Dreamless Sleep, the Embodied Mind, and Consciousness: The Relevance of a Classical Indian Debate to Cognitive Science

Thompson, Evan; Windt, Jennifer M.

doi:10.31231/osf.io/d9gqa

Cited by 17 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…We note that these reports of meditative and psychedelic experiences lacking spatial self-locating content might be reminiscent of reports of conscious episodes during dreamless sleep, which allegedly lack any form of self-consciousness and spatial content (Thompson, 2014a ; Windt et al, 2016 ). Jennifer Windt has argued that such dreamless sleep experiences might be characterized by “pure subjective temporality,” conceived as the minimal phenomenology of temporal self-location (“nowness”) and duration (Windt, 2014 ).…”

Section: Alterations Of Self-consciousness Induced By Meditation and mentioning

confidence: 65%

Psychedelics, Meditation, and Self-Consciousness

et al. 2018

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In recent years, the scientific study of meditation and psychedelic drugs has seen remarkable developments. The increased focus on meditation in cognitive neuroscience has led to a cross-cultural classification of standard meditation styles validated by functional and structural neuroanatomical data. Meanwhile, the renaissance of psychedelic research has shed light on the neurophysiology of altered states of consciousness induced by classical psychedelics, such as psilocybin and LSD, whose effects are mainly mediated by agonism of serotonin receptors. Few attempts have been made at bridging these two domains of inquiry, despite intriguing evidence of overlap between the phenomenology and neurophysiology of meditation practice and psychedelic states. In particular, many contemplative traditions explicitly aim at dissolving the sense of self by eliciting altered states of consciousness through meditation, while classical psychedelics are known to produce significant disruptions of self-consciousness, a phenomenon known as drug-induced ego dissolution. In this article, we discuss available evidence regarding convergences and differences between phenomenological and neurophysiological data on meditation practice and psychedelic drug-induced states, with a particular emphasis on alterations of self-experience. While both meditation and psychedelics may disrupt self-consciousness and underlying neural processes, we emphasize that neither meditation nor psychedelic states can be conceived as simple, uniform categories. Moreover, we suggest that there are important phenomenological differences even between conscious states described as experiences of self-loss. As a result, we propose that self-consciousness may be best construed as a multidimensional construct, and that “self-loss,” far from being an unequivocal phenomenon, can take several forms. Indeed, various aspects of self-consciousness, including narrative aspects linked to autobiographical memory, self-related thoughts and mental time travel, and embodied aspects rooted in multisensory processes, may be differently affected by psychedelics and meditation practices. Finally, we consider long-term outcomes of experiences of self-loss induced by meditation and psychedelics on individual traits and prosocial behavior. We call for caution regarding the problematic conflation of temporary states of self-loss with “selflessness” as a behavioral or social trait, although there is preliminary evidence that correlations between short-term experiences of self-loss and long-term trait alterations may exist.

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Section: Alterations Of Self-consciousness Induced By Meditation and mentioning

confidence: 65%

Psychedelics, Meditation, and Self-Consciousness

et al. 2018

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“…According to Yogic, Advaita Vedanta, and Tibetan Buddhist traditions, objectless pure awareness is also naturally experienced in dreamless sleep (Thompson 2014). Recently, Thompson (2014Thompson ( , 2015, Windt (2015), and Windt, Nielsen, and Thompson (2016) argue that sleep studies of subjects reporting being aware during dreamless sleep provide evidence for these traditional accounts of objectless pure awareness experience.…”

Section: Two Types Of Pure Awareness Experiencementioning

confidence: 99%

Pure awareness experience

Ramm

2019

Inquiry

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I am aware of the red and orange autumn leaves. Am I aware of my awareness of the leaves? Not so according to many philosophers. By contrast, many meditative traditions report an experience of awareness itself. I argue that such a pure awareness experience must have a non-sensory phenomenal character. I use Douglas Harding's first-person experiments for assisting in recognising pure awareness. In particular, I investigate the gap where one cannot see one's head. This is not a mere gap because I seem to be looking from here. Critically, I claim, the experience of looking from here has a nonsensory phenomenal character. I argue that this sense of being aware cannot be reduced to egocentric visual-spatial relations nor the viewpoint because it continues when I close my eyes. Neither is a multisensory origin sufficient to explain why I seem to be at this central point rather than elsewhere. Traditionally, claims of a pure awareness experience have been restricted to highly trained individuals in very restricted circumstances. The innovation of Harding's approach is that it reliably isolates a candidate for pure awareness using methods which can be replicated at any time.

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“…Evan Thompson (2015) trata el tema desde el punto de vista de las influencias entre la filosofía india, sus múltiples escuelas de pensamiento, y la neurociencia moderna, advirtiendo que se pueden nutrir mutuamente para aportar al entendimiento de cómo funciona la conciencia en general, y los momentos en que el "yo" está presente o ausente, en particular -refiriendo por ejemplo, a los estados de sueño y las diversas etapas que lo definen. Smith (2007, p. 41), por su parte, revisa justamente la relación entre cuerpo, mente y espíritu, en la práctica del yoga, concluyendo que la práctica en sí es una herramienta fenomenológica para la experiencia de aspectos del "embodiment" que han permanecido en el plano conceptual, reforzando lo que aquí se plantea: "La conjunción de la práctica del yoga y una fenomenología del cuerpo infligida culturalmente, puede proveer de otro 'encuentro' que resulta en el enriquecimiento de ambas formas de investigación sobre el carácter encorporeizado de nuestra existencia en-cuerpo".…”

Section: ¿Integración Cuerpo-mente-espíritu?unclassified

Estudios de percepción ambiental: aproximaciones hacia la filosofía y práctica del yoga como herramientas hermenéuticas

D’hers

2019

Desenvolv. Meio Ambiente

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Estudios de percepción ambiental: aproximaciones hacia la filosofía y práctica del yoga como herramientas hermenéuticas Estudos de percepção ambiental: aproximações da filosofia e da prática da yoga como ferramentas hermenêuticas Environmental perception studies: approaches to the philosophy and practice of yoga as hermeneutical toolsArtículo recibido el 11 de noviembre, 2018, versión final aceptada el 30 de mayo, 2019. DESENVOLVIMENTO E MEIO AMBIENTE RESUMEN:En el presente escrito desplegamos los avances de una indagación ligada a la percepción ambiental y las sensibilidades sociales. La pregunta que enmarca la investigación pone el foco en comprender los modos sociales de configuración de las sensibilidades, siendo estas constitutivas de la percepción. En particular, tratamos aquí lo referente a la práctica del yoga en tanto una técnica corporal cada vez más extendida en las sociedades contemporáneas, observando de qué modos esta práctica genera cierta percepción específica, tanto del cuerpo propio como del ambiente, con miras a complejizar el entendimiento de la problemática del "ambiente", la percepción, y la conciencia para observar de qué manera generan, necesariamente, vínculos con el "entorno". Como trasfondo está la pregunta por la misma idea de límites y bordes entre el cuerpo propio, el ambiente, y sus mutuas configuraciones. Aspirando a sumar a la construcción de una perspectiva que parta desde la experiencia del sur global es que se revisan los fundamentos de ambos términos de la problemática, desde una mirada crítica de la modernidad colonial.Palabras clave: ambiente; cuerpo/emoción; yoga; percepción. D'HERS, V. Estudios de percepción ambiental: aproximaciones hacia la filosofía y práctica del yoga como herramientas hermenéuticas 25 RESUMO:No presente escrito apresentamos os avanços de uma investigação ligada à percepção ambiental e às sensibilidades sociais. A pergunta que enquadra a pesquisa coloca o foco na compreensão dos modos sociais de configuração das sensibilidades, sendo estes constitutivos da percepção. Em particular, tratamos sobre a prática do yoga como uma técnica corporal cada vez mais difundida nas sociedades contemporâneas, observando de que maneiras cria certa percepção específica, tanto do próprio corpo quanto do ambiente, para aprofundar o entendimento das problemáticas do "ambiente", da percepção e da consciência, para observar como eles criam, necessariamente, ligações "ambientais". Com isso, questionamos os limites e as fronteiras entre o próprio corpo, o ambiente e suas configurações mútuas. Este trabalho aspira se unir à construção de uma experiência do sul global com base nos fundamentos de ambos os termos da questão, revistos desde uma perspectiva crítica da modernidade colonial.Palavras-chave: ambiente corpo/emoção; yoga; percepção.ABSTRACT: In these pages we display some headings of a research linked to environmental perception and social sensibilities. The aim is to understand the social modes of configuration of sensibilities, being constituents of perception. Particul...

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Dreamless Sleep, the Embodied Mind, and Consciousness: The Relevance of a Classical Indian Debate to Cognitive Science

Cited by 17 publications

References 38 publications

Psychedelics, Meditation, and Self-Consciousness

Psychedelics, Meditation, and Self-Consciousness

Pure awareness experience

Estudios de percepción ambiental: aproximaciones hacia la filosofía y práctica del yoga como herramientas hermenéuticas

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