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This book discusses spirituality as an emerging scientific topic
from a historical perspective, with extensive discussion of the
mind-body problem and of scientific concepts of consciousness.
While the book focuses on the Western tradition of
‘Enlightenment’, it also implicitly addresses the double
meaning of the term, with the Eastern tradition describing it as
‘a state of true knowledge, which is an important goal on an
individual’s spiritual path’ and the Western tradition seeing
it as ‘the collective process of getting rid of narrow-minded
dogmas and concepts’. The book is based on a simple yet
challenging premise: Science has not gone far enough in the
scientific process of going from a collective mind tied up in
dogmatic teachings to a truly free mind that, seemingly, freed
itself from bondage and restrictions. The book shows that science,
and with it our whole Western culture, has to incorporate
spirituality if it is to realize this goal of enlightenment. If
that is done, and it can only be done by many individuals actually
practicing spirituality, this will also lead to the individual type
of enlightenment.
This volume features a collection of essays on consciousness, which
has become one of the hot topics at the crossroads between
neuroscience, philosophy, and religious studies. Is consciousness
something the brain produces? How can we study it? Is there just
one type of consciousness or are there different states that can be
discriminated? Are so called “higher states of consciousness”
that some people report during meditation pointing towards a new
understanding of consciousness? Meditation research is a new
discipline that shows new inroads into the study of consciousness.
If a meditative practice changes brain structure itself this is
direct proof of the causal influence of consciousness onto its
substrate. If different states of consciousness can be linked with
properties and states of the brain this can be used to study
consciousness more directly. If the sense of self is modifiable
through meditative techniques and this can be objectively shown
through neuro-imaging, this has profound implications for our
understanding of who we are. Can consciousness, in deep states of
meditative absorption, actually access some aspect of reality which
we normally don't? Meditation research can potentially foster us
with a new access to the phenomenological method in general. This
has even been branded with a new catch-phrase: Contemplative
Science. It brings together the most modern neuroscientific
approach and the most advanced phenomenological methodology of
studying the mind from within, through highly skilled
self-observation that has gone through many thousand hours of
honing the capacity to look carefully, without distraction. This
book addresses these issues by bringing together some of the
leading researchers and thinkers in the field. The scope of the
volume reaches from first person neuroscience to Indian philosophy,
from pedagogic applications to epistemological aspects and from
compassion meditation to the study of brain activity.
This book discusses spirituality as an emerging scientific topic
from a historical perspective, with extensive discussion of the
mind-body problem and of scientific concepts of consciousness.
While the book focuses on the Western tradition of 'Enlightenment',
it also implicitly addresses the double meaning of the term, with
the Eastern tradition describing it as 'a state of true knowledge,
which is an important goal on an individual's spiritual path' and
the Western tradition seeing it as 'the collective process of
getting rid of narrow-minded dogmas and concepts'. The book is
based on a simple yet challenging premise: Science has not gone far
enough in the scientific process of going from a collective mind
tied up in dogmatic teachings to a truly free mind that, seemingly,
freed itself from bondage and restrictions. The book shows that
science, and with it our whole Western culture, has to incorporate
spirituality if it is to realize this goal of enlightenment. If
that is done, and it can only be done by many individuals actually
practicing spirituality, this will also lead to the individual type
of enlightenment.
"Neuroscience, Consciousness and Spirituality" presents a
variety of perspectives by leading thinkers on contemporary
research into the brain, the mind and the spirit. This volumes aims
at combining knowledge from neuroscience with approaches from the
experiential perspective of the first person singular in order to
arrive at an integrated understanding of consciousness. Individual
chapters discuss new areas of research, such as near death studies
and neuroscience research into spiritual experiences, and report on
significant new theoretical advances.
From Harald Walach s introductory essay, Neuroscience,
Consciousness, Spirituality Questions, Problems and Potential
Solutions, to the concluding chapter by Robert K. C. Foreman
entitled An Emerging New Model for Consciousness: The Consciousness
Field Model, this book represents a milestone in the progress
towards an integrated understanding of spirituality, neuroscience
and consciousness.
It is the first in a series of books that are dedicated to this
topic."
This volume features a collection of essays on consciousness, which
has become one of the hot topics at the crossroads between
neuroscience, philosophy, and religious studies. Is consciousness
something the brain produces? How can we study it? Is there just
one type of consciousness or are there different states that can be
discriminated? Are so called "higher states of consciousness" that
some people report during meditation pointing towards a new
understanding of consciousness? Meditation research is a new
discipline that shows new inroads into the study of consciousness.
If a meditative practice changes brain structure itself this is
direct proof of the causal influence of consciousness onto its
substrate. If different states of consciousness can be linked with
properties and states of the brain this can be used to study
consciousness more directly. If the sense of self is modifiable
through meditative techniques and this can be objectively shown
through neuro-imaging, this has profound implications for our
understanding of who we are. Can consciousness, in deep states of
meditative absorption, actually access some aspect of reality which
we normally don't? Meditation research can potentially foster us
with a new access to the phenomenological method in general. This
has even been branded with a new catch-phrase: Contemplative
Science. It brings together the most modern neuroscientific
approach and the most advanced phenomenological methodology of
studying the mind from within, through highly skilled
self-observation that has gone through many thousand hours of
honing the capacity to look carefully, without distraction. This
book addresses these issues by bringing together some of the
leading researchers and thinkers in the field. The scope of the
volume reaches from first person neuroscience to Indian philosophy,
from pedagogic applications to epistemological aspects and from
compassion meditation to the study of brain activity.
Neuroscience, Consciousness and Spirituality presents a variety of
perspectives by leading thinkers on contemporary research into the
brain, the mind and the spirit. This volumes aims at combining
knowledge from neuroscience with approaches from the experiential
perspective of the first person singular in order to arrive at an
integrated understanding of consciousness. Individual chapters
discuss new areas of research, such as near death studies and
neuroscience research into spiritual experiences, and report on
significant new theoretical advances. From Harald Walach's
introductory essay, "Neuroscience, Consciousness, Spirituality -
Questions, Problems and Potential Solutions," to the concluding
chapter by Robert K. C. Foreman entitled "An Emerging New Model for
Consciousness: The Consciousness Field Model," this book represents
a milestone in the progress towards an integrated understanding of
spirituality, neuroscience and consciousness. It is the first in a
series of books that are dedicated to this topic.
The use of complementary therapies is exploding, increasing the
pressure to establish a rigorous science to support its practice.
Clinical Research in Complementary Therapies: Principles, Problems
and Solutions provides students with the tools they need to
research complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) and so fill
this gap. Essential for both undergraduate and postgraduate
students, this second edition is significantly updated and
enhanced. Part 1 deals with research strategies and methods,
explaining the major types of clinical research in CIM and how
these inter-relate. New chapters are included on whole systems
research, qualitative research and questionnaire development. Not
all therapies can be treated the same way nor channeled through the
signal process of randomized controlled trials. Therefore, detailed
description of mixed methods approaches including observational,
qualitative, cost-benefit and comparative effectiveness research
are described. Part 2 deals with specific complementary therapies
and how they are invested by experts in each field. The book
analyses the key questions asked and the controversies debated in
complementary medicine research and offers clear and innovative
guidance for answering these questions. FEATURES . Provides an
overarching synthesis of methods in CIM and how they are to be used
collectively including the role of comparative effectiveness
research . Suggests both general and specific factors which need to
be considered in assessing or planning complementary therapy
research . Pinpoints aspects of research which are different in
orthodox research and complementary therapy research . Reviews the
types of research carried out in specific complementary therapies
and analyses issues which arise . Includes information on measuring
the economic cost and benefits of complementary medicine, clinical
audit and the role of placebos use . Builds upon recent research
results, looks at the lessons these provide for all complementary
therapies and suggests key issues to address in future research. .
Provides an overarching synthesis of methods in CIM and how they
are to be used collectively including the role of comparative
effectiveness research . Suggests both general and specific factors
which need to be considered in assessing or planning complementary
therapy research . Pinpoints aspects of research which are
different in orthodox research and complementary therapy research .
Reviews the types of research carried out in specific complementary
therapies and analyses issues which arise . Includes information on
measuring the economic cost and benefits of complementary medicine,
clinical audit and the role of placebos use . Builds upon recent
research results, looks at the lessons these provide for all
complementary therapies and suggests key issues to address in
future research.
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