Consciousness Research Articles

Human Consciousness and the ‘Anthropological Turn’: Theological Perspectives on Evolutionary Anthropology

Recent discussions between evolutionary and theological anthropology have intensified, particularly through the work of Michael Tomasello. As a key figure in evolutionary anthropology, Tomasello synthesizes extensive empirical research into an accessible ‘natural history’ of core human abilities. He posits that a unique human trait distinguishing us from our closest relatives is the capacity for “collective intentionality”, a concept he adapts from the philosophy of action. In this article, I show that Tomasello’s insights carry significant implications for philosophical and theological debates. Philosophically, his evolutionary framework invites a new understanding of the mind–brain problem, promoting a non-reductive view of human consciousness which questions the basic metaphysical assumptions of the debate by taking a genealogical perspective. Theologically, his work supports a “practical metaphysics”, suggesting that although morality is autonomous, it can lead to theistic interpretations of human existence. This supports the Kantian idea that religion does not precede morality but that religious views of the world are interpretations of human moral life. At the same time, religion is not just an add-on to morality but an interpretation of a human form of life as such. Both discourses exemplify the importance of a genealogical perspective in philosophy and theology, especially reinforcing the necessity of considering the ‘natural history’ of consciousness, free will or religiosity in anthropology.

Reimagining the Lagosian Landscape in Lagoon: Extraterrestrials, Geoengineering, and a More-than-Human Ecology

Navigating an oil-ravaged ecosystem, the novel Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor elevates the landscape of Lagos to a fantastical and otherworldly space of posthuman constellations adapted for the critical exigencies of the Anthropocene crisis. By achieving new vistas, the narrative backdrop of the place conjoins actors and perspectives from a radical otherworld and the earthly realm, knitting together all planetary elements—terrestrial, aquatic, and extraterrestrial. In this article, Lagos is imagined as a site subjected to cutting-edge geoengineering technology, prefigured as a saviour landscaping technique in the Anthropocene, through the intent and interference of the extraterrestrials. With the aliens as the agents of this environmental alchemy, the landscape of Lagos has to be thought of anew, both as an agent of salvation and of rejuvenation, decentring the anthropocentric ideals that uphold the values of neocolonialism. The aliens, who call themselves the “change,” emerge as a significant placeholder, as their bodies can alter shapes and they possess the power to manipulate the physicality of other creatures. They herald “change” in their sheer presence, wherein human consciousness relents and cognition falters. The study explores a re-negotiation of human–nonhuman worlds and the events whose narrativisation destabilises human control over the landscape. Typified initially as a locale of anthropogenic activities, Lagos, later on, is cast as a ground of posthuman activity, resisting exploitation and challenging preconceived notions about the passivity of physical environments. The geoengineered Lagosian landscape effectively spans the divide between Earth’s abstract planetary space and the real, embodied environment where humans are experiencing the repercussions of the Anthropocene.

Core Reality Science Unifying Motion, Space-Time, Gravity, Quantum Particle and Conscious Energy

Here in this research Core Reality Science establishes universal Consciousness, i.e., God on a scientific base. This science unifies natural science, philosophy and spirituality, thus develops natural science & technology along with modesty, morality and purity in human beings. This science gives joy to live, drives out blind belief and superstition, takes away crime and corruption to happen and brings the world to a heavenly goal. In this science Present is a physical thing and the Past is a non-physical thing, smallest unit of Time is a single Past, i.e a single universal Memory. Many single universal Memories in a series form a universal Memory-series, this universal Memory-series starts with Nothingness-memory (0) which is the initial single Memory of the universal Memory-series. Latest Memory of the universal Memory-series is conscious universal mind, i.e., universal ‘Me’ of universal Consciousness and rest of the Memories are sub-conscious mind up to the initial Nothingness-memory (0) of the universal Memory-series. Latest Memory universal ‘Me’ is a non-physical thing but it is a Miracle that when the latest Memory universal ‘Me’ gets redesigned by a single Memory from the sub-conscious mind of the universal Consciousness in the universal Memory-series, non-physical universal ‘Me’ gets transformed into the physical universe. So, it is a transformation from non-physical to a physical existence and when the physical universe becomes Past, it is a transformation from physical to a non-physical entity. In the same way Past→Present→Past… the chain of Time Cycles are formed and the creation continues through Energy, Space,Time, Quantum particles, Motion, Gravity,Radiation,Plasma,Matters etc. in the Universe. So, there is a clear relationship between the physical universe and the non-physical universal Consciousness. Therefore, universal Consciousness deserves to be included in the natural science which will develop the natural science & technology to a very high goal towards the better world than ever before.

THE IMPACT OF HIGHER EDUCATION ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT

Modern global challenges include growth of environmental tension, irrational use of finite resources, which is due to constantly growing needs of society and the need to use resources to meet them. The sustainable development concept is global strategy for overcoming many problems of humanity and the direction for achieving social, economic and ecological balance. Higher education plays an important role in shaping consciousness of humanity about relevence of effective and conscious use of resources and ecological culture of the population. It is possible to strengthen the impact of higher education by implementing the sustainable development concept by introducing socially and environmentally oriented competencies of students, which will contribute to implementation of sustainable development principles in their future professional activities and everyday life. The purpose of the study is to identify the impact of higher education on implementation of the sustainable development concept through formation of socially and environmentally oriented competencies of students of higher education institutions. In the article, the methodology of the system-process approach is used, which makes it possible to consider specific features of higher education and sustainable development as processes of different nature using various methods of scientific knowledge and to determine their systematicity and mutual influence . Shortcomings inherent in the content, composition and implemention of educational programs at the level of higher education institutions are identified, regarding intensification of formation of professional socio-ecologically oriented competencies in students of higher educational institutions to ensure implementation of the sustainable development concept. Using the integrated approach in higher education institutions is justified, which covers theoretical and practical training of students in acquiring socio-ecologically oriented competencies , which includes development and implementation of educational programs that contribute to formation of necessary technical skills for specific professions, interdisciplinary knowledge that supports broader understanding of environmental processes, and normative competencies related to environmental awareness and values of sustainable development. Stages of organizational support for professional development of young specialists to implement the sustainable development concept and stages of formation of students' socio-ecological competencies are identified.

Большие языковые модели и жанрово-речевая системность

The paper examines a large language model (LLM) to recognize speech genres. Although artificial neural networks are effectively utilized in many important fields, they, however, have a serious drawback. The mechanism of their functioning is hidden from researchers; therefore, the results of their use do not get explanation. The purpose of the study is to reveal the basic mechanisms of functioning of the linguistic model LLM (Transformer) and thereby ensure the interpretability of the data it provides. The research is based on two genres of academic text: “Description of a new scientific phenomenon” and “Explication of a scientific concept.” We verified a hypothesis according to which the LLM feature set is based on the speech systematicity of the recognized genres. It is also shown that since genre-speech systematicity is determined by extralinguistic factors, primarily the characteristics of human consciousness, its manifestations, reflected in the hidden state of the LLM, can be used to model cognitive processes embodied in speech. We also analyze existing approaches to the interpretation of LLMs and describe the applied method to do it. The paper provides the following linguistic interpretation of LLM training and fine-tuning: preliminary training on large text corpora allows a model to display language resources (a system of linguistic units and general principles of their use) relatively completely, while fine-tuning on samples of a certain genre-speech organization restructures the linguistic systematicity into speech systematicity. During the experiments we decoded the hidden state of the LLM and accurately reproduced the composition and frequency of lexis from the training dataset. The classification score for each of the considered genres by the LLM is F1 0.99, we believe this is because of their speech consistency.

Leadership training, design thinking and the ethics of care: Comments on Cornel du Toit

This review article juxtaposes the principles of ‘design thinking’ and more specifically of human-centred, caring design thinking, with the kind of leadership (between idol and role model), which can achieve the goals of designing products and services that also serve the highest ethical standards for human thriving. The article takes its inspiration from the work of Cornel du Toit, in particular three key ideas from his vast oeuvre. These ideas were, firstly, Du Toit’s careful analysis of what technology-with-a-human-face means, secondly his writings about human consciousness as open, emergent and dynamic, and finally, the key role that relationality can play in leadership training for a more hopeful future.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: In this article, these three ideas are reflected on and linked to suggestions for role-model leadership training as part of design thinking education at the tertiary level.

Three Separations in Cultural Post-modernism: A Brief Analysis of Don DeLillo’s White Noise

This study examines Don DeLillo’s White Noise through three critical ruptures in contemporary existence, respectively the de-sanctification of body from mind, the alienation between human consciousness and science, and the divergence of scientific truth from science itself. While previous scholarship has focused on postmodern popular culture and its intersection with everyday life through mediascape and technology, the individual transformations beneath these cultural manifestations remain unexplored. This analysis reveals how these separations illuminate the imperceptible yet profound changes in human existence, offering a way to recognize technological mediation without falling prey to its illusions.

Peter Brook Cadogan Fenwick: neuropsychiatrist who explored the limits of human consciousness and became an expert on near death experiences

Peter Brook Cadogan Fenwick: neuropsychiatrist who explored the limits of human consciousness and became an expert on near death experiences

Coaching 5.0, coaching for the fifth industrial revolution

The rising use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Metaverse and Blockchain technologies has influenced capabilities in a wide variety of industries. These have now started to provide affordances for automating provision of insight and empowerment in coaching business leaders and staff. This paper discusses the risk, that as such technologies become smarter, human beings may abdicate their thinking capabilities, especially related to creative problem solving, to machine intelligence. The author calls for prevention of cognitive decline in human beings as machines get smarter. A route to this can be mapped through use of Industry 5.0, Fifth Industrial Revolution (5IR) approaches, that focus on a harmonisation of human and machine intelligence, ensuring human beings can make machines smarter and that machine intelligence can in turn make human consciousness advance. Practitioner Coaches, to future proof their practice, must ensure they embody 5IR mindsets, techniques and technologies. The coaching discipline that is fit for practice in 5IR environments and contexts is what the author has called “Coaching 5.0.” This paper looks at Coaching 5.0 components and how they can be adopted by coaches to ensure the future is sustainable, insightful and empowering one for their practice and for their clients.

Reasoning involves individuality: an inquiry into divination practice in early China

ABSTRACT In the common sense of the term, reasoning is defined as thinking in a logical and sensible manner that justifies one’s actions. Within the Western tradition, it is generally associated with formal rules, where the structure of reasoning guarantees the validity of an inference. This involves a particular approach that treats human cognition as though it results from mere computation, such that any correct inference must be true for anyone in particular circumstances. However, recent advances in cognitive sciences have demonstrated that one is always embedded in contexts that influence one’s cognitive abilities. This study elaborates on the authors’ interdisciplinary research in philosophy, anthropology, and cognitive science, with the aim of providing a naturalistic explanation of the origin and development of human consciousness. Here, we review the anthropological data provided by studies concerning divination practices in early China, in light of the modern scientific framework. We highlight a particular similarity between these two conceptual systems and argue that both imply a high degree of individuality in the suggested modes of reasoning. The provided synthesis reveals some basal modes of cognition that are shared by all humans and that underlie any culture. This contributes to cross-cultural studies and mutual understanding.

Once upon a time: Narrative storytelling, hypnosis, and the brain

ABSTRACT The article explores the nature of narrative, its impact on key neural circuits in the brain, and the role of those activated circuits as drivers of hypnotically guided personal change. The author views clinical hypnosis as a form of interactive reciprocity that engages clients’ neuroplastic potential (i.e. trance). This emergent potential is evoked during the therapeutic interaction between a client and clinician. Furthermore, the author describes clinical hypnosis as using forms of suggestion to facilitate change to the self-reinforcing narratives to which clients subscribe. Suggestions themselves are viewed as activating non-consciously mediated aspects of the self, which are perceived by the conscious mind as non-volitionally facilitating the desired change. The author draws on research supporting the view of the self as a construct maintained by an internalized narrative that remains capable of revision, though not always easily or without external assistance. That self-narrative revision entails the change that hypnosis seeks to enable and enact. The article concludes that deliberate incorporation of forms of narrative, including the use of metaphors, for example, constitutes the essential fuel without which the engine of hypnotic change efforts can languish. This is because narrative processes occupy an indispensable role in energizing – neurologically, psychologically, and socially – the outcomes that hypnosis is intended to evoke. The article uses excerpts from different fictional narrative sources to illustrate the article’s main thesis.

Phytonyms in British folklore (linguistic and cultural approach)

The subject of the study is phytonyms in the British linguistic culture. The authors consider phytonyms in folklore in detail, namely in love spells, beliefs, magic formulas, conspiracies, predictions, and folk medicine. Phytonyms in this work mean all names of plants and their parts. When classifying phytonyms, the authors rely on a naive picture of the world and divide phytonyms into dendronyms (names of trees and bushes), floronyms (names of flowers) and herbonyms (names of herbs).The purpose of the study is to consider the problem of using phytonymic vocabulary and the peculiarities of the existence of forms of its representation in the field of folk culture of the English-speaking community of Britain from the standpoint of everyday linguistics. The objectives of the study include identifying the specifics of the representation of phytonomic vocabulary in British folklore, as well as systematization and description of its functions. The work uses methods of complex analysis based on the methods of various sciences (history, cultural studies), among which the following approaches are considered important: a systematic approach, a semiotic approach, a cultural-anthropological approach. The novelty of the research lies, firstly, in the consideration of phytonyms in British folklore from the standpoint of the linguistics of everyday life, complementing the linguistic picture of the world, the modeling of which is gaining popularity in modern language science. In linguistics of recent decades, there has been an obvious trend towards shifting the emphasis to everyday life and everyday human consciousness. Phytonyms have previously been widely studied, but within the framework of other linguistic paradigms. As a result of the research, it was found that the essence of the socio-philosophical concept of everyday life lies in the fact that it is the closest, familiar reality to a person. For modern linguistics, which has turned its attention to the everyday consciousness and daily life of an individual, everyday discourse, including folklore, is valuable. Also, in the course of the study, the functional features of phytonyms in British folklore were considered, which allowed us to draw the following conclusions. In folk art and medicine, phytonyms perform an expressive function that helps to increase expression and, of course, cognitive, since poetry-spells, sayings carry knowledge and wisdom contained in the memory of generations.

Continuum Hypothesis Higher Infinity and Human Consciousness

When Centor proved that all infinities not equal completely New Era in logic and in mathematics opened. It is proved that there are more real numbers than natural numbers and there cannot be a maximum set in mathematics. If we take the power set of a given set then it always contains more members than the set itself. In this way there is no and infinities. There cannot be a collection which can be called the highest or maximum collection. This is also a limit of human reasoning because it appears in the form that if it is believed that the continuum hypothesis is true then it also works. And if we believe that the continuum hypothesis is false then it also works. Actually, Godel and Cohen proved that both continuum hypothesis and its negation can be proved as independent from the rest of the axioms of set theory. Since 1963 this is an unsolved problem in mathematical logic. Very recently the famous mathematical logician hugh woodin proved a result in which there is a particular type of model in which the continuum hypothesis is false. In our Upnishada Anant is called the Swarooplakshan of Brahma. If Anant is to be taken seriously when merely on the ground of intellect infinity cannot be grasped. We have repeatedly observed in Upnishada that true infinity can be obtained only in the state of liberation and mathematical infinity is not true infinity which can be assigned to ultimate reality or Brahma. There is a future scope of research in this direction where particularly from Taitiriya Upnishad where Satya, Gyan and Anant are stated as Swarooplakshan of Brahma. This new science of consciousness can be developed. Only Brahma is infinite in the absolute sense of the term and all other infinities which occur in logic and mathematics are relative infinities and so they cannot be the characteristic of reality.

KOLABORASI SDM, TEKNOLOGI, DAN KESADARAN LINGKUNGAN: STRATEGI PEMBANGUNAN EKONOMI DI ERA REVOLUSI INDUSTRI 5.0

The Fifth Industrial Revolution (Industry 5.0) presents both challenges and opportunities for global economic development, where advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), big data, and the Internet of Things (IoT) are transforming industries and societies. The main challenges include the lack of human capital preparedness to quickly adapt to technological advancements and the low level of environmental awareness in many industrial sectors. Economic growth that focuses excessively on natural resource exploitation exacerbates environmental degradation and climate change. Therefore, collaboration between human resources, technology, and environmental consciousness is essential to achieving sustainable and inclusive development. This study aims to identify gaps in human resource readiness, technological utilization, and environmental awareness and to propose economic development strategies for the industry 5.0 era that address these challenges. The research method employed is a literature review, analyzing various academic papers, reports, and secondary data from scientific journals, government reports, and industry-related articles. The findings show that technology serves as a primary driver of innovation, but human-technology collaboration is crucial for creating sustainable value. Additionally, the rising environmental awareness offers opportunities for industries to shift towards more eco-friendly business models, such as the circular economy and renewable energy. Collaboration between governments, the private sector, academia, and civil society is needed to realize inclusive and sustainable development in this era.

Memory and the Past in Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time

Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time explores the intricate relationship between memory and the past, offering a profound reflection on time, identity, and the subjective nature of experience. Central to the narrative is the theme of involuntary memory, wherein the narrator’s recollections of childhood, love, and loss are triggered unexpectedly by sensory stimuli, such as the famous taste of the madeleine dipped in tea. Proust presents memory not as a static retrieval of facts but as a fluid and dynamic process, shaped by personal experience, perception, and the passage of time. The novel also delves into the way the past is reinterpreted, with each retelling influenced by the present, highlighting the fluidity of memory and its transformative power. Proust’s depiction of the “search for lost time” is thus a meditation on the difficulty of truly capturing and understanding the past. This search ultimately reveals the complexity of human consciousness, where the boundaries between memory, reality, and fiction blur. By intertwining memory with themes of artistic creation, Proust challenges conventional notions of truth and suggests that memory itself is a creative, interpretive act. This paper examines how Proust’s treatment of memory in In Search of Lost Time reflects the complexities of human identity and the elusive nature of the past, offering insights into the narrative structure and the philosophy of memory in literature.

Merton’s Unity of Action and Contemplation in Transpersonal Perspective

Adopting a transdisciplinary approach, with specific emphasis on the post-Jungian transpersonal psychological theories on the ‘Spectrum of Human Consciousness’, this paper introduces a transpersonal psychological thread of understanding of ‘Mystical Consciousness’ through an interreligious field of comparative religious approaches to action, contemplation and non-action. This paper draws on Merton’s interreligious contemplative thinking in relation to three major world religious mystical traditions of Buddhism, Hinduism and mystical Islam/Sufism and elucidates comparative insights with the Christian mystical–contemplative tradition, akin to the ‘mystical contemplation’ of Evelyn Underhill. This paper introduces and applies the transpersonal perspective to the scholarly field of mysticism. The reader is invited to consider how Merton may have responded or written about interreligious contemplative depth mysticism in terms of his own writings on ‘pure consciousness’, had he had the benefit of the language of the transpersonal models of consciousness. Finally, the reader is left with a contemplative question at the ‘heart’ of mysticism—does the ancient sculpture of the Sleeping Hermaphrodite helpfully represent an art–theological symbolic analogy for the inner repose of an illumined soul, one with God’s Unity, in whose awakened consciousness through depth mystical contemplation, action occurs as an extended manifestation, a total gestalt of contemplative solitudinous action?

A Critical Analysis of Dreyfus’s Background Knowledge

The role of background knowledge in human intelligence, knowledge, and consciousness has been a topic of discussion among several philosophers, including Ludwig Wittgenstein, John Searle, Martin Heidegger, and Hubert Dreyfus. Hubert Dreyfus criticizes what he calls the mediational approach and offers the contact theory to clarify the concept within his theoretical framework. In alignment with Heidegger’s existential phenomenological perspective, he posits that our contact and our embodied coping with the world constitute a background by which we become acquainted with preunderstanding that encompasses both prelinguistic and pre-propositional understandings. In this article, Dreyfus’s analysis of background knowledge is criticized by focusing on his latest writings. It is argued that, although Dreyfus claims to be defending horizontal foundationalism rather than vertical foundationalism, he primarily emphasizes the foundational nonlinguistic role of motor intentionality in absorbed coping. Furthermore, it is asserted that nonlinguistic embodied coping alone cannot provide the basis for linguistic communication and a humanly way of understanding. Rather than serving as a foundation, embodied coping is more appropriately situated within a linguistic context, because we perform deeds with words.

Towards “Glass Bead Games 2.0”: Nurturing Global Cultural Memories by Means of New Forms of Art and Knowledge Interaction in the Age of AI

The advent of AI calls for an existential self-redefinition of humanity. It necessitates the establishment of a pluralistic global humanist culture that enables us to coexist in the new world of active media and autopoietic technology. In this paper, related philosophical questions give rise to the proposal of a novel metaculture that elevates human heritages and cultural memories to the plane of a digital AI-based infrastructure. I argue for a balanced and holistic approach to human-to-human and human–AI interactions and metaculture that can be developed in the form of combinatorial “metagames” that reflect the potential of human consciousness, transcend the boundaries between technology, human embodiment and biology, the arts, sciences and humanities, and philosophy, and, finally, include the element of meaningful coincidence and spontaneity “in the second potency.” Hermann Hesse’s final novel, The Glass Bead Game, offers a key to understanding this basic idea. His vision is extremely relevant today. Based on this, the concept of cultivating global cultural memories through innovative aesthetic-epistemic “Glass Bead Games 2.0” is discussed further from a systematic angle. To complement this, reference is also made to Hesse’s own source of inspiration: Novalis’s “encyclopedist” approach interlinks aesthetic and epistemic productivity in a way that could become a major starting point to create a new holistic metaculture in the Age of AI.

Challenges in artificial intelligence management – selected aspects

Artificial intelligence is reshaping our world, merging human consciousness with technology through tools like virtual reality, augmented reality, and brain-computer interfaces. These innovations blur the line between physical and digital realms, challenging traditional notions of subjectivity and opening pathways for self-expression and cognitive enhancement. AI is not just a neutral tool but a human invention influencing daily life with virtual assistants, personalized recommendations, and autonomous vehicles. However, its rapid growth raises critical legal and ethical challenges, including data privacy, algorithm accountability, transparency, and its impact on employment. These issues demand new regulations across Europe, the USA, and globally. Collaboration among scientists, policymakers, and stakeholders is essential to maximize AI’s societal benefits and ensure ethical development in this dynamic technological landscape.

AI and the Cognitive Sense of Self

This article explores the development of a cognitive sense of self within artificial intelligence (AI), emphasizing the transformative potential of self-awareness in enhancing AI functionalities for sophisticated interactions and autonomous decision-making. Rooted in interdisciplinary approaches that incorporate insights from cognitive science and practical AI applications, the study investigates the mechanisms through which AI can achieve self-recognition, reflection, and continuity of identity—key attributes analogous to human consciousness. This research is pivotal for fields such as healthcare and robotics, where AI systems benefit from personalized interactions and adaptive responses to complex environments. The concept of a self-aware AI involves the ability for systems to recognize themselves as distinct entities within their operational contexts, which could significantly enhance their functionality and decision-making capabilities. Further, the study delves into the ethical dimensions introduced by the advent of self-aware AI, exploring the profound questions concerning the rights of AI entities and the responsibilities of their creators. The development of self-aware AI raises critical issues about the treatment and status of AI systems, prompting the need for comprehensive ethical frameworks to guide their development. Such frameworks are essential for ensuring that the advancement of self-aware AI aligns with societal values and promotes the well-being of all stakeholders involved.