The Psychophysics of Consciousness: a Hypothesis
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
Erica Fretwell SENSORY EXPERIMENTS Sensory Experiments PSYCHOPHYSICS, RACE, and the AESTHETICS of FEELING
S E N S O R Y E X P E R I M E N T S Psychophysics, RACE, and the Aesthetics of feeling Erica Fretwell SENSORY EXPERIMENTS Sensory Experiments PSYCHOPHYSICS, RACE, AND THE AESTHETICS OF FEELING Erica Fretwell Duke University Press Durham and London 2020 © 2020 Duke University Press All rights reserved Printed in the United States of Amer i ca on acid- free paper ∞ Designed by Amy Ruth Buchanan Typeset in Arno and Avenir by Westchester Publishing Services Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data Names: Fretwell, Erica, [date] author. Title: Sensory experiments : psychophysics, race, and the aesthetics of feeling / Erica Fretwell. Description: Durham : Duke University Press, 2020. | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers:lccn 2019054741 (print) | lccn 2019054742 (ebook) | isbn 9781478009863 (hardcover) | isbn 9781478010937 (paperback) | isbn 9781478012450 (ebook) Subjects: lcsh: Psychophysics. | Senses and sensation— Social aspects. | Racism—United States—Psychological aspects. | Racism—United States—History—19th century. | Science—Social aspects—United States—History—19th century. Classification:lcc bf237 .f74 2020 (print) | lcc bf237 (ebook) | ddc 152.10973/09034—dc23 lc record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019054741 lc ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019054742 Duke University Press gratefully acknowl- edges the University at Albany, SUNY, which provided funds toward the publication of this book. IN MEMORY OF STEVEN FRETWELL CONTENTS Acknowl edgments ix Introduction: NEW SENSATION 1 -
Files/2014 Women and the Big Picture Report.Pdf>, Accessed 6 September 2018
The neuroscientific uncanny: a filmic investigation of twenty-first century hauntology GENT, Susannah <http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0091-2555> Available from the Sheffield Hallam University Research Archive (SHURA) at: http://shura.shu.ac.uk/26099/ A Sheffield Hallam University thesis This thesis is protected by copyright which belongs to the author. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author. When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given. Please visit http://shura.shu.ac.uk/26099/ and http://shura.shu.ac.uk/information.html for further details about copyright and re-use permissions. THE NEUROSCIENTIFIC UNCANNY: A FILMIC INVESTIGATION OF TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY HAUNTOLOGY Susannah Gent A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Sheffield Hallam University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy October 2019 Candidate Declaration I hereby declare that: 1. I have not been enrolled for another award of the University, or other academic or professional organisation, whilst undertaking my research degree. 2. None of the material contained in the thesis has been used in any other submission for an academic award. 3. I am aware of and understand the University’s policy on plagiarism and certify that this thesis is my own work. The use of all published or other sources of material consulted have been properly and fully acknowledged. 4. The work undertaken towards the thesis has been conducted in accordance with the SHU Principles of Integrity in Research and the SHU Research Ethics Policy. -
Page 1 85 Split Decisions GEORGE WOLFORD, MICHAEL B. MILLER
B5 SpHtDecisions GEORGE \VOLFORD) N,IICII{EL B. NIILLER, AND \IICFL.\EL S. GAZZAT\IGA .\B: rR.\, r ::ril-irlain patients provide a lascinating look at some The split-brainoperation ,,;' tir, r..,:,. .irrr,trncling consciousness.lVe bricfl1' rL-viewpirst lin,i:ir..l-.,:r,: r:r..rghrsgained lrom studying thcsc patients. l\:€ Split-brain surgery is a treatment for certain tvpes o1' ill:( i.:. ::. r-.,,r,'cictail some of thc more irrteresting(ar us) findines intractable epilepsri Seizures in epilepsv are causecl bl.an .irr., 'lr.' ..,': cclition of this volurne. \\r conclude bl ruqgestinge abnormal electrical discharge that leads to a reverberating rrrr'r:ifltcL rer-sion of signal cletectiontheorv that mav shed some ii{l;r ,,rr aspcctsof consciousnessir thcse paticnts. or rhvthmic dischzrrge.In some individuals, the rhrthmic dis- charges recruit tissr,rein both l-remispheres.The split surgerv ( ' .,lri//d-rJin tlrcsplit brain involves severing all or part of the corpus callosum. the m:rjor fiber tract connectine the tr,r'or:erebral hen-risphercs, ,irr n:rtient. nll- I .._.-^ r*,-_^--_ _--e.f a Llnlqlle perspecuve on some and on occasion other {brcbrain commisures as rvell. The ': .- l{ conscious experienc:e.and pcrhaps on the nature corpus callosum is the largcst fiber tract in the brain. f'he ri.ciousness itself. Rogel Sperr',' once relerred to the human corpus callosum contains about 200 million axoris. "tu,o : ,\ separate realms o1' conscious a$'areness;t\'vo originating lrom layer 2/3 pyranriclal ncurons (r\boitiz et al.. :r:.- -. perceiving, thinkine arrd rernernbcring systtms." 1992). -
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements I owe particular thanks to those who assisted me, in one way or another, in the development of the ideas reported here. Far more than any of my previous books, this one has been a cooperative venture. Of course, as the saying goes, any errors that remain in the book are my responsibility alone. In no particular order, I must acknowledge: Kent Palmer--although I know him only by e-mail, he has given me more interesting feedback on my work than anyone else. The work described here on magician systems, abstract algebras and hypercomplex fractals was largely inspired by my dialogue with Kent. Tony Smith (of Georgia Tech) and Onar Aam, for numerous intriguing e-mail discussions, in a four-way dialogue with myself and Kent that has continued through the second half of 1995, and now, mid-way through 1996, is still remarkably active. The theory of consciousness given here has benefitted particularly from their input: the basic idea of octonionic consciousness was given to me by Onar and Kent. John Pritchard, a Columbia student and another e-mail acquaintance. His enthusiasm for and feedback on my book Chaotic Logic has been inspiring and educational; and his help in rethinking the Chaos Language Algorithm has been deeply appreciated. Allan Combs, who has been extremely supportive of my forays into system theoretic psychology. His dual expertise in neuropsychology and transpersonal psychology has made him an excellent resource. In addition to the collaborative work on mood fluctuations reported here, his application of my "cognitive equation" to the dynamics of states of consciousness, as reported in his book Radiance of Being, has been most inspirational. -
A Split-Brain Perspective on Illusionism
Nicole L. Marinsek and Michael S. Gazzaniga A Split-Brain Perspective on Illusionism Abstract: The split-brain literature offers a unique perspective on theories of consciousness. Since both the left and right hemispheres of split-brain patients remain conscious following split-brain surgery, any theory that attempts to explain consciousness in neurotypical indi- viduals must also be able to explain the dual consciousness of split- brain patients. This commentary examines illusionism — the theory that phenomenal properties are illusory — through the lens of the split-brain literature. Based on evidence that both hemispheres of split-brain patients are capable of introspection and both hemispheres can experience and maintain illusions, it is theoretically possible that Copyright (c) Imprint Academic 2017 phenomenal properties are illusions created by distorted intro- spection, in accordance with illusionism. However, in order to appro- For personal use only -- not for reproduction priately evaluate whether illusionism is a valid explanation of con- sciousness in split-brain patients, it is imperative that neural mecha- nisms are proposed that explain how introspection gives rise to illusory phenomenal properties. Any theory that attempts to relate conscious experiences to the brain must at some point account for the unique consciousness of a split- brain patient. Split-brain patients, who have had their corpora callosa severed as a treatment-of-last-resort for severe epilepsy, are strangely normal following surgery. They maintain meaningful conversation, move about in a coordinated fashion, exhibit appropriate desires and Correspondence: Nicole L. Marinsek and Michael S. Gazzaniga, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA. Email: [email protected] Journal of Consciousness Studies, 23, No. -
ABSTRACT Title of Document: HOW MANY MINDS? INDIVIDUATING MENTAL TOKENS in the SPLIT-BRAIN SUBJECT Elizabeth Schechter, Ph.D., 2
ABSTRACT Title of Document: HOW MANY MINDS? INDIVIDUATING MENTAL TOKENS IN THE SPLIT-BRAIN SUBJECT Elizabeth Schechter, Ph.D., 2009 Directed By: Professor Peter Carruthers, Department of Philosophy The “split-brain” cases raise numerous difficult and fascinating questions: questions about our own self-knowledge, about the limits of introspection and phenomenology, about personal identity, and about the nature of consciousness and of mind. While the phenomenon is therefore of relevance to many areas of psychological inquiry, my dissertation explores the split-brain studies from the perspective of theoretical psychology. The dissertation uses the split-brain cases to develop criteria for individuating mental tokens, and then applies those criteria back to the split-brain subjects themselves, ultimately arguing that split-brain subjects have two minds and two streams of consciousness apiece. Because the dissertation defends a particular account of the constitutive conditions for mental tokens against competing functionalist accounts, it also ends up being about the proper form for functionalist theories of the mental to take. I argue throughout that psychofunctionalists who are realists about mental phenomena should accept that the constitutive conditions for mental tokens are partly neural. In particular I argue that, within an organism, multiple neural events that sustain mental phenomena causally independently of each other in some relevant sense cannot be identified with a unique mental token, regardless of how unified that organism’s -
The Neural Basis of the Dynamic Unconscious
Neuropsychoanalysis, 2011, 13 (1) 5 The Neural Basis of the Dynamic Unconscious Heather A. Berlin (New York) A great deal of complex cognitive processing occurs at the unconscious level and affects how humans behave, think, and feel. Sci- entists are only now beginning to understand how this occurs on the neural level. Understanding the neural basis of consciousness requires an account of the neural mechanisms that underlie both conscious and unconscious thought, and their dynamic interac- tion. For example, how do conscious impulses, thoughts, or desires become unconscious (e.g., repression) or, conversely, how do unconscious impulses, desires, or motives become conscious (e.g., Freudian slips)? Research taking advantage of advances in technologies, like functional magnetic resonance imaging, has led to a revival and re-conceptualization of some of the key concepts of psychoanalytic theory, but steps toward understanding their neural basis have only just commenced. According to psychoanalytic theory, unconscious dynamic processes defensively remove anxiety-provoking thoughts and impulses from consciousness in re- sponse to one’s conflicting attitudes. The processes that keep unwanted thoughts from entering consciousness include repression, suppression, and dissociation. In this literature review, studies from psychology and cognitive neuroscience in both healthy and patient populations that are beginning to elucidate the neural basis of these phenomena are discussed and organized within a con- ceptual framework. Further studies in this emerging field at the intersection of psychoanalytic theory and neuroscience are needed. Keywords: unconscious; psychodynamic; repression; suppression; dissociation; neural “Nothing is so difficult as not deceiving oneself.” 1998a). Early psychodynamic theorists attempted to Ludwig Wittgenstein [1889–1951] explain phenomena observed in the clinic, but lat- er cognitive scientists used computational models of the mind to explain empirical data. -
Empfindungsfähigkeit Und Moralischer Status Eine Kritik Der Pathozentrischen Ethik
Empfindungsfähigkeit und moralischer Status Eine Kritik der pathozentrischen Ethik Inauguraldissertation zur Erlangung des Doktorgrades der Philosophie im Fachbereich A Geistes- und Kulturwissenschaften der Bergischen Universität Wuppertal vorgelegt von Erasmus Scheuer aus Düsseldorf Wuppertal, im Januar 2018 Die Dissertation kann wie folgt zitiert werden: urn:nbn:de:hbz:468-20180503-133904-3 [http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn=urn%3Anbn%3Ade%3Ahbz% 3A468-20180503-133904-3] alles bleibt wie es ist Geheimnis in einem Geheimnis Muster in einem Muster (Norbert Scheuer – Nichts) Meinen Eltern, Elvira und Norbert Scheuer Vorwort Der Pathozentrismus betrachtet die Leidens- oder Empfindungsfähigkeit aller, auch nichtmenschlicher Spezies als zentrales moralisches Kriterium. Diese Arbeit hat die pathozentrische Position zum Gegenstand und bewegt sich bewusst zwischen Kritik und Verteidigung eines solchen Ansatzes. Einerseits liegen die Schwächen des Pa- thozentrismus m.E. mehr oder weniger offen zu Tage, da die Kluft zwischen Empfin- dungen des Menschen und den Empfindungen anderer Spezies nur schwer inner- halb eines naturwissenschaftlich-physikalistischen Weltbildes überbrückbar erscheint. Andererseits vertrete ich als Verfasser dieser Arbeit die Ansicht, dass eine Erweiterung der Moralobjekte über die Menschen hinaus erfolgen muss, dass das Leiden anderer Kreaturen Teil einer jeden ethischen Betrachtung sein sollte. Der Pa- thozentrismus vertritt mit seinem Kriterium der Leidens- bzw. Empfindungsfähigkeit eine ethische Position, die vom Ansatz her eine Erweiterung der Moralobjekte an- strebt. Aus diesem Grund liegt meine Sympathie beim Pathozentristen. Infolgedes- sen versucht diese Arbeit, einerseits die Kritik am Pathozentrismus aufzuzeigen, an- dererseits dem Pathozentristen auch Argumente an die Hand zu geben, die es ihm erlauben, seine Position zu verteidigen. Der Pathozentrist hat nach meiner Ansicht zwei schwerwiegende und grundlegende Probleme, wenn er seine Ethik innerhalb eines tendenziell physikalistischen Weltbildes zu verteidigen sucht. -
Jean Gebser - a Bridge Between East and West
1 Jean Gebser - A Bridge Between East And West Integral Consciousness And The Zen Tradition Peter Gottwald Abstract. Passages in the „The Ever Pr esent Origin“ clearly show how Gebser him self perceived a fundamental sim ilarity between his conception of an integral consciousness and the Eastern Zen traditi on and it´s Dhar ma, i.e. the teachings of this tra dition. This was already poi nted out in 1989 by this author, who considers himself since 1981 as a Zen disciple in the tradition of the Sanbo- Kyodan (“Religious Organization oh the Thr ee Treasures”) based in Kamakura, Japan. More recently, Rick Muller wrote on „Z en and Gebser“, em phasizing „self- creation“ - sim ultaneously mythic, mental, magic and integral - as a basic concept. This assertion can also be found i n American thought (e.g. H.D.Thoreau´s Walden) and literature (e.g. Thornton Wilder´s The Eigth Day). It is this author´s conviction that a novel and convincing „Dharma for the West“ can be formulated that will both be free from “eastern ideology” and also will lead out of the „dead ends“ and „traps“, that Western theology and religion have trodden and contrieved over the past cen turies. It will be pointed out in the author´s presentation how German philoso phy (e.g. the wor k of Karl Jaspers) and German literature (e.g. Robert Musil) show sim ilar tendencies in that they integrate the mystical tradition with rational thought. The developing tradition of a Transpersonal Psychology, on the other hand, seem s to this author a predominantly rational-mental approach to our possibilities as hum an beings, as we stand now on t he brink of either de stroying ourselves as a species or attaining a new level of consciousness – and hence, a new culture. -
Weber-Fechner Law Forrest W
Plant Pathology and Microbiology Publications Plant Pathology and Microbiology 7-2010 Weber-Fechner Law Forrest W. Nutter Jr. Iowa State University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/plantpath_pubs Part of the Agricultural Science Commons, Agriculture Commons, and the Plant Pathology Commons The ompc lete bibliographic information for this item can be found at http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/ plantpath_pubs/71. For information on how to cite this item, please visit http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/ howtocite.html. This Book Chapter is brought to you for free and open access by the Plant Pathology and Microbiology at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Plant Pathology and Microbiology Publications by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Weber-Fechner Law Abstract Several models have been proposed in the field of psychophysics to quantify relationships between any stimulus (e.g., touch, sound, light, and smell) and the perceived response by individuals. One such model is referred to as the Weber-Fechner Law. The eW ber −Fechner Law, however, is not one law, but two separate laws: Weber's Law and Fechner's Law. Moreover, not all human senses respond to stimuli according to Fechner's law (in fact many do not). Weber's Law and special cases such as Fechner's Law are each based on the “just noticeable difference threshold” concept. Disciplines Agricultural Science | Agriculture | Plant Pathology Comments This chapter is from Encyclopedia of Research Design (2010): 1612, doi:10.4135/9781412961288.n494. -
Chapter 4 – Wilhelm Wundt and the Founding of Psychology
CHAPTER 6 – GERMAN PSYCHOLOGISTS OF THE 19TH & EARLY 20TH CENTURIES Dr. Nancy Alvarado German Rivals to Wundt Ernst Weber & Gustav Fechner -- psychophysicists Hermann Ebbinghaus -- memory Franz Brentano Carl Stumpf Oswald Kulpe Weber & Fechner Ernst Weber (1795-1878) Weber published “De tactu” describing the minimum amount of tactile stimulation needed to experience a sensation of touch – the absolute threshold. Using weights he found that holding versus lifting them gave different results (due to muscles involved). He used a tactile compass to study how two-point discrimination varied across the body. On the fingertip .22 cm, on the lips .30 cm, on the back 4.06 cm. Just Noticeable Difference (JND) Weber studied how much a stimulus must change in order for a person to sense the change. How much heavier must a weight be in order for a person to notice that it is heavier? This amount is called the just noticeable difference JND The JND is not fixed but varies with the size of the weights being compared. R k JND can be expressed as a ratio: R where R is stimulus magnitude and k is a constant and R means the change in R ( usually means change) Gustav Fechner (1801-1887) Fechner related the physical and psychological worlds using mathematics. Fechner (1860) said: “Psychophysics, already related to physics by name must on one hand be based on psychology, and [on] the other hand promises to give psychology a mathematical foundation.” (pp. 9-10) Fechner extended Weber’s work because it provided the right model for accomplishing this. Fechner’s Contribution Fechner called Weber’s finding about the JND “Weber’s Law.” Fechner’s formula describes how the sensation is related to increases in stimulus size: S k log R where S is sensation, k is Weber’s constant and R is the magnitude of a stimulus The larger the stimulus magnitude, the greater the amount of difference needed to produce a JND. -
Elements of Psychophysics Fechner Pdf
Elements of psychophysics fechner pdf Continue German experimental psychologist, physicist and philosopher Gustav Fechner BornGustav Theodore Fechner (1801-04-19)19 April 1801Grogros Seurchen (near Muskau), Saxony, Sacred Roman Empire 18 November 1887 (1887-11-18) (age 86)Leipzig, SaxonyNationalityGermanFormationMedizinische Academy Carl Gustav Karus (PhD, 1835)Famous forWeber-Fechner legalThe careerFieldsPsychologyInstitutionsLeipzig UniversityThesisDe variis intensitatem vis Galvanicae metiendi methodis (183)5) Famous studentsHuman LotzeInfluinencesImmanuel KantInfluInflu HeundtWilliam JamesAlfred North WhiteheadCharles HartshorneErnst WeberSigmund FreudFriedrich PaulsenLudwig von Bertalanffy Gustav Theodore Fechner (/ˈfɛxnər/; German: ˈfɛçnɐ; April 19, 1801 - November 18, 1887 - German experimental psychologist, philosopher and physicist. Early pioneer of experimental psychology and founder of psychophysics, he inspired many scientists and philosophers of the 20th century. that became known as the Weber-Fechner Law. Fechner's early life and scientific career were born in Grosh-Schurchen, near Muskau, in Lower Lusatia, where his father was a pastor. Although Fechner was raised by his religious father, he became an atheist in later life. He was first educated in Sorau (now Dawn in Western Poland). In 1817 he studied medicine at Medizinische Akademie by Carl Gustav Karus in Dresden and since 1818 at the University of Leipzig, the city in which he spent the rest of his life. In 1835 he received his doctorate in Leipzig. In 1834 he was appointed Professor of Physics in Leipzig. But in 1839 he contracted an eye disorder while studying the phenomena of color and vision, and, after suffering many, resigned. Subsequently, while recovering, he turned to the study of the mind and its relationship with the body, giving public lectures on the topics discussed in his books.