Description
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 neurobiologicalcorrelates 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
Table of Contents
Foreword; R. Cloninger.- Preface; A. Moreira-Almeida, F. Santana Santos.- Part I. Philosophy and History.- Materialism’s eternal return: recurrent patterns of materialistic explanations of mental phenomena; S. de Freitas Araujo.- The major objections from reductive materialism against belief in the existence of cartesian mind-body dualism; R. Almeder.- Psychic Phenomena and the Mind-Body Problem: Historical Notes on a Neglected Conceptual Tradition; C. S. Alvarado.- Part II – Physics.- No-collapse Physics and Consciousness; C. J. S. Clarke.- The ‘Quantum Soul’ - A Scientific Hypothesis; S. Hameroff and D. Chopra.- Part III - Functional Neuroimaging.- The Neurobiological Correlates of Meditation and Mindfulness; J. Edwards, J. Peres, D. A. Monti, and A. Newberg.- Functional Neuroimaging Studies of Emotional Self-Regulation and Spiritual Experiences; M. Beauregard.- Part IV - Human Experiences as Promising lines of investigation of Mind-brain relationship.- Near-Death Experiences and the Mind-Brain Relationship; P. Fenwick.- Death, end of life experiences and their theoretical and clinical implications for the mind-brain relationship; P. Fenwick and F. Santana Santos.- Research on Mediumistic and the Mind-Brain Relationship; A. Moreira-Almeida.- Cases of the Reincarnation Type and the Mind-Brain Relationship; E. Haraldsson.- Conclusion; A. Moreira-Almeida, F. Santana Santos.
