In Conversations on Consciousness, Susan Blackmore interviews some of the great minds of our time, a who's who of eminent thinkers, all of whom have devoted much of their lives to understanding the concept of consciousness. The interviewees, ranging from major philosophers to renowned scientists, talk candidly with Blackmore about some of the key philosophical issues confronting us in a series of conversations that are revealing, insightful, and stimulating. They ruminate on the nature of consciousness (is it something apart from the brain?) and discuss if it is even possible to understand the human mind. Some of these thinkers say no, but most believe that we will pierce the mystery surrounding consciousness, and that neuroscience will provide the key. Blackmore goes beyond the issue of consciousness to ask other intriguing questions: Is there free will? (A question which yields many conflicted replies, with most saying yes and no.) If not, how does this effect the way you live your life; and more broadly, how has your work changed the way you live? Paired with an introduction and extensive glossary that provide helpful background information, these provocative conversations illuminate how some of the greatest minds tackle some of the most difficult questions about human nature.

Blackmore in this volume brings together some of the great minds of our time, a who's who of eminent thinkers, all of whom have devoted much of their lives to understanding consciousness. Some of the interviewees are major philosophers (such as John Searle, Ned Block, and David Chalmers) and some are equally renowned scientists (Francis Crick, Roger Penrose, V.S. Ramachandran). All of them talk candidly with Blackmore about some of the key philosophical issues confronting us, in a series of conversations that are revealing, insightful, and stimulating.

This book offers a first glimpse into contemporary African Philosophical thought, which covers issues related to the mind-body relationships, the problem of consciousness, the ethics of artificial intelligence, the meaning of life and other topics. Taking inspiration from the conversational tradition in African philosophy, this book not only engages with and takes inspiration from traditional African thought, but also engages with philosophical views outside the philosophical tradition in a bid to present a holistic understanding of the problems that are central to the book. The volume is relevant for professional African philosophers, philosophers of mind, philosophers of AI, undergraduate and postgraduate philosophy students, and African Studies scholars.

Conflict: Mind, the enemy or mind, the best friend? Argument: The mind answers, “I am a mishandled powerhouse.” Solution: Do not negotiate, inspire it… Conversations With my Mind - A candid narration, beginning from the path of negotiation leading to inspiration. All for the sake of loving thyself.

Asking students to write journals that reflect on their learning has become a widespread pedagogical practice in recent years. However, the scholarly literature does not address certain key questions about how journal writing aids learning: * Is there something inherent in journal writing that encourages students to write reflectively? * What psycholinguistic or cognitive factors help to explain the power of journal writing? * Why do some students use journals to write prolifically and creatively while others limit their responses to summarizing the assigned course reading? * Why do teachers find some journal entries so much more engaging than others? * How do teachers' ways of responding to journals affect their students' development as writers and thinkers? This book addresses such questions through a careful analysis of the journal writing of the students in the author's ESL classes at a large urban college. It contains detailed case studies of five culturally- and linguistically-diverse students with widely differing responses to journal writing. To teachers of composition for both first- and second-language students and to teachers of graduate courses in education and qualitative research, this book offers a contextualized description of journal writings as a complex social activity. By emphasizing the need for educators to reexamine their pedagogy and to learn from their students, Conversations of the Mind is an indispensable contribution to the emerging literature of teacher research and reflective practice.

This book introduces concepts in philosophy of mind and neurophilosophy. Inside, three scholars offer approaches to the problems of identity, consciousness, and the mind. In the process, they open new vistas for thought and raise fresh controversies to some of the oldest problems in philosophy. The first chapter focuses on the identity problem. The author employs an explanatory model he christened sense-phenomenalism to defend the thesis that personal identity is something or a phenomenon that pertains to the observable/perceptible aspect of the human person. The next chapter explores the problem of consciousness. It deploys the new concept equiphenomenalism as a model to show that mental properties are not by-products but necessary products of consciousness. Herein, the notion of qualia is a fundamental and necessary product that must be experienced simultaneously with neural activities for consciousness to be possible. The last chapter addresses the mind/body problem. It adopts the new concept proto-phenomenalism as an alternative explanatory model. This model eliminates the idea of a mind. As such, it approaches the mind-body problem from a materialistic point of view with many implications such as, the meaning(lessness) of our existence, the possibility of thought engineering as well as religious implications.

Have you been struggling with trying to change behaviors but seen no real success? What is it that makes lesser desired behaviors so difficult to change? Addictions, unexpected outbursts of anger or frustration and chronic procrastination are just a few of the behaviors that can take hold of your life and make everyone around you miserable. It can actually tear down your health and cause even more issues that are difficult to fix. Are there any important goals in life or important desires and needs that you would like to meet and want to make sure you can really achieve them? Are you fed up of missing out on the good things in life and want to change that now? If this sounds like you, learning to work with NLP is the right answer for you. NLP has generated a lot of controversy over the years. There are many people who may not understand how this form of mind control works, and this makes them suspect and worry about how it can work. But NLP is a powerful tool that you can use to make sure you can get what you want from yourself, from life and from other people around you. Download this book TODAY and: -Learn how much emotions can drive behaviors -Find out how to discover what is behind your bad behaviors -Learn how to set reasonable goals for desired changes -Learn how behavior modification can be done at home, work or anywhere you choose Become a wizard at negotiations or the life of the party with NLP This book breaks training down into easy-to-understand modules. It starts from the very beginning of nlp, so you can get great results - even as a beginner! With the techniques covered in this book, you'll learn how to get into other people's heads, discover how they see the world, and lead them to a win/win situation. Download it today!

As humans charge up the steep slope of technological innovation, digital age media increasingly shapes our perception of everything--even spiritual matters. The next stage of spiritual development may be the product of a digital interface between our own image of the divine, virtual reality technology that produces real perceptions, and with devices that stimulate areas of the brain associated with spiritual experience. This book explores the influence of digital media on spirituality and the impact of the digital environment on our experience of the spiritual world. The author predicts a future in which digital technology and neuroscience will combine to create a new understanding of the divine. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.