www.consciousness.arizona.edu | April 25-30 The Science of Consciousness TSC2016 Tucson | April 25-30, 2016 2016 Bhaumik Prize in TSC2017 Consciousness Studies The 2nd Bhaumik Prize in THE SCIENCE OF CONSCIOUSNESS Consciousness Studies is awarded to the University of Arizona Shanghai June 2017 Mani L. Bhaumik, PhD Center for Consciousness Studies Department of Anesthesiology Member, Board of Advisors Physical Sciences Division, UCLA A UCLA physicist, inventor, author and philanthropist Dr. Mani Bhaumik earlier in his career directed the Laser Technology Laboratory at Northrop Sponsored by Corporation and in 1973 showed that ‘excimer’ lasers could be efficient Crystal Globe enough for practical applications. Most notably, it can cut through living tissue without burn damage, a feature which became essential for ‘Lasik’ Conscious eye surgery. Enterprises Bhaumik passionately advocates for public awareness of quantum physics, and cosmology and their implications for humanity and spiritual development. Now a retired physicist, bestselling author and lecturer, Dr. Bhaumik The University continues to be very active in research on the ontology of quantum of Arizona physics and consciousness and is passionate about sharing with the public the astounding advances in quantum physics and cosmology and their Center for implications for our lives, work, technology and spiritual development. Consciousness Higher dimensions of consciousness This he endeavors to do through books, articles, lectures and TV programs Studies ‘Way of the Tao’ & The ‘I Ching’ like the awardwinning Cosmic Quantum Ray. —Lao Tzu The Bhaumik prize highlights the celebration of the TSC 23rd Anniversary program, a feature to commemorate the many years of the TSC-CCS conferences and the support of continued research in the field of consciousness studies. Dr. Bhaumik is a visiting scholar at the UCLA, Department of Physics and Astronomy. He is conducting theoretical research on the foundation of quantum theory and its possible link to consciousness. He is also providing significant financial support to the quantum gravity research at UCLA, which could help in comprehending the Gravity Waves recently observed by LIGO, thereby getting us a step much closer to our understanding of the unification of the forces and particles of nature. In 2014 The First Bhaumik Prize was award to Sir Roger Penrose in Tucson at the 20th Anniversary of the TSC Conferences. The University of Arizona Center for Consciousness Studies and University of Michigan Center for Consciousness Science Present APRIL 25-30, 2016 Loews Ventana Canyon | Tucson, AZ CONTENTS Welcome ________________________________________________ 2-7 Tucson Telephone Numbers & Addresses _______________________8 Conference Overview _____________________________________10-11 Optional Social Events ______________________________________ 11 Pre-Conference Workshops _______________________________ 12-14 Conference Week Schedule Grid __________________________ 16-22 INDEX to SESSIONS Plenary ______________________________________________ 23-25 Concurrents __________________________________________ 26-33 Posters_______________________________________________ 35-44 Art/Tech/Health Exhibits & Demos __________________________45 CCS-TSC Taxonomy and Classifications _____________________46-47 INDEX to ABSTRACTS Abstracts by Classification ____________________________ 48-240 East-West Forum Abstracts ____________________________ 241-262 Index to Authors ______________________________________ 263-265 Notes _______________________________________________ 266-272 The Science of Consciousness TSC2016 | Loews Ventana Canyon | Tucson, Arizona experiential traditions, the arts, culture, humanities and other disciplines. Cutting edge, controversial issues are emphasized. Over 1000 participants are expected from 60 countries over the course of the week. Over 500 abstracts were submitted and 400 are included in the to The Science of Consciousness 2016! WELCOME program. April 25-30, 2016, Loews Ventana Canyon, Tucson, Arizona Sponsored by “To have a glimpse of what consciousness is would be the scientific Center for Consciousness Studies, The University of Arizona achievement before which all others would pale.” – William James Center for Consciousness Science, University of Michigan _______________________________________________ After 23 years, the seminal conference ‘Toward a Science of Consciousness’ is now simply ‘The Science of Consciousness’. But as consciousness cannot The Conference Opening is Tuesday, April 26, 2016 at 1:45 pm. be observed, scientifically explained, nor commonly defined, is there now The first Plenary Session follows at 2:00 pm. truly a ‘Science of Consciousness’? Are we there yet? (Additional Plenary Sessions are Wednesday through Saturday April 27-30.) We do have essential questions. Is the brain a computer? Does it process Plenary Sessions: 12 Plenary sessions before the entire conference audience or generate conscious information as output? When, where and how occur serially from Tuesday afternoon, April 26, through Saturday afternoon, did consciousness evolve? Can we have free will, or are we just ‘along April 30. Wednesday through Saturday Morning sessions (3 speakers) are for the ride’? Will consciousness be reproduced through brain mapping, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:40 a.m., followed by a 30 minute break. Second sessions transhumanism and/or artificial intelligence? Or, does the brain ‘tune Wednesday through Saturday (2 speakers) are from 11:10 am to 12:30 pm., into’ and organize consciousness or its precursors existing naturally in the followed by a lunch break. Afternoon sessions (3 speakers) are from 2:00 universe? What are the implications of either view on the nature of existence p.m. to 4:10 p.m. There is a free afternoon Thursday April 28, midway through and treatment of mental and cognitive disorders? the conference, with no plenary session. These and many other questions will be debated in a week-long gathering Thank you to our Plenary Speakers of scientists, philosophers, artists, meditators and interested people at Stanislas Dehaene, Anil K. Seth, Stuart Hameroff, Rudolph Tanzi, Loews Ventana Canyon, a luxurious eco-resort in the mountains just north Selen Atasoy, Anirban Bandyopadhyay, Deepak Chopra, David Chalmers, of Tucson, Arizona. The program will consist of Pre-Conference Workshops, Naotsugu Tsuchiya, Richard Brown, Jakob Hohwy, Aaron Schurger, Plenary talks, Concurrent talks, Posters and Exhibits, Social Events and Hartmut Neven, Christian Szegedy, Henry Stapp, Kelvin McQueen, Entertainment. Alyssa Ney, Terrence W. Deacon, Katherine T. Peil, Anthony Hudetz, Walter J. Freeman, György Buzsáki, Alison Gopnik, Robin Carhart Harris, TSC 2016 marks the 23rd anniversary of the international, interdisciplinary Martin Monti, Dean Radin, Stuart Kauffman, George Mashour, Tucson Conference on the fundamental question of how the brain produces Jimo Borjigin and Peter Fenwick. conscious experience. The conference is co-sponsored and organized by the Center for Consciousness Studies at the University of Arizona and by the We also want to thank our Time, Free Will and the Brain Panel Center for Consciousness Science at the University of Michigan. participants: Ruth Kastner, Daniel Sheehan, Ron Gruber, Marcin Nowakowski, Matti Vuorre, Julia Mossbridge. The Science of Consciousness (TSC) is the largest and longest running conference emphasizing broad and rigorous approaches to conscious Concurrent Sessions: 24 concurrent sessions occur in parallel 8 per night awareness, the nature of existence and our place in the universe. TSC brings on 3 nights, from 5:00pm to 7:30pm, Tuesday April 26th, Wednesday April together perspectives, orientations and methodologies from neuroscience, 27th and Friday April 29th. Each session is chaired by a moderator and has philosophy, medicine, quantum physics, cosmology, biology, psychology, 6 speakers, each with 20 minutes plus 5 minutes discussion (125 minutes/ anthropology, artificial intelligence, technology, contemplative and session), a total of 144 Concurrent talks. 2 3 WELCOME to The Science of Consciousness 2016 The Science of Consciousness TSC2016 | Loews Ventana Canyon | Tucson, Arizona Social Events Thank you to our international colleagues and friends who helped make the Fun social gatherings are a TSC tradition and include the: TSC alternate year conferences possible: Tues. Opening Welcome Reception 7:30pm to 9:30pm 1995 Ischia, Italy – Chloe Taddei-Ferretti 1997 Elsinore, Denmark – Alwyn Scott Wed. Poster Session 1 – Art/Tech/Health Exhibits – Reception 7pm to 10pm 1999 Tokyo, Japan – UN University, Mari Jibu, Kunio Yasue Wed. late-evening Club Consciousness 10pm to midnight 2001 Skovde, Sweden – University of Skovde, Paavo Pylkkanen Thurs. Dinner Under the Stars (Optional) 7pm to 10pm 2003 Prague, Czech Republic – Ivan Havel 2005 Copenhagen, Denmark – Morten Overgard Wed. Poster Session 2 – Art/Tech/Health Exhibits – Reception 7pm to 10pm 2007 Budapest, Hungary – George Kampis Fri. “Poetry Slam/Zombie Blues/Talent Show” 10pm to midnight 2009 Hong Kong, China – Hong Kong Polytechnic, Gino Yu Sat. Closing “End of Consciousness” Party 8pm to ??? 2011 Stockholm, Sweden – Christer Perfjell Featuring a performance by ‘Dorian Electra and the Electrodes’ 2013 Agra, India – DEI, Rev. Prof. P.S. Satsangi, Vishal Sahni 2015 Helsinki, Finland – University of Finland, Paavo Pylkkanen Poster Sessions 2017 Shanghai, China – Crystal Globe Conscious Enterprises Poster presentations are