwifery, and sustainability. It links spirituality to a variety of disciplines, including cognitive neuroscience, sociology, and psychology. Finally, it discusses the application of spirituality within the context of social work, teaching, health care, and occupational therapy. A final chapter provides an analytical discussion of the different voices that appear in the book and offers a holistic description of spirituality which has the potential to bring some unity to the meaning, expression and practice of spirituality across a variety of disciplines as well as across cultural, religious and secular worldviews. "A strength of the book is that each chapter is characterized by a fearless confronting of oppositional perspectives and use of the latest research in addressing them. The book takes the difficult topic of spirituality into almost every nook and cranny of personal and professional life. There is a persistent grasping of the contentiousness of the topic, together with addressing counter positions and utilizing updated research across a range of fields in doing this. The opening and closing chapters serve as book ends that keep the whole volume together."Terence Lovat, The University of Newcastle, Australia "The interdisciplinary nature of the work is by far the strongest aspect of this volume. It has the potential to contribute to a dialogue between different professions and disciplines. This prospective publication promises to promote a more holistic approach to the study of spirituality. This volume takes into consideration a wide variety of issues. The way the editors have structured the sequence of chapters contributes to facilitate any possible dialogue between the different areas."Adrian-Mario Gellel, University of Malta, Malta

Download or read book Materialism Minds and Cartesian Dualism written by Robert Francis Almeder and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2022-03-11 with total page 131 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Materialism, Minds, and Cartesian Dualism offers a history of how philosophers and scientists have thought about mind/body problems, especially as it concerns the question of consciousness after death. This book interrogates the last thirty years of scientific research on reincarnation, considering a series of case studies impossible to explain in any other way than persisting consciousness after death. Although this book does not attempt to argue why or how some people reincarnate and how long they reincarnate. It argues that these case studies demonstrate in compelling ways that some people have indeed to some degree reincarnated. Therefore the philosophical materialist position that only physical objects exist is refuted.

Download or read book Extrasensory Perception written by Edwin C. May and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2015-06-23 with total page 735 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Scholars from around the world collaborate to explain the history of parapsychology, the study of extrasensory perception (ESP), and the arguments of skeptics and supporters in this fascinating collection. This two-volume set introduces ESP—also known as anomalous cognition—and psychokinesis, addressing the history, research, philosophy, and scientific theories surrounding the phenomena. With contributions from leading research scientists from within the field of parapsychology and other areas of study, this reference addresses the fundamental questions that the evidence of ESP evokes; examines parapsychology research from all over the world; and explores the controversies, skepticism, and contemporary criticism disparaging the field. Written for a multidisciplinary audience ranging from physicists to psychologists to lay persons, the volumes present the scientific validity of the field. Volume 1 addresses the historical, philosophical, skeptical, and research viewpoints; volume 2 lays out the current theories on ESP. Chapters reveal how strict scientific protocols and state-of-the-art technologies enable scientists—at sites such as Harvard and Cornell universities to their international counterparts in Amsterdam, Austria, and Asia—to pinpoint and investigate ESP abilities. Appendices include a glossary of key terms in parapsychology, ESP research protocol, ESP research organizations, skeptic associations, and recommended reading.

Download or read book Life Death and Eternity written by Dr. Kawa Amin and published by Balboa Press. This book was released on 2024-05-16 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although uncertainty is an inherent part of life, it is universally agreed that death, as the end of an individual’s current known life, is inevitable. Yet extensive research and careful analysis of scientific literature seems to show that our existence may continue beyond what we currently understand. It is possible that we will transition through different stages, adapting to new environments and circumstances. Therefore, the future holds the potential for exciting discoveries and a deeper understanding of what it means to be alive. In an academic presentation, consultant geriatrician Dr. Kawa Amin delves into the fascinating realm of immortality and the attempts throughout history to overcome the inevitability of death. While intertwining scientific evidence with philosophy, faith, and theology, Dr. Amin delivers a comprehensive qualitative analysis while meticulously considering several dimensions in relation to immortality and clarifying complex concepts such as resurrection, life, and death. Life, Death, and Eternity combines scientific research with faith and philosophy to provide a deeper understanding of the concept of resurrection and the spiritual aspects of life and death.

Download or read book Alternative Perspectives on Psychiatric Validation written by Peter Zachar and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2015 with total page 287 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this edited volume a group of leading thinkers in psychiatry, psychology, and philosophy offer alternative perspectives that address both the scientific and clinical aspects of psychiatric validation, emphasizing throughout their philosophical and historical considerations.

Download or read book The Wonder of It All written by Peter James Bearse Ph.D. and published by AuthorHouse. This book was released on 2018-06-23 with total page 326 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book has been written to advance a vision, to foster the nurture and sustenance of human life on the precious biosphere we call earth—our one and only home. Any vision without foundation is vacuous. So what is our foundation? There are only two basic assumptions about human nature: that we all have spiritual qualities and that our spirits aspire to reach and attain states of being, qualities of life and other things that are higher and better for ourselves and our families. It is an unerring focus on life—one that builds on its relentless force in each of us—reaching for the stars.

Download or read book Arthur Balfour s Ghosts written by Trevor Hamilton and published by Andrews UK Limited. This book was released on 2018-01-02 with total page 438 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book tells the incredible story of the cross-correspondence automatic writings, described by one leading scholar of the field, Alan Gauld, 'as undoubtedly the most extensive, the most complex and the most puzzling of all ostensible attempts by deceased persons to manifest purpose, and in so doing to fulfil their overriding purpose of proving their survival'. It is an intensely personal and passionate story on so many levels: May Lyttelton trying to convince her lover Arthur Balfour of her continued existence; Myers with indomitable persistence trying to produce evidence to prove survival generally; Gurney and Francis Balfour striving from beyond the grave to influence the birth of children who would work for world peace; Gerald Balfour and his lover Winifred Coombe-Tennant believing that their child, Henry, would be the Messianic leader of this group of children.

Download or read book Dreams Beyond Time written by Lee Irwin and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2022-05-04 with total page 367 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dreams Beyond Time: On Sacred Encounter and Spiritual Transformation offers readers an overview of dreams research as applied to non-ordinary dreams. Lee Irwin describes four basic types of dreaming: normative, mythic, psychic, and transpersonal, and he illustrates each type with specific dream examples. These types of dreaming are then used as a lens to look more closely at additional dream types that indicate dreaming as a process of creative discovery. Through virtual dreaming encounters, latent human potentials are revealed and suggest aspects for spiritual development based on dream recording, interpretation, and analysis. In turn this leads to a metaphysical description that is pan-sentient, illustrating a vivid, living universe of process-becoming in which certain dream types reveal mythic, psychic, and transpersonal capacities as intrinsic to a deeper more awakened sense of intersubjective self-awareness. While dream theories from many diverse authors are explored, the author uses an existential and phenomenological method to analyze dreaming contents in relationship to altered states of mind, trance, out of body and near-death experience, meditation, imagination, and stages of lucid self-awareness. Transpersonal dreams are given considerable attention in relationship to mystical traditions, paranormal research, and the comparative anthropology of self.