Tag: consciousness
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Near death experiences and a change in worldview
Hans Zingmark (a pulmonologist) and Anetth Granberg-Axell (a retired physician) wanted to examine the worldview-altering impact of near-death experiences (NDEs) amongst a group of survivors of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in Sweden. Suspending their judgements on whether NDEs are veridical, they wanted to study these reports from a phenomenological perspective. That is, they felt that…
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Podcast: Why and How to Meditate.
In this latest podcast from The Huberman Lab, Andrew looks at the latest scientific evidence about meditation: [In this podcast I look at] the state changes that occur during different types of mediation and describe how to develop the mediation practice optimal for you. I explain key meditation principles, such as using specific breathwork patterns…
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Physics: Things are getting reassuringly weird.
In this short article, cognitive scientist and author Donald Hoffman reminds us that right now physicists are questioning the very existence of our fundamental subjective experiences of space and time.The big question is: What lies beyond? Hoffman argues that the problem in answering this question lies in the fact that we have evolved to possess…
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Beyond words.
The proper response to this realisation is not argument, but awe. To be human, in my view, is to feel a deep gravitational pull towards something ineffable, that, if we can just for once get beyond words and reasons, is a matter of experience, and to which we reach out, silently, though not without misgivings;…
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Book review: the matter with things.
You are probably familiar with the idea that the two sides of our brains are responsible for different functions of our personality. For example, that our left hemisphere is more analytical, maths-oriented, more reasoning and ordered, whilst the right side is more creative, artistic, intuitive. Well this popular idea that our personalities are more dominated…
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Four simple questions.
In this first of a series of videos, four simple questions are asked to Prof Karl John Friston, Science Director of the Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging at University College London and Lisa Cairns, a non-duality teacher. The four questions: Their conversation ranges across awakening experiences, dyslexia, autism, hallucinogens, free energy principle, big and little…
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Do jumping spiders dream spider dreams?
Scientific American is reporting on the research of behavioural ecologist Daniela Rößler into the sleep behaviours of jumping spiders. After first observing that these spiders would occasionally hang motionless (and presumably asleep) on the ends of their silk threads, Rößler noticed something interesting.From time to time they would display a distinct twitching. Hmmm, she thought,…
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Is there something inside a fish other than fillets?
This article published in Aeon looks at the question of sentience in fish. In me at least, when I really stop and think about it, this raises a creeping feeling of unease. There is definitely an increasing body of evidence that challenges our sapien-centric claim to being the consciousness boss of things around here. If…
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The Galileo Commission Report.
The Galileo Commission Report is a paper written by Prof Harald Walach in consultation with a panel of 90 scientists, researchers and academics. It examines the current role of science in our society, and whilst fully supporting the scientific method it questions the rise of scientism, a fundamentalist approach that refuses a priori to examine…
