Mind And Body Research Articles

Dance movement psychotherapy’s impact on emotional well-being in severe mental disorders: a quantitative study

Dance movement psychotherapy (DMP) is a technique rooted in the mind-body connection, utilising bodily movement to facilitate relational integration, personal and interpersonal functioning, and effective emotional regulation. A dance therapy program of six sessions was investigated to measure changes in the mood, health, and general well-being in 20 adults with Severe Mental Disorders (SMD), including mostly schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Divided into a control group focusing on positive emotions, and an experimental group exploring negative emotions, a quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental and correlational design with a test-retest procedure was employed. Findings revealed significant differences for both groups in all factors of the EVEA Scale and PERMA-Profiler Questionnaire, except for the ‘Meaning’ variable. Additionally, intra-group correlations indicated unfavourable concordance scores during the test-retest phase and an increase in health construct scores was evident.

Spinoza, Nietzsche and Deleuze: The Philosophy of the Body

The article aims to explore the roots of Deleuzean body beyond the traditional arguments of the philosophy of the body. In this context, firstly, I discuss the attitude of Cartesian dualism toward the body, and its consequences, which form the beginning of early modern philosophy. At the same time, they reflect the old, traditional views on the body. Those visions describe the body as a corpse in itself. With Spinoza and later Nietzsche the body, and soul/mind dualism is replaced with monism and perspectivism. It is from this perspective that the question of “what can a body do?” is posed. Drawing on the philosophies of Spinoza and Nietzsche, Deleuze describes the body as a vast principle of potentiality. Such a body constantly appears as the dimension of the multiplicity that is self-constructing. Therefore, in this article, while discussing how the attitude toward the concept of the body changed from Descartes to Deleuze on the ontological level, I simultaneously try to demonstrate the capabilities of such a new understanding of the body.

Philosophy of psychiatry: theoretical advances and clinical implications.

Work at the intersection of philosophy and psychiatry has an extensive and influential history, and has received increased attention recently, with the emergence of professional associations and a growing literature. In this paper, we review key advances in work on philosophy and psychiatry, and their related clinical implications. First, in understanding and categorizing mental disorder, both naturalist and normativist considerations are now viewed as important - psychiatric constructs necessitate a consideration of both facts and values. At a conceptual level, this integrative view encourages moving away from strict scientism to soft naturalism, while in clinical practice this facilitates both evidence-based and values-based mental health care. Second, in considering the nature of psychiatric science, there is now increasing emphasis on a pluralist approach, including ontological, explanatory and value pluralism. Conceptually, a pluralist approach acknowledges the multi-level causal interactions that give rise to psychopathology, while clinically it emphasizes the importance of a broad range of "difference-makers", as well as a consideration of "lived experience" in both research and practice. Third, in considering a range of questions about the brain-mind, and how both somatic and psychic factors contribute to the development and maintenance of mental disorders, conceptual and empirical work on embodied cognition provides an increasingly valuable approach. Viewing the brain-mind as embodied, embedded and enactive offers a conceptual approach to the mind-body problem that facilitates the clinical integration of advances in both cognitive-affective neuroscience and phenomenological psychopathology.

Does Panpsychism Explain Mental Causation?

AbstractIn the contemporary literature on panpsychism, one often finds the claim that a Russellian-monist version of panpsychism, i.e., Russellian panpsychism, is a superior view compared to alternative non-physicalist theories. The argument for this claim is that while Russellian panpsychism can integrate consciousness in the causal order and explain mental causation, alternative theories fail to do so. If this is correct, panpsychism deserves its place as a main contender in solving the mind-body problem. In this paper, I argue that Russellian panpsychism’s superiority in explaining mental causation over competing accounts is illusory. On one reading, the proposed explanation is not an explanation of the phenomenon that is at stake in the mental causation debate. On an alternative reading, it is an explanation of the right phenomenon, but analogous explanations are available to competing accounts with less counterintuitive commitments. While there may be other considerations supporting panpsychism, explaining mental causation is not one.

A New Look at the Classical Chinese Dào of the Relation between Word and World

AbstractI argue that the absence of some of the ‘greatest hits’ of Western philosophy in Classical China can be explained by a Wittgensteinian take on the role of language in philosophy. One is the ‘Idea Theory’ of meaning which anchors Western Mind-Body dualism. Its attraction is removed when the writing reminds us that a picture does not by itself ‘give life to’ our language even while it plays a role of cross-linguistic communication. Another is the centrality of a law-command theory of normativity which combines with mind-body dualism to give a natural push toward monotheistic supernaturalism. Western attempts to make the ‘God’ impulse logical (e.g., the Ontological Argument) fail because of differences in Chinese syntax. The upshot is we need not deny Chinese thinkers the status of philosophers for their failure to share our philosophical presuppositions and resultant agenda.

FIBROMYALGIA – AN UPDATE ON CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA

The third most common musculoskeletal disorder is fibromyalgia, which becomes more common as people age. The most common symptoms of fibromyalgia are tiredness, sleep difficulties, persistent pain throughout the body, and functional problems. Etiopathogenesis, diagnostic standards, and classification criteria of this disorder are still up for debate. Despite the development of more reliable diagnostic criteria, a significant proportion of physicians continue to misdiagnose the illness. Familial experiences, emotional-cognitive factors, the mind-body connection, genetic predisposition, and a biopsychological capacity for stress management are some of the numerous variables that each individually contribute to the development of fibromyalgia. In this review, we present a comprehensive, critical assessment of fibromyalgia's burden and diagnosis, taking into account the most recent research, recommendations, and clinical experience. By utilizing clinical expertise and the most recent EULAR criteria for managing fibromyalgia, we want to offer doctors an innovative and useful management workflow that they may utilize in their routine clinical duties. Keywords: fibromyalgia, chronic pain, sleep disturbances, fatigue, autonomic disturbances, regional pain syndromes, tender points.

Embodied and Enactive Creativity: Moving Beyond the Mind–Body Dichotomy in School Education

ABSTRACTThis study explores the ways in which embodied creativity is conceived and implemented in french schools through the study of a corpus of professional articles published since the 1960s in a journal dedicated to physical education. The analysis focuses on pedagogical experiments to foster bodily creativity carried out in primary schools, as part of a wide‐ranging educational reform during the 1970s. Those practices mark a radical break with the grammar of schooling whose worldwide spread is linked to the colonial expansion of western Europe. They revealed many similarities with indigenous pedagogies through the willingness to go beyond the mind–body dichotomy, to value a sensitive and intuitive body, to anchor knowledge in lived experience and to move from a top‐down relationship between teacher and pupil to a more horizontal one. The 1980s marked a return to more traditional methods, but these pedagogical experiments nurtured a conception of embodied and enactive creativity that sought to go beyond a western vision of the body, of action and of the relationship with the world in school education. The convergences with non‐western pedagogies underline the interest of these approaches to explore and foster embodied and enactive creativity.

Exploration of Consciousness : A Bridge among Science, Spirituality, Psychology and Philosophy

Consciousness, a crucial phenomenon, captivates the minds of philosophers, psychologist, scientists, and thinkers across history. This article embarks on a journey into the multifaceted realm of consciousness, traversing various disciplines such as philosophy, science, psychology, and spirituality. At its core, consciousness encompasses the subjective experience of awareness, embracing sensations, thoughts, emotions, and self-awareness. Theories diverge on its origins, with materialists attributing consciousness to neural processes, while dualists advocate for a mind-body duality. Integrated Information Theory and Global Workspace Theory offer contrasting perspectives on the mechanisms of consciousness, alongside Higher-Order Theories and Representational Theories of Consciousness. Despite strides in understanding, the "hard problem" of consciousness persists, challenging the explanation of subjective experience. Interdisciplinary collaboration seeks to unravel this mystery, exploring consciousness' unity, diversity, and implications in cognition, decision-making, and ethics. This article delves into the evolutionary, cultural, and philosophical dimensions of consciousness, contemplating its implications for artificial intelligence and fostering dialogue among diverse disciplines. Through interdisciplinary collaboration, we embark on a quest to deepen our understanding of consciousness, a journey sure to captivate generations to come

The relationship between interoceptive emotional awareness, neuroticism, and depression, anxiety, and stress.

COVID-19 has caused challenges to daily living globally, with profound implications for negative mood. A variety of state and trait-based factors can influence how a person may respond and adapt to challenges such as a global pandemic. Personality is an area impacting how a person responds to both internal and external situations (trait) and Emotional Awareness (EA) is a facet of interoception (an awareness of the mind-body connection) that determines the way an individual interprets their physiological state of the body, and the associated emotions (state-trait). Both areas have been well researched in isolation, however the body of literature exploring the relationships between both is much smaller. It would therefore be beneficial to explore the interrelationships of both state and trait factors on wellbeing to enable a more comprehensive understanding. It was hypothesised that EA would moderate the relationship between Neuroticism and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress. Participants residing in Australia during periods of imposed lockdown were included within the study (n = 838; Ages = 18-60 years) and completed an online questionnaire battery including a variety of state and trait questionnaires. A moderation analysis was conducted to explore whether Emotional Awareness changed the relationship between neuroticism and depression, anxiety, and stress utilising an alpha of < .05. EA moderated the relationship between Neuroticism and Anxiety (p = .001, 95% CI .03-.17)), and Stress (p = .02 95% CI.01-.13), but not Depression (p = .23, 95% CI .03-.13). As Neuroticism increased, negative mood increased for all levels of EA, however those high in Neuroticism and EA displayed the highest Anxiety and Stress. Interventions to increase EA, such as mindfulness, may have adverse effects for individuals high in Neuroticism, emphasising the importance of tailored interventions and supporting the assumption that high levels of Neuroticism represent increased vulnerability during a pandemic.

Enacting the Anti-fascist Body: Somaterapia as Collective Liberatory Becoming

I introduce the practice of somaterapia (somatherapy), an eclectic synthesis of Gestalt therapy, capoeira Angola, anti-psychiatry, collective trust exercises, radical pedagogy, and anarchism developed as an anti-fascist practice aimed at healing the violence of oppressive forms of social organisation as they manifest in bodies. Somaterapia takes an immanent and materialist view on what constitutes a body, eschewing mind-body dualisms and transcendent forms of organisation in lieu of an affective somatic reality. The fascisms somaterapia thus seeks to eliminate are not just the macro-fascisms of the political milieu, but also the micro-fascisms that stem from and reciprocally enrich these, forming blockages of libidinal energy or tesaõ that affect everything from our thoughts and our posture to how we treat ourselves and how we treat each other. In this sense somaterapia has much in common with the enactivist view of cognition. Like somaterapia, enactivism sees brains, bodies and environments as complex, reciprocally presupposing imbrications of nested autonomous systems sustaining themselves through the maintenance and exploration of ongoing adaptive tensions between self-production and self-distinction. Viewing somaterapia through the lens of enactivism thus allows us to potentially enrich the anti-fascist potential of this revolutionary practice. 1

INTEGRATED APPROACH TO PAIN MANAGEMENT: YOGA, MANUAL THERAPY, FASCIA RELEASE, NERVE MOBILIZATION TECHNIQUES, OSTEOPATHIC MANIPULATIVE TREATMENT, CHIROPRACTIC CARE AND KINEMATIC AND KINETIC CHAINSANALYSIS&amp; MUSCULOSKELETAL DYNAMICS

Chronic pain affects millions worldwide, presenting a complex challenge to conventional medical approaches. This abstract explores an integrated approach to pain management, amalgamating principles from yoga, manual therapy, fascia release, nerve mobilization, Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment, Chiropractic Careand Kinematic and Kinetic ChainsAnalysis and Musculoskeletal Dynamics. By synergizing these modalities, practitioners address pain comprehensively, targeting its multifaceted origins and manifestations.Yoga, renowned for its mind-body connection, offers a repertoire of postures and breathing exercises tailored to alleviate pain and enhance flexibility. Manual therapy techniques, including myofascial release and joint mobilization, address muscular imbalances and restore tissue integrity. Fascia release strategies delve deeper, releasing tension in the connective tissue matrix, thereby enhancing movement quality and reducing discomfort.Nerve mobilization practices target neural tension, promoting optimal nerve glide and alleviating symptoms associated with nerve compression. Concurrently, Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment, Chiropractic Care, Kinematic and Kinetic ChainsAnalysis and Musculoskeletal Dynamics to identify and rectify movement dysfunctions, ensuring harmonious joint mechanics and reducing stress on susceptible structures.Furthermore, this integrated approach extends beyond physical interventions, incorporating mindfulness practices and lifestyle adjustments to modulate pain perception and promote overall well-being. Multidisciplinary collaboration and patient education foster empowerment and long-term adherence to personalized pain management plans.In conclusion, theIntegration of Yoga, Manual Therapy, Fascia Release, Nerve Mobilization Techniques, Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment, Chiropractic Care and Kinematic and Kinetic Chains Analysis &amp; Musculoskeletal Dynamicsrepresents a promising paradigm shift in pain management. By embracing the interconnectedness of mind, body, and environment, this holistic approach strives to restore function, alleviate suffering, and enhance the quality of life for individuals grappling with chronic pain.

Irruption and Absorption: A 'Black-Box' Framework for How Mind and Matter Make a Difference to Each Other.

Cognitive science is confronted by several fundamental anomalies deriving from the mind-body problem. Most prominent is the problem of mental causation and the hard problem of consciousness, which can be generalized into the hard problem of agential efficacy and the hard problem of mental content. Here, it is proposed to accept these explanatory gaps at face value and to take them as positive indications of a complex relation: mind and matter are one, but they are not the same. They are related in an efficacious yet non-reducible, non-observable, and even non-intelligible manner. Natural science is well equipped to handle the effects of non-observables, and so the mind is treated as equivalent to a hidden 'black box' coupled to the body. Two concepts are introduced given that there are two directions of coupling influence: (1) irruption denotes the unobservable mind hiddenly making a difference to observable matter, and (2) absorption denotes observable matter hiddenly making a difference to the unobservable mind. The concepts of irruption and absorption are methodologically compatible with existing information-theoretic approaches to neuroscience, such as measuring cognitive activity and subjective qualia in terms of entropy and compression, respectively. By offering novel responses to otherwise intractable theoretical problems from first principles, and by doing so in a way that is closely connected with empirical advances, irruption theory is poised to set the agenda for the future of the mind sciences.

Reconfiguring Cartesian Dualism through Pain and Place in a Disabled Body: A Personal Case Study on the Meaning of Adventure and the Outdoors

Summary Can an embodiment with place reconfigure what it means to be outdoors, whose body belongs? Through an autoethnographic narrative of lived experiences with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) and pain, this case study explores how the colonial and outdated meanings of adventure may exclude disabled outdoor practitioners. Remembering a lifetime of outdoor experiences, from childhood backpacking trips in the Sierra Nevada to working in the field in remote regions of the world, and finally, through field research in the Himalaya, the concept of embodiment of place and pain is examined. In this way, understanding embodiment leads to a dissolving of the Cartesian dualisms that so intently create expectations of what it means to be outdoors. Shifting from pushing through pain to embracing disability reconfigures these dominant narratives. As such, the meaning of adventure is subjective for any body who exists in the outdoors, as we are the apparatus of our experiences, contextual in space and time. Information © CAB International 2024

En-route for an Automatic early stress &amp; non-stress detection analysis for supervised learning with Bayes’ theorem based on multimodal measurements

&lt;p&gt;Chronic stress leads to mental health issues as well as other physical health issues such as cardiovascular disease. Excessive use of social media leads to Psychological stress. Around 20% of the world’s, among those aged 15 to 29, children and adolescents agonize from psychological illness through suicide is the second largest reason for impermanence. Mental Health Conditions may have a substantial effect on all aspects of life such as work performance or school, family and friend relationships, and socializing in society. A state of total well-being is one in which the mind is at ease and the body is upright. While much research has been done to determine the mind-body connection, a recent study found that heart health is strongly related to mental wellness. In a recent statement issued in the journal Circulation by the American Heart Association on March 9th, 2021, it was established that good psychological health can minimize the risk of heart disease. Today’s challenge is Covid 19 pandemic which caused anxiety, loneliness, fear of the pandemic, being infected, pessimism, etc. are the causes of major Heart diseases. People have turned to the Internet for help due to the lack of access to face-to-face management. The critical need for dependable and effective digital solutions is highlighted and designated by many available and widely accessible. We have proposed the framework for identifying the values of stress words and non-stress words using the Bayes theorem formula. If the words are stress words, then an action plan can be formulated thereby reducing the suicides and assuring the well-being of individuals. Finally, precision and accuracy are achieved with ISDF (Improved Stress Detection Framework) and Stress Detection using Bayes Theorem, unlike TensiStrength.&lt;/p&gt;

Artificial cognition vs. artificial intelligence for next-generation autonomous robotic agents.

The trend in industrial/service robotics is to develop robots that can cooperate with people, interacting with them in an autonomous, safe and purposive way. These are the fundamental elements characterizing the fourth and the fifth industrial revolutions (4IR, 5IR): the crucial innovation is the adoption of intelligent technologies that can allow the development of cyber-physical systems, similar if not superior to humans. The common wisdom is that intelligence might be provided by AI (Artificial Intelligence), a claim that is supported more by media coverage and commercial interests than by solid scientific evidence. AI is currently conceived in a quite broad sense, encompassing LLMs and a lot of other things, without any unifying principle, but self-motivating for the success in various areas. The current view of AI robotics mostly follows a purely disembodied approach that is consistent with the old-fashioned, Cartesian mind-body dualism, reflected in the software-hardware distinction inherent to the von Neumann computing architecture. The working hypothesis of this position paper is that the road to the next generation of autonomous robotic agents with cognitive capabilities requires a fully brain-inspired, embodied cognitive approach that avoids the trap of mind-body dualism and aims at the full integration of Bodyware and Cogniware. We name this approach Artificial Cognition (ACo) and ground it in Cognitive Neuroscience. It is specifically focused on proactive knowledge acquisition based on bidirectional human-robot interaction: the practical advantage is to enhance generalization and explainability. Moreover, we believe that a brain-inspired network of interactions is necessary for allowing humans to cooperate with artificial cognitive agents, building a growing level of personal trust and reciprocal accountability: this is clearly missing, although actively sought, in current AI. The ACo approach is a work in progress that can take advantage of a number of research threads, some of them antecedent the early attempts to define AI concepts and methods. In the rest of the paper we will consider some of the building blocks that need to be re-visited in a unitary framework: the principles of developmental robotics, the methods of action representation with prospection capabilities, and the crucial role of social interaction.

Hypnosis in psychotherapy, psychosomatics and medicine. A brief overview.

Aspects of hypnosis and its application in psychotherapy, psychosomatics and medicine are examined and contextualized in the 250-year history of hypnosis. Imagination as an essential element of hypnotic treatments appeared as early as 1784 as an argument rejecting the theory of animal magnetism of Franz Anton Mesmer. In somnambulism of German romanticism, another proto-form of hypnosis after 1800, concepts of the mind-body problem were dealt with, which still characterize the understanding of unconscious mental processes today. Hypnosis was at the beginning of psychoanalysis, but was not pursued further by Sigmund Freud from 1900 onwards. Nevertheless, there were some hypnoanalytical approaches in the 20th century, as well as attempts to integrate hypnosis into behavior therapy. Techniques of imagination and relaxation combine both; in particular findings from cognitive psychology explain processes of both hypnosis and cognitive behavioral therapy. The influence of social psychology brought a new perspective to the debate about the nature of hypnosis, which continues to this day: is hypnosis to be understood as a special state of consciousness or is it a completely normal, mundane interaction? The experiments that were carried out to support one side or the other were also dependent on the hypnotizability of the subjects involved, as the more difficult hypnotic phenomena such as paralysis, hallucinations or identity delusions can only be demonstrated by highly hypnotizable subjects. The fact that these are not mere compliance reactions has now been proven by many studies using imaging techniques. But even those who are moderately hypnotizable benefit from hypnosis rituals. Variables postulated by socio-cognitive hypnosis researchers, such as motivation and expectation, are relevant, as is a good "hypnotic rapport." Practical application of hypnotherapy today is characterized by the innovative techniques and strategies developed by Milton H. Erickson. Research into the effectiveness of hypnosis in the field of psychotherapy and psychosomatics still leaves much to be done. The situation is different in the field of medical hypnosis, where there are considerably more studies with a satisfactory design and verifiable effects. However, the impact in practical application in everyday medical practice is still low. Newer developments such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence are being looked at with critical interest.

The Reconsecration of the Self: A Qualitative Analysis of Sex Trafficking Survivors' Experience of the Body.

The understudied bodily harm women experience after commercial sex (CS) may be partially explained by the prominence of Cartesian mind-body dualism in psychological science. Accordingly, we qualitatively explored the mind-body relationship among 79 female sex trafficking survivors. Survivors reported long-term negative alterations in feelings about the body, sex, and physical touch posttrafficking and these negative outcomes did not differ across women who self-perceived as consenting and women who self-perceived as forced. Implications for future research are presented, particularly on measuring dehumanization in CS which contributes to extensive harm even in the absence of physical aggression.

The Euler’s harmonic holomorphic regenerative universe

The Cartesian dualism is a precursor to Euler’s complex theory, that completes the Descartes-Leibnitz monadic conception using the natural quanta (non-splitting e, π) along with their topological torsion in the form of dual isomorphism. The complete Euler’s identity controls a bounded regenerative/ recurrent multiverse (a kind of multigraph) by two regenerative exponential functions, one quantic, e = exp (1) and another gravitational, g0 ≡ 10 = exp (1) with the fixed points, g0 = π2 and (g0g0) respectively. Physically, the fixed points give the well-defined the unit gravity (g0 m/s2) and light self-ignition velocity of a stable recurrent self-sustained process, provided the rate of mass production just equals the rate removal. This is the Euler’s fictitious regenerative universe - like our world, a quantum autocatalytic reaction system. The present paper describes such a system controlled by thermal gravitational waves, in the case the critical solar system.

Impact of Yoga On Sports Fitness

If you are a competitive athlete, it is best to tailor your yoga practice to your training schedule because a particular sport can develop certain muscle groups while ignoring others. Over time, this process causes imbalances in the muscles and joints, leading to overuse injuries. Yoga helps the muscles, tendons, and ligaments move through a full range of motion, thus cultivating balance and core strength which is a huge benefit to athletes in their chosen sports. A tri-athlete from San Diego, Heidi Resiert said, “I'm glad I found yoga and added it to my weekly workout routine. Not only do I feel stronger, but I also feel more confident that I will continue to be injury free." Another essential element in yoga is breath work (pranayama). The attention to breath during yoga can be considered one of the most important benefits to athletes. Learning to stay focused and centered through uncomfortable poses by concentrating on even inhalations and exhalations sets up the athlete to stay focused during a race or challenging workout. The mind-body connection in yoga is essential to helping athletes develop mental acuity and concentration. In addition, yoga helps you to relax not just tight muscles, but also anxious and overstressed minds. Yoga works not just in the sagittal plane, but in the frontal and transverse planes as well, ensuring well-rounded development. Being more relaxed will also aid in athletic performance. So, why not enhance your game performance and prevent injury by adding yoga to your training plan now.

Transhumanism, Society and Education: An Edusemiotic Approach

We propose a semiotic framework to underpin a posthumanist philosophy of education, as contrasted to technological determinism. A recent approach to educational processes as semiotic phenomena lends itself as a philosophy to understand the current interplay between education and technology. This view is aligned with the transhumanist movement to defend techno-scientific progress as fundamental to human development. Particularly, we adopt a semiotic approach to education to tackle certain tensions in current debates on the human. Transhumanism scholars share the optimistic belief that there is no limit to how the ethical use of technology can help alleviate suffering and increase our health and wisdom. From this perspective, it appears possible to acquire capacities that require rethinking the notion of human altogether. For others, this undermining of essentialist concepts of humanity entails serious risks, especially related to ethical egalitarianism. We adopte the perspective of edusemiotics, a framework that brings together semiotics, educational theory and philosophy of education. As a theoretical-practical framework, edusemiotics affords a hermeneutic and semiotic method for our approach. Peirce’s logic of signs is used to analyze socio- educational interactions as environmental. We observe two lines of thought. On the one hand, technological transhumanism enhances Cartesian mind–body dualism. On the other hand, philosophical posthumanism seeks to overcome this dichotomy. The former proposal construes human transformation as an artifactualization derived from techno-scientific enhancements. The latter position proposes an integrative posthumanism, capable not only to include edusemiotic theory but also to rethink the concept of learning as mutual to that of human.