Science Of Consciousness Research Articles

Features of interdisciplinary connections between natural and humanities disciplines in the context of a competency-based approach to teaching staff training

Relevance. In modern conditions, interdisciplinary links have acquired the character of integrated cognition, which contributed to the formation of a holistic system of scientific knowledge about a single picture of the world without dividing it into natural sciences and humanities and required the elimination of isolation in the study of the content of relevant academic disciplines.Purpose. The aim of the study is to determine the importance of interdisciplinary links between natural sciences and humanities as a means of developing the scientific world-view of future teachers.Methodology. In the course of the work the methods of analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, comparison, systematization, generalization, forecasting were used, among empirical ones � the method of testing.Results. The study explored the difference and commonality between natural sciences and humanities with their identical structural composition (facts, concepts, phenomena, theories) as the basis of the method of formation of students� scientific consciousness, which contributes to the implementation of the educational goal, that is, the formation of students� knowledge integrity in the designated directions. The significance of interdisciplinary links as a fundamental means of competence-based approach to education is revealed.Conclusions. It is concluded that the conditions of quality implementation of interdisciplinary links in teacher training are mandatory at every stage of higher education. The main requirements for the implementation of interdisciplinarity aimed at the study of natural sciences and humanities should be fulfilled starting from primary grades. The growth of the diversity of sciences should take place in the conditions of integration and orderliness, which contributes to the enrichment of science at the level of integrative holistic complex. The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of using the results obtained in the design and implementation of curricula and work programmes for the professional training of teaching staff.

Dualism, the Causal Closure of the Physical, and Philip Goff’s Case for Panpsychism

Abstract The article discusses Philip Goff’s latest projects of developing panpsychist research program as one that is capable of revealing the place of consciousness in the physical world and accounting for the intrinsic nature of physical reality, while avoiding the problem of the causal closure of the physical that is supposed to be pernicious for psychophysical dualism. The case is made that on the one hand, dualism has pretty good resources to meet the inductive no-gap objection appealing to the causal closure, while on the other hand, insofar as this objection has some force, panpsychism in the forms discussed in Goff’s book Galileo’s Error (Goff, P. 2019. Galileo’s Error: Foundations for a New Science of Consciousness. New York: Pantheon Books) faces nearly the same difficulties and its capability of overcoming these difficulties is problematic. While the hybrid cosmopsychism, as developed in Goff’s later manuscript, circumvents the causal closure problem, it does so at the price of relying on assumptions that are hardly intelligible.

“All animals are conscious”: Shifting the null hypothesis in consciousness science

The marker approach is taken as best practice for answering the distribution question: Which animals are conscious? However, the methodology can be used to increase confidence in animals many presume to be unconscious, including C. elegans, leading to a trilemma: accept the worms as conscious; reject the specific markers; or reject the marker methodology for answering the distribution question. I defend the third option and argue that answering the distribution question requires a secure theory of consciousness. Accepting the hypothesis all animals are conscious will promote research leading to secure theory, which is needed to create reliable consciousness tests for animals and AIs. Rather than asking the distribution question, we should shift to the dimensions question: How are animals conscious?

What does it mean for consciousness to be multidimensional? A narrative review.

A recent development in the psychological and neuroscientific study of consciousness has been the tendency to conceptualize consciousness as a multidimensional phenomenon. This narrative review elucidates the notion of dimensionality of consciousness and outlines the key concepts and disagreements on this topic through the viewpoints of several theoretical proposals. The reviewed literature is critically evaluated, and the main issues to be resolved by future theoretical and empirical work are identified: the problems of dimension selection and dimension aggregation, as well as some ethical considerations. This narrative review is seemingly the first to comprehensively overview this specific aspect of consciousness science.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PRINCIPLES OF SCIENTIFIC AND RESEARCH ACTIVITY OF FUTURE TECHNOLOGY TEACHERS IN THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

The article examines the importance and methods of introducing the principles of scientific research into the educational process of future technology teachers, emphasizing the importance of forming scientific consciousness, developing critical thinking, and the ability to innovatively apply knowledge in practical activities. Modern approaches to the integration of scientific research into the educational process of higher education institutions are analyzed, including the usage of active and interactive teaching methods, and the involvement of students in real research projects that contribute to the development of scientific and research skills.
 The key role of the implementation of scientific and research principles in the educational process of training future technology teachers is emphasized, and the importance of this aspect for the development of the necessary competencies in a dynamic information and technology environment is emphasized. The role of active and interactive teaching methods in involving students in a deep understanding of scientific concepts and practical application of knowledge is defined. The value of elective disciplines for the development of scientific and research abilities and skills, which determines the preparation of future teachers for independent research work, is clarified. An overview of opportunities for applicants to participate in scientific projects and publish their work is provided, which contributes to professional growth and scientific careers. The need to provide access to modern resources and improve the qualifications of teachers for the effective implementation of scientific and research activities in education is emphasized. A comprehensive approach to reforming curricula and teaching methods is proposed, which is crucial for the formation of highly qualified technology teachers ready for innovative activities and scientific research. Such systematic preparation for scientific research activity will contribute to the formation of future specialists’ readiness for innovative, creative, and critical professional activity.
 A conclusion has made about the need for further development of methods of integration of scientific research activities into educational processes to ensure a high level of training future technology teachers, taking into account the dynamically changing requirements of the modern educational and technological environment.

Entropic Consciousness: a proposal

The present work aims to be an advancement in the field of the science of consciousness, with the creation of a new conceptual formulation, “Entropic Consciousness” (EC). It starts from the milestones of Tononi’s Integrated Information Theory (IIT), and deepens them, looking at the conscious phenomenon from another perspective. By means of the MEI equivalence and the Landauer limit it equates the three energetic forms - information, energy, mass - and develops a new lens from which derive important implications regarding conscious experience and its consequences. Finally, he inserts the “free energy principle” developed by Friston into the discussion of consciousness, integrating it with the theorizations developed.

The role of symbols in higher professional education

The article considers the peculiarities of knowledge translation in modern professional education, reveals the negative sides of scientificity of educational content. In particular, the separation of the subject and object of research characteristic of scientific consciousness can negatively affect the formation of the subject of professional activity in the process of professional education. After all, the subject of scientific research, in order to remain in scientific positions, should not be partial to the studied object, inextricably link his life with it. At the moment, higher school should not only transfer scientific knowledge to future specialists, but also educate them as professionals, linking their lives with their profession, as well as patriots, ready to defend their country. In this regard, since this year a new subject - "Fundamentals of Russian Statehood" - has been included in the curriculum. At the same time, students' mastering the content of this discipline as a purely scientific one may not lead to the formation of their patriotic position. In this regard, the authors of the article suggest that when teaching such disciplines to emphasize not on the scientificity, but on the symbolism of the content taught. In this connection, the article considers the differences between scientific and symbolic content of education, defines the concept of symbol, establishes the role of symbols in human life and education.
 Material and methods. When writing the article we relied on the works of A. F. Losev, in which he unfolds a dialectical understanding of the symbol and its role in people's lives. Following A. F. Losev, we use the dialectical approach to understand human existence and the role of symbols in it. Naturally, the education of people is inextricably linked to their existence, which means that it cannot do without symbols. Relying on the dialectics presented in the works of A. F. Losev, we designate this approach as dialectical-symbolic.
 Results. According to the results of our study, in the process of education it is necessary not only to transfer scientific knowledge to students, but also to familiarize them with appropriate symbols. Such familiarization will allow to form them as patriots of their country and as full-fledged subjects of professional activity.

When philosophical nuance matters: safeguarding consciousness research from restrictive assumptions.

In this paper, we revisit the debate surrounding the Unfolding Argument (UA) against causal structure theories of consciousness (as well as the hard-criteria research program it prescribes), using it as a platform for discussing theoretical and methodological issues in consciousness research. Causal structure theories assert that consciousness depends on a particular causal structure of the brain. Our claim is that some of the assumptions fueling the UA are not warranted, and therefore we should reject the methodology for consciousness science that the UA prescribes. First, we briefly survey the most popular philosophical positions in consciousness science, namely physicalism and functionalism. We discuss the relations between these positions and the behaviorist methodology that the UA assumptions express, despite the contrary claim of its proponents. Second, we argue that the same reasoning that the UA applies against causal structure theories can be applied to functionalist approaches, thus proving too much and deeming as unscientific a whole range of (non-causal structure) theories. Since this is overly restrictive and fits poorly with common practice in cognitive neuroscience, we suggest that the reasoning of the UA must be flawed. Third, we assess its philosophical assumptions, which express a restrictive methodology, and conclude that there are reasons to reject them. Finally, we propose a more inclusive methodology for consciousness science, that includes neural, behavioral, and phenomenological evidence (provided by the first-person perspective) without which consciousness science could not even start. Then, we extend this discussion to the scope of consciousness science, and conclude that theories of consciousness should be tested and evaluated on humans, and not on systems considerably different from us. Rather than restricting the methodology of consciousness science, we should, at this point, restrict the range of systems upon which it is supposed to be built.

Влияние виртуальной реальности на сознание человека с позиций христианской антропологии и современной психологии

The relevance of this article is determined by the penetration of information technologies into all spheres of human life, the impact on his consciousness and personality. The purpose of the article is to show the differences in the assessment of the influence of virtual reality on human consciousness in modern psychology and from the point of view of Christian anthropology. The hypothesis is proved that the reason for these differences lies in the different understanding of the essence, structure and mechanisms of consciousness in science and patristic teaching. The key approaches to understanding consciousness in the neurosciences, in domestic and foreign psychology are described. The Christian approach to human consciousness, the connection with the concepts of "freedom", "conscience", "shame", "duty", "responsibility", "mind", "reason", the patristic teaching about the 3-level structure of the mind, about purification and keeping the mind, about asceticism and the practice of hesychasm as an experience of increasing consciousness. It is concluded that in science, human consciousness is associated with the activity of the brain as a substratum of the psyche, which leads to its excessive simplification and reduction to the psyche of an animal. In contrast to this, in Christian anthropology, a person is not only a rational being, but also a moral one, so he needs to be aware of the meaning of his being. The definition of the concept of "virtual environment" and the results of scientific research on the influence of the virtual environment on human consciousness are given. The negative consequences of the uncontrolled use of virtual reality are described: 1) from the point of view of science, these are, in particular, screen addiction, cognitive impairment, dehumanization of human consciousness and transhumanism; 2) from the point of view of Christian anthropology: deprivation of unity, orderliness, integrity and freedom of the inner world of man; food for the emergence of passionate thoughts, obscuration of the mind, spiritual devastation. It is concluded that the development of virtual technologies and their practical use should be the subject of special attention from scientists, psychologists, physicians, and it is necessary to consider the influence of virtual reality on human consciousness not only from the standpoint of modern science, but also in the coordinate system of the Christian worldview.

Understanding cosmopsychism based on stochastic electrodynamics from the perspective of the Indian knowledge system

Cosmopsychism is a novel paradigm that has the potential to respond to the hard problem of consciousness. It is based on the theoretical framework of stochastic electrodynamics. Considering both consciousness and matter as the primary reality, cosmopsychism describes the dynamic interaction of the brain with the ubiquitous field of consciousness (UFC), resulting in a number of information states. The UFC is conceived to exhibit twofold properties— extrinsic and intrinsic. The extrinsic property has the characteristics of the field of physics, whereas the intrinsic property is hard to decipher but is interpreted in terms of the characteristics of a color palate representing different shades of consciousness. Scientific analysis reveals that the concept of UFC, as theorized in cosmopsychism, resonates with the philosophical ideas of the Indian knowledge system (IKS). This article attempts to integrate the paradigm of cosmopsychism with the philosophical insights of the IKS in order to develop a holistic framework that contributes substantially to the science of consciousness

Marx's "True Community" and the Community of Human Destiny

Marx put forward the idea of "real community" in the process of criticizing the "illusory community" of capitalism, and the construction of "real community" is the value objective of Marxism, i.e. the union of free people. The construction of the "real community", i.e. the union of free people, is the value objective of Marxism. The community of human destiny is the inheritance and transcendence of Marx's idea of "true community". The 18th CPC National Congress emphasizes that there is only one earth for mankind, and advocates the scientific consciousness of the "community of human destiny". A correct understanding of the relationship between the two can help provide a scientific basis for the CPC to govern from the theoretical source.

Review of Being You: A New Science of Consciousness by Anil Seth

Review of Being You: A New Science of Consciousness by Anil Seth

Naturalism of consciousness: A dialogue between Colin McGinn and Owen Flanagan

Opinions are divided among naturalists on whether we can specify any property of the brain as the basis of consciousness. This is the question of naturalism of consciousness. While constructive naturalists hold that naturalism is possible, anti-constructive naturalists don’t think so. Owen Flanagan falls within the former camp, while McGinn is an anti-constructive naturalist. In this study, we assess the contributions of McGinn and Flanagan with respect to the possibility of naturalising consciousness. The research demonstrates that constructive naturalism is more plausible than anti-constructive naturalism. We do this through the following routes: 1) highlighting the weaknesses in McGinn’s postulation of the “hidden structure” of consciousness; 2) projecting the explanatory relevance of Flanagan’s use of brain scanner technology in consciousness studies; and 3) demonstrating, on the basis of science, how the immaterial can emerge from matter. The paper concludes that through the science of consciousness, we can achieve possible naturalism of consciousness.

Hope and Ambiguity

Among contemporary predicaments of war, political populism, truth and communication, climate change, and the collapse of welfare states – partly because of them – we face a crisis in curriculum. The inertia of a content-based curriculum diverges ever-further from a volatile world and the major issues of the day. More importantly, it denies young people the tools they need to negotiate a complex world of ambiguity, uncertainty and responsibility for their self-determination. This article argues for a reaffirmation of European Humanistic principles in curriculum as a political strategy to bring the education of young people into closer alignment with lived realities, and to encourage them to act as informed citizens. The starting point is a research-based curriculum. We can look to the New Science of Consciousness and mind for methodological support for an enquiry-based curriculum.

Epistemological challenges for neural correlates of consciousness: A defense of medical research on consciousness

Recent work in the field of consciousness science has predominantly focused on the search for neural correlates of consciousness (NCC). However, despite significant technological advances in recent decades, defining NCC remains an ambitious goal in consciousness research. The main difficulty stems from an epistemological challenge known as the "Problem of coordination", which hinders or at least slows down the experimental process inherent to the study of consciousness. Fundamental research has mainly focused on a content-based conception of consciousness, often referred to as a "local" conception of consciousness. This approach suffers from the Problem of coordination and its consequences. However, an alternative, more reliable approach could be considered, namely, the global or "state-based" approach, which is grounded in clinical research on consciousness disorders.

Exploring the role of structuralist methodology in the neuroscience of consciousness: a defense and analysis.

Traditional contrastive analysis has been the foundation of consciousness science, but its limitations due to the lack of a reliable method for measuring states of consciousness have prompted the exploration of alternative approaches. Structuralist theories have gained attention as an alternative that focuses on the structural properties of phenomenal experience and seeks to identify their neural encoding via structural similarities between quality spaces and neural state spaces. However, the intertwining of philosophical assumptions about structuralism and structuralist methodology may pose a challenge to those who are skeptical of the former. In this paper, I offer an analysis and defense of structuralism as a methodological approach in consciousness science, which is partly independent of structuralist assumptions on the nature of consciousness. By doing so, I aim to make structuralist methodology more accessible to a broader scientific and philosophical audience. I situate methodological structuralism in the context of questions concerning mental representation, psychophysical measurement, holism, and functional relevance of neural processes. At last, I analyze the relationship between the structural approach and the distinction between conscious and unconscious states.

Towards a pluralistic neurobiological understanding of consciousness.

Theories of consciousness are often based on the assumption that a single, unified neurobiological account will explain different types of conscious awareness. However, recent findings show that, even within a single modality such as conscious visual perception, the anatomical location, timing, and information flow of neural activity related to conscious awareness vary depending on both external and internal factors. This suggests that the search for generic neural correlates of consciousness may not be fruitful. I argue that consciousness science requires a more pluralistic approach and propose a new framework: joint determinant theory (JDT). This theory may be capable of accommodating different brain circuit mechanisms for conscious contents as varied as percepts, wills, memories, emotions, and thoughts, as well as their integrated experience.

Towards causal mechanisms of consciousness through focused transcranial brain stimulation.

Conscious experience represents one of the most elusive problems of empirical science, namely neuroscience. The main objective of empirical studies of consciousness has been to describe the minimal sets of neural events necessary for a specific neuronal state to become consciously experienced. The current state of the art still does not meet this objective but rather consists of highly speculative theories based on correlates of consciousness and an ever-growing list of knowledge gaps. The current state of the art is defined by the limitations of past stimulation techniques and the emphasis on the observational approach. However, looking at the current stimulation technologies that are becoming more accurate, it is time to consider an alternative approach to studying consciousness, which builds on the methodology of causal explanations via causal alterations. The aim of this methodology is to move beyond the correlates of consciousness and focus directly on the mechanisms of consciousness with the help of the currently focused brain stimulation techniques, such as geodesic transcranial electric neuromodulation. This approach not only overcomes the limitations of the correlational methodology but will also become another firm step in the following science of consciousness.

Continuous Organismic Sentience as the Integration of Core Affect and Vitality

In consciousness studies there is a growing tendency to consider experience as (i) fundamentally affective and (ii) deeply interlinked with interoceptive and homeostatic bodily processes. However, this view still needs further development to be part of any rigorous theory of consciousness. To advance in this direction, we ask: (1) is there any affective type that is always present in consciousness?, (2) is it related to interoception and homeostasis?, and (3) what are its properties? Here we analyse and compare Jim Russell's core affect and Thomas Fuchs' concept of vitality, and propose a more encompassing notion that subsumes both: continuous organismic sentience. It provides affirmative answers to questions 1 and 2, and, regarding question 3, a preliminary list of thirteen properties divided into ontological, phenomenological, and functional categories. This is the first of a series of studies that will systematically address different notions of a fundamental, homeostatically-rooted affective type, to achieve a rigorous, unified concept for consciousness science.

The Destiny of Phenomenology: Gadamer on Value, Globalism, and the Growth of Being

The Destiny of Phenomenology: Gadamer on Value, Globalism, and the Growth of Being