Podcasts about psychophysical

In this conversation, Janet McMordie and Pascal Langdale delve into the education system for actors, the illusion of a career ladder, and the necessity of finding joy in the craft of acting. Pascal emphasizes the importance of practicing and honing one's skills, regardless of industry recognition, and the need to maintain a sense of play in the art of acting. He emphasizes the importance of character immersion and the psychophysical relationships that actors must navigate to deliver authentic performances. Pascal shares his personal techniques for learning lines and the significance of embodied movement in acting. He also reflects on memorable moments in motion capture and offers advice for aspiring actors, highlighting the need for a long-term perspective in their careers.TakeawaysThe acting industry is competitive and often disheartening.Education in acting does not guarantee success in the industry.Financial stability is crucial for aspiring actors.The concept of a career ladder in acting is misleading.Finding joy in acting is essential for long-term fulfillment.Embodied movement enhances acting skills.Psychophysical relationships inform character motivations.Work With Pascal: http://collectiveintent.net/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joe Schmid is a PhD student at Princeton University. We'll be talking about Joseph's Christian upbringing and how it brought him to philosophy, what he thinks the best argument is for theism and the best argument against it. We also discuss how he got his 2023 book 'Existential Inertia and Classical Theistic Proofs' published. Joe is also the host of the very popular Majesty of Reason YouTube channel and a blog by the same name. If you'd like to find out more about his work, check out his website www.josephschmid.com and you can get in touch with him at js9105@princeton.edu

Duas torres de transmissão parecem usar seus cabos como se fossem cordas. Uma terceira torre parece "pular corda". Toda vez que ela pula, a imagem treme... E algumas pessoas conseguem "ouvir" um som! E você, "ouve" algo? A ciência explica esse fenômeno?Confira o papo entre o leigo curioso, Ken Fujioka, e o cientista PhD, Altay de Souza.> OUÇA (44min 59s)*Naruhodo! é o podcast pra quem tem fome de aprender. Ciência, senso comum, curiosidades, desafios e muito mais. Com o leigo curioso, Ken Fujioka, e o cientista PhD, Altay de Souza.Edição: Reginaldo Cursino.http://naruhodo.b9.com.br*PARCERIA: ALURASabe quem mais chegou com 2024? A primeira Imersão Front-End da Alura, perfeita para começar o ano se aprofundando em tecnologia.Em 5 aulas gratuitas, você vai mergulhar em HTML, mergulhar em CSS e criar uma página web responsiva e com layouts avançados. É 100% online, 100% gratuito e com certificado de participação, com a melhor didática e as melhores professoras e professores.Você ainda terá acesso gratuito à Luri, a IA da Alura, e vai interagir com a comunidade Dev e aproveitar o espaço para networking no Discord.Mais de um milhão de pessoas já mergulharam nas Imersões da Alura. Chegou a sua vez de explorar esse novo universo. Então faça sua inscrição grátis agora mesmo, porque as vagas são limitadas!alura.tv/naruhodo-imersaofrontend*REFERÊNCIASTuíte Original (12/2017)https://x.com/LisaDeBruine/status/937105553968566272A deafening flash! Visual interference of auditory signal detectionhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053810016303336?via%3DihubModality effects in the coding reproduction of rhythmshttps://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/BF03202611Sounds from seeing silent motion: Who hears them, and what looks loudest?https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0010945218300741Neurocognitive mechanisms of synesthesiahttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16269367/Expectancies and the generation of perceptual experience: Predictive processing and phenomenological controlhttps://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/rjn3kHearing through Your Eyes: Neural Basis of Audiovisual Cross-activation, Revealed by Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulationhttps://direct.mit.edu/jocn/article-abstract/31/6/922/29031/Hearing-through-Your-Eyes-Neural-Basis-of?redirectedFrom=fulltextChapter 18 - Psychophysical and behavioral peripheral and central auditory testshttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780444626301000184From oppressiveness to stress: A development of Stress Reduction Theory in the context of contemporary high-density cityhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272494422001281?casa_token=tByMbwrf9pQAAAAA:E1ryVic2p1ma-p3u60KHQQvdaMhu_QVjp0378LVX8eSCFLEX9Z6JLOi1m5FaPMdcV72R9D-huUgSilence in the consumer experience: A conceptualization and research agendahttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296323003910?casa_token=3HI5ATTO9RoAAAAA:Ye-D9YXFjitUfVfK69VYtFAn0KaTdgEifLXLqE4XiG8KGrwQiM_bjoDWAku693jrXCVFjvoCo60The Diversity of Strategies Used in Working Memory for Colors, Orientations, and Positions: A Quantitative Approach to a First-Person Inquiryhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cogs.13333Hearing what you see: Distinct excitatory and disinhibitory mechanisms contribute to visually-evoked auditory sensationshttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010945220302732?casa_token=fM-wF61tH7QAAAAA:U5V7vEtQ8gK9dR_Y0NIW_rmoQ4wbgWsuEufULaurgeaKWX2KOlWIN9yQaoUbtsTiBXe-hXCrkNkGreat expectations! How predictions about the magnitude of a forthcoming sound affect its perceptual and neural processinghttps://unsworks.unsw.edu.au/entities/publication/87b67f42-bb63-4935-8cf9-688c36809cac/fullBioelectronic medicine: Preclinical insights and clinical advanceshttps://www.cell.com/neuron/pdf/S0896-6273(22)00808-X.pdfExpected Experiences - The Predictive Mind in an Uncertain Worldhttps://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/edit/10.4324/9781003084082/expected-experiences-tony-cheng-jakob-hohwy-ryoji-satoExemplo Som Código Morsehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz57ov1pV4MNaruhodo #270 - O que é e como se dá a sinestesia?https://youtu.be/fvfrWcEEDco?si=wmdegsj6KfcainaPNaruhodo #296 - Todas as pessoas imaginam as coisas do mesmo jeito?https://youtu.be/ZcNZ92bTZc4?si=_ImAQuNXIpp2jYI6Naruhodo #29 - O que é e como acontece o déjà vu?https://youtu.be/MsgpP0CWrZs?si=IvJ17lCAH8rTJLe0*APOIE O NARUHODO PELA PLATAFORMA ORELO!Um aviso importantíssimo: o podcast Naruhodo agora está no Orelo: https://bit.ly/naruhodo-no-oreloE é por meio dessa plataforma de apoio aos criadores de conteúdo que você ajuda o Naruhodo a se manter no ar.Você escolhe um valor de contribuição mensal e tem acesso a conteúdos exclusivos, conteúdos antecipados e vantagens especiais.Além disso, você pode ter acesso ao nosso grupo fechado no Telegram, e conversar comigo, com o Altay e com outros apoiadores.E não é só isso: toda vez que você ouvir ou fizer download de um episódio pelo Orelo, vai também estar pingando uns trocadinhos para o nosso projeto.Então, baixe agora mesmo o app Orelo no endereço Orelo.CC ou na sua loja de aplicativos e ajude a fortalecer o conhecimento científico.https://bit.ly/naruhodo-no-orelo

Philip Goff and Dustin Crummett debate psychophysical harmony, God, axiarchism, pan-agentialism, natural teleology, and explore some neglected terrain between theism and the hypothesis of indifference. What are our options in explaining the fine-tuning of consciousness?  Subscribe on YouTube Twitter @waldenpod @Philip_Goff @dustin_crummett Dustin's Channel Mind Chat Music by ichika Nito & Whalers. Used with permission. linktr.ee/emersongreen 

Philip Goff and Dustin Crummett debate psychophysical harmony, God, axiarchism, pan-agentialism, natural teleology, and explore some neglected terrain between theism and the hypothesis of indifference. What are our options in explaining the fine-tuning of consciousness? Subscribe on YouTube Twitter @waldenpod @Philip_Goff @dustin_crummett Dustin's Channel Mind Chat Consider supporting the show on Patreon here or Walden … Continue reading CA112 What's the Best Explanation of Psychophysical Harmony? w/ Philip Goff & Dustin Crummett →

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.02.14.528582v1?rss=1 Authors: Yang, Y.-H., Fukiage, T., Sun, Z., Nishida, S. Abstract: The neural and computational mechanisms underlying visual motion perception have been extensively investigated over several decades, but most studies have used simple artificial stimuli such as random-dot kinematograms. Thus, it remains difficult to predict how human observers perceive optical flows in complex natural scenes. Here, we report a novel method to measure, psychophysically, optical flows perceived by human observers watching naturalistic movies, and to reveal the characteristics of human motion perception via comparison of the measured perceived flow to the ground truths and model predictions. We selected movie clips from the MPI Sintel Flow Dataset, which contains open-source computer graphics animations with ground truths. To measure the perceived vectors at a spatiotemporal point, we flashed a small dot during presentation of a brief clip and asked the observers to adjust the speed and direction of a matching random-noise stimulus, to reproduce the vector at the flashed point. The proposed method adequately estimated perceived flow, and the estimated perceived vector also indicated flow illusions, i.e., consistent deviations from the ground truths, in various ways, depending on the stimulus patterns. Comparisons with the predictions of biologically motivated models and machine vision algorithms indicated that some flow illusions were attributable to lower-level factors such as spatiotemporal pooling and signal loss, but others reflected higher-level computations including coordinate transformations that cannot be precisely predicted by existing flow estimation models. Psychophysical measurement of the optical flows that humans perceive in realistic environments constitutes a promising paradigm for advancing our understanding of visual motion perception. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

“We know now, more than ever before, that we must change or perish. Worldviews are the foundation of culture, and the crisis has presented us with an opportunity to move to a new world-view linking Ancient & Modern, East & West, Science & Spirituality. Endowed with technology and a new worldview informed by ancient wisdom as well as the findings of contemporary science, we can create a new narrative and witness the dawn of a better era.” Dawn of an Era of Well-Being from the Introductory Note from the Authors (Ervin Laszlo and Frederick Tsao) page xviToday's conversation concerns matters of matter and spirit. By taking a close look at this very seemingly basic distinction, we can gain a lot of very practical information. What do we actually know about the material world? Many Eastern spiritual traditions, as well as many of the ancient thinkers, do not make a hard distinction between physical matter and spiritual substance. Some might say they are one and the same. Our guest today, the best-selling author and Jungian Analyst, Anne Baring, has much to say about the modern disconnect between the spiritual and the material. Today, she will make very clear her case that this disconnect alienates us from our sacred nature, and our divine purpose. The fruits of uninhibited materialism can be seen in current events and throughout the violent history of world events. Our leaders are often driven by nothing more than selfish ambition and a wanton quest for power, placing self-interest above all else. A clear perception of the divinity manifest in the material world and its inhabitants helps us understand the interconnectedness and sacred purpose of all other beings on this planet, and should be instructive on how we must build a better world through collaboration rather than competition. Join us today as Ervin and Anne delve deep into these questions of material and spiritual. Anne Baring is a Jungian Analyst and author of numerous publications including The Myth of the Goddess: Evolution of an Image co-authored with Jules Cashford; Soul Power: An Agenda for a Conscious Humanity with Scilla Elworthy; The Divine Feminine: Recovering the Feminine Face of God Around the World with Andrew Harvey; and The Dream of the Cosmos: A Quest for the Soul for which she was awarded the Scientific and Medical Network Book Prize for 2013, and which in 2020 was re-released in a new edition. The ground of all her work is a deep interest in the spiritual, mythological, shamanic, and artistic traditions of different cultures. Her website is devoted to the affirmation of a new vision of reality and the issues facing us at this crucial time of choice. www.annebaring.comDream of the Cosmos

Dr. Brian Cutter is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame. In this interview, we chat about psychophysical harmony and how it's super strong evidence for God. Check out the paper: https://philpapers.org/archive/CUTPHA.pdf -------------------------------- GIVING -------------------------------- Please consider becoming a Patron! Patreon (Thanks!): https://www.patreon.com/AdherentApologetics YouTube Membership: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO8jj_CQwrRRwwwXBndo6nQ/join

YouTuber and friend of the channel  @ApologeticsSquared  joined me to discuss psychophysical harmony and why it's a super powerful argument for God in the latest edition of mediocre apologists. -------------------------------- GIVING -------------------------------- Please consider becoming a Patron! Patreon (Thanks!): https://www.patreon.com/AdherentApologetics YouTube Membership: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO8jj_CQwrRRwwwXBndo6nQ/join

There are always new arguments for the existence of God, one of these being the argument from psycho-physical harmony. In this video, Amos discusses the argument from psycho-physical harmony and how it helped him become a theist from his atheistic starting point!While similar to the fine-tuning argument, this one is more specific and is helpful in understanding the direct relationship between psychology and the physical world!-------------------------- Where else to find Josh Yen: Philosophy: https://bit.ly/philforall Gaming: https://bit.ly/zarathustragames Education: https://bit.ly/joshyen Football: https://bit.ly/footballopinions Buisness: https://bit.ly/logosedu -------------------------- If you would want to support the channel and what I am doing, please follow me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/philosophyforall

That which haunts us will always find a way out. The wound will not heal unless given witness. The shadow that follows us is the way in. – RumiDeepak Chopra is a veritable one-man institution, with over ninety books to his credit, several of them making the New York Times bestsellers list. He is also fonder of The Chopra Foundation and Chopra Global. We at “Dawn of an Era of Well-Being: The PODCAST” are proud to count Dr. Chopra among the contributors to the book, Dawn of an Era of Wellbeing: New Paths to a Better World by Ervin Laszlo and Frederick Tsao (SelectBooks, ISBN 978-1-59079-515-6) for which he penned both the Foreword and the article, “Human Well-Being and the Pathless Path”. As you will hear, Dr. Laszlo and Dr. Chopra have a long history of collaboration, and similar aims of elevating human consciousness through the vectors of science and spirituality—as does our co-host, Frederick Tsao, from a markedly East-Asian point of view. Our discussion with Deepak will continue an overarching theme across this podcast, of harmonizing such supposed dichotomies—science and spirituality, East and West, etc.—and demonstrating how their very existence is more a matter of perception than of reality. And how a stronger awareness of the perception is part of the path to higher consciousness and the condition of Well-Being. To quote Dr. Chopra from his chapter in Dawn of an Era of Well-Being:  Morality and spirituality add meaning to human existence, and the one thing human beings cannot tolerate for long isn't poverty—but a meaningless life. If we cut to the quick, all models for achieving well-being are fatally flawed by using the reducing valve. When infinite possibilities are squeezed down into a few possibilities, advocated for our own good, the price is too high. Instinctively, children rebel when a parent says, “It's for your own good,” and the same is true when we are faced with formulas for well-being.Join us today for a very special episode of our podcast as Frederick Tsao, Ervin Laszlo, and our moderator, Alison Goldwyn take a close look at the human condition with the extraordinary Deepak Chopra. Deepak Chopra MD, FACP, founder of The Chopra Foundation, a non-profit entity for research on well-being and humanitarianism, and Chopra Global, a whole health company at the intersection of science and spirituality, is a world-renowned pioneer in integrative medicine and personal transformation. Chopra is a Clinical Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of California, San Diego and serves as a senior scientist with Gallup Organization. He is the author of over 90 books translated into over forty-three languages, including numerous New York Times bestsellers. His 90th book and national bestseller, Metahuman: Unleashing Your Infinite Potential (Harmony Books), unlocks the secrets to moving beyond our present limitations to access a field of infinite possibilities. For the last thirty years, Chopra has been at the forefront of the meditation revolution and his latest book, Total Meditation (Harmony Books, September 22, 2020) will help to achieve new dimensions of stress-free living and joyful living. TIME magazine has described Dr. Chopra as “one of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century.” www.deepakchopra.com

Dr. Brian Cutter joins me to discuss his paper, ‘Psychophysical Harmony: A New Argument for Theism‘, coauthored with Dr. Dustin Crummett. After talking about epiphenomenalism and why William James' argument against it works against all views in philosophy of mind (with the lone exception of Type-A materialism), we explain why psychophysical harmony seems so improbable. … Continue reading CA108 Psychophysical Harmony, Physicalism, & God w/ Brian Cutter →

This talk was recorded during the Alps Conference 2022 on psychedelic research in Bern, Switzerland on 30.10.2022. More info on the Alps Conference 2022 Website - Twitter - Facebook - Instagram - Youtube Professor Torsten Passie (MD, PhD) studied philosophy and sociology at Leibniz University Hannover and medicine at Hannover Medical School. Medical dissertation on existential psychiatry. Education at Zürich Psychiatric University Clinic and with Prof. Hanscarl Leuner (1921-1996), the leading European authority on psychedelics and psycholytic therapy. 1997-2010 scientist, psychiatrist and psychotherapist at Hannover Medical School, where he lead the Laboratory for Consciousness and Neurocognition. Professorship thesis about “Psychophysical correlates of altered states of consciousness”. Clinical research on altered states of consciousness, including studies with breathwork, cannabis, MDMA, laughing gas, ketamine and psilocybin. Special expertise on ecstatic states, addictions, and the pharmacology of psychedelics. 2012-2015 Visiting Professor at the Department of Psychiatry of the Harvard Medical School (Boston, USA). Torsten is also the Author of several books, such as “The Science of Microdosing Psychedelics”, “Healing with Entactogens”, and “The Pharmacology of LSD”. More infomation of Professor Torsten Passie https://psychedelic-science.org Dr. Torsten Passie — MDMA, LSD & Psilocybin Slides of the talks on accessible here : https://twitter.com/ALPSconference/status/1586643240375263232?s=20&t=xXH1NgD5PR92lybl4QGo-Q

This discussion was recorded during the Alps Conference 2022 on psychedelic research in Bern, Switzerland on 29.10.2022. More info on the Alps Conference 2022 - Website - Twitter - Facebook - Instagram - Youtube Professor Torsten Passie (MD, PhD) studied philosophy and sociology at Leibniz University Hannover and medicine at Hannover Medical School. Medical dissertation on existential psychiatry. Education at Zürich Psychiatric University Clinic and with Prof. Hanscarl Leuner (1921-1996), the leading European authority on psychedelics and psycholytic therapy. 1997-2010 scientist, psychiatrist and psychotherapist at Hannover Medical School, where he lead the Laboratory for Consciousness and Neurocognition. Professorship thesis about “Psychophysical correlates of altered states of consciousness”. Clinical research on altered states of consciousness, including studies with breathwork, cannabis, MDMA, laughing gas, ketamine and psilocybin. Special expertise on ecstatic states, addictions, and the pharmacology of psychedelics. 2012-2015 Visiting Professor at the Department of Psychiatry of the Harvard Medical School (Boston, USA). Torsten is also the Author of several books, such as “The Science of Microdosing Psychedelics”, “Healing with Entactogens”, and “The Pharmacology of LSD”. More infomation of Professor Torsten Passie https://psychedelic-science.org Dr. Torsten Passie — MDMA, LSD & Psilocybin

The Bhagavad-gita is universally renowned as the jewel of India's spiritual wisdom. Spoken by Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead to His intimate disciple Arjuna, the Gita's seven hundred concise verses provide a definitive guide to the science of self realization. No other philosophical or religious work reveals, in such a lucid and profound way, the nature of consciousness, the self, the universe and the Supreme. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is uniquely qualified to present this English translation and commentary on Bhagavad-gita. He is the world's foremost Vedic scholar and teacher, and he is also the current representative of an unbroken chain of fully self-realized spiritual masters begining with Lord Krishna Himself. Thus, unlike other editions of the Gita, this one is presented as it is--without the slightest taint of adulteration or personal motivation. This edition is certain to stimulate and enlighten with its ancient yet thoroughly timely message | find links where to read: sravanamdiaries.com/bhagavad-gita-as-it-is/

Dustin Crummett joined me to discuss the argument from psychophysical harmony. We chat about the nature of the argument, objections, and more! The Paper: https://philarchive.org/rec/CUTPHA -------------------------------- GIVING -------------------------------- Please consider becoming a Patron! Patreon (Thanks!): https://www.patreon.com/AdherentApologetics YouTube Membership: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO8jj_CQwrRRwwwXBndo6nQ/join

Dr. Dustin Crummett joins me to discuss a new argument from consciousness for theism. Though psychophysical harmony is evidence for theism, it may be equally good evidence for non-theistic hypotheses that I find interesting, like axiarchism and natural teleology. **In the initial presentation of the argument (the first ten minutes or so), we assume that … Continue reading CA95 The Argument from Psychophysical Harmony w/ Dustin Crummett →

Kevin, Erik and Keith on real world meetups and retreats. We talk about Keith & Erik's recent "Retvrn trip" to Hawaii with some Twitter friends, plus our plans for future Psychophysical island retreats in Hawaii and Cyprus. Also: underwater rock workouts, shamanism, and taking a step into the unknown (mentally, physically, and spiritually.) Erik's email if you want to join us on the next Retvrn Trip: retvrn.trip@gmail.com Keith's fitness site: walkaboutfitness.com Kevin's posture site: principlesofposture.com Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/1psychophysical Music by Juan (Nova Spire): https://twitter.com/Novaspire

An episode for the wanderers and meandering Sovvies. We touch on the Joe Rogan/Spotify conflict, DeFi heists, Kanye's album tier list, and push the PsychoPhysical guys right on out of the closet.

@KevinDMackay joins us to discuss his new podcast, PsychoPhysical. We touch on the mind/body/spirit relation, technocratic utopia, and how nobody is as self-aware as they think.

We talk about the title of this podcast and what it means to each of us. Find us on Twitter: Psychophysical podcast, Kevin, Erik, Keith. Music by Juan (Nova Spire)

Listen to the Psychophysical podcast theme: "Ocean Breeze" by Nova Spire (4:21)

Can intention, attention or expectation affect random physical events? In this episode we're going to be exploring the subtleties of an odd phenomenon: the Experimenter Effect, where the expectations of the scientist doing an experiment appear to affect the results measured. This is hugely important for the right practice of science, and for understanding why some experiments that seem watertight methodologically can only be reproduced by scientists who expect the same results and not by sceptics of the hypothesis. Who better to discuss this with than a scientist who ran into this while trying to disprove the the influence of consciousness in a physical system, Professor Garret Moddel; Dr. Moddel is Professor of Electrical and Quantum engineering at Colorado University, specialising in Solar cells, metal-insulator technology and geometric diodes, and optoelectronics among other extraordinary technologies. He also runs a separate psi phenomena lab. He is also one of the former presidents of the groundbreaking research organisation the Society of Scientific Exploration. PART 1 01:04 The Experimenter effect explained 01:06 The difference between the effect in Psychology and in Physics 19:00 RNGs: Helmut Schmitt and atomic decay Random Number Generator experiments 25:00 1000's of scientists in a data driven, peer reviewed field of science, in underground labs at top universities; totally unacknowledged by the rest of science 27:30 Garrett didn't believe it till he read the literature 55:55 Standford Research Institute's 1970's-1990's military psychic spy Remote Viewing experiments 01:03:30 Jessica Utts: The statistical analysis of SRI's remote viewing research PART 2 01:08:00 The Observer Effect: simply observing interacts with quantum systems 01:11:00 Wigner Von Neumann and the ‘collapse of the wave function' 01:15:00 Our intention does affect random phenomena, incontrovertibly in the literature References: (please note the reported bias towards criticism over support on the wiki entries; the supporters of this science try constantly to re-edit these entries to represent credible support as well as criticism, only for moderators to edit back. Why the need for such disproportional criticism?) Schmidt, Helmut. Paper "Collapse of the state vector and psychokinetic effect." Foundations of Physics 12.6 (1982): 565-581. The Society for Scientific Exploration Dean Radin at IONS Radin, Dean, et al. paper "Psychophysical interactions with a double-slit interference pattern: Exploratory evidence of a causal influence." Physics Essays 34.1 (2021): 79-88. Robert Jahn, Dean of Engineering at Princeton and founder of PEAR Labs Princeton Robert Jahn, Brenda Dunne paper, ”On the quantum mechanics of consciousness, with application to anomalous phenomena." Foundations of Physics 16.8 (1986): 721-772. Roger Nelson, Director of PEAR Labs Princeton Bernie Haisch's and Garret Moddel's Zero point energy patent Garret Moddel et al, paper on Zero-point research

Why do dreams feel so real? It's because the same mechanisms that generate are waking reality also generate our dreams. However, unlike the awake state, during dreams, we're disconnected from sensory input and locomotor actions. This isolation from the real world makes dreams a perfect model system for investigating the nature of consciousness. I talk to Antti Revonsuo who is a philosopher and a scientist investigating dreams and their relationship with consciousness. == What we talk about == 0:04 - Introduction 1:54 - Why are you interested in consciousness? What aspect of it intrigued you to be interested in it? 4:55 - Is the mystery of consciousness a subject worth deep-diving into or is it a dead-end? 13:13 - The dreaming phenomenon 16:58 - We are dreaming all the time! 23:23 - All experiences are built inside our brains 28:30 - If it can be perceived, it is not consciousness 36:54 - Is consciousness a biological phenomenon? 43:50 - Psychophysical mapping of experiences 56:50 - Can we use your Dreamcatcher experiment in other species? 1:05:20 - The multiple levels of structures in our brain - and what makes them experienceable 1:18:00 - Views on panpsychism == About the guest == Antti Revonsuo is a cognitive neuroscientist who's interested in understanding consciousness as a purely biological phenomenon. He believes we shouldn't invoke unnecessary metaphysics until we've given a good shot at understanding consciousness fully in biological terms. Currently, he is a professor of cognitive neuroscience at the University of Skövde in Sweden and of psychology at the University of Turku in Finland. His work focuses on altered states of consciousness in general and dreaming in particular. He is best known for his Threat Simulation Theory, which states that dreams serve the biological function of rehearsing possibly threatening situations in order to aid survival. Antti Revonsuo is an advocate of the dreaming brain as a model of consciousness and he's written a book on the same, which I thoroughly enjoyed. 

Research"My research aims to understand how the damaged, adult visual system can repair itself. To what extent can it do so? What are the principles governing such processes? How can knowledge we gain enhance vision restoration efforts? The Visual Retraining Laboratory studies visual training as an approach to induce visual recovery after visual cortex damage in adulthood. Psychophysical techniques are used to both measure and retrain visual performance. In the past, neurochemical studies in an animal model allowed us to correlate neuronal changes with the degree and type of recovery attained as a function of training. For the last 10 years, we have applied this knowledge to devise increasingly effective training paradigms for humans with cortical blindness (a.k.a. hemianopia, quadrantanopia or cerebral visual impairment). Key to this effort has been our ability to use attentional manipulations, early training, multisensory integration and non-invasive, transcranial electrical stimulation to enhance visual recovery in these patients. Collaborative, functional MRI and animal studies are also being conducted to provide deeper insights into how the remaining visual circuitry is altered by both damage and training. This body of work aims to improve our understanding of the plasticity inherent in brain-damaged individuals with vision loss, and help design better treatments for this underserved patient population." In this episode, we discuss a variety of topics regarding Dr. Huxlin's research, opinions, and more!

Modern Wisdom Podcast Notes Key Takeaways We are not just biological beings, we are also cultural beingsGive up the idea of seeking a final perfect stateFor such a thing to exist, we would need to be in an absolute unchanging environment (not desirable or possible)We can shift what’s meaningful to us from the ideal of perfection to an ongoing evolutionBecoming comfortable with our lack of wisdomThe task of a philosopher (lover of wisdom) is to turn this lack into receptivity to wisdom“Know thyself” is about knowing your operating manualHow do I function?How am I ignorant?How am I self-deceptive?You often need the help of others to answer these questionsThere is no political solution to the meaning crisis, it must be culturalDevelop an ecology of practices to cultivate meaningEach practice has strengths and weaknessesYou can combine them to complement each otherMindfulness, Psychophysical practices, Dialogic practices, Serious PlayPersonal growth can lead to losing some relationshipsThe quantity of relationship may decrease, but their quality improvesAt the same time, you’ll gain virtuosityTo discern what new relationships to get intoTo attract like-minded peopleRead the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgJohn Vervaeke is an Associate Professor at the University Of Toronto. There is a meaning crisis upon us. People are revisiting Stoicism and Buddhism and mindfulness and psychedelics in an attempt to understand themselves and connect with the world around them. John joins me today to try and give us a route out of this trench. Expect to learn the different types of learning, how John would construct a person who is ready to become wise and find meaning, the daily practises that John uses to continue to grow every day, what the relation is between being too cerebral and lacking wisdom and much more... Sponsors: Get 20% discount on all pillows at https://thehybridpillow.com (use code: MW20) Extra Stuff: Check out John's YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/johnvervaeke/  Follow John on Twitter - https://twitter.com/vervaeke_john  Get my free Ultimate Life Hacks List to 10x your daily productivity → https://chriswillx.com/lifehacks/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/modernwisdom - Get in touch. Join the discussion with me and other like minded listeners in the episode comments on the MW YouTube Channel or message me... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ModernWisdomPodcast Email: modernwisdompodcast@gmail.com

In this episode we sit down “virtually” with Erin Fleming, Sensory Scientist at Mars Wrigley. Erin was the 2013 recipient of the PMCA/Pennsylvania State University Fellowship. Her research was on “Psychophysical, Physiological, and Semantic Characterization of Oral Astringents” which focused on understanding how consumers perceive and describe oral astringency – a sensation defined as the [...]

Chris H. Hardy, PhD, is a psychological anthropologist with a specialty in systems theory. She is author of Cosmic DNA at the Origin – A Hyperdimension Before the Big Bang: The Infinite Spiral Staircase Theory, and also The Sacred Network and Networks of Meaning. She also has worked as a parapsychological researcher at the Psychophysical … Continue reading "Classic Reboot: Semantic Field Theory with Chris H. Hardy"

Chris H. Hardy, PhD, is a psychological anthropologist with a specialty in systems theory. She is author of Cosmic DNA at the Origin – A Hyperdimension Before the Big Bang: The Infinite Spiral Staircase Theory, and also The Sacred Network and Networks of Meaning. She also has worked as a parapsychological researcher at the Psychophysical … Continue reading "Classic Reboot: Telepathic Harmonic Fields with Chris Hardy"

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.11.17.386185v1?rss=1 Authors: Lv, Z., XU, Q., Schoeffmann, K., Parkinson, S. Abstract: Visual scanning plays an important role in sampling visual information from the surrounding environments for a lot of everyday sensorimotor tasks, such as walking and car driving. In this paper, we consider the problem of visual scanning mechanism underpinning sensorimotor tasks in 3D dynamic environments. We exploit the use of eye tracking data as a biomarker, for indicating the visuo-motor behavioral measures in the context of virtual driving. A new metric of visual scanning efficiency (VSE), which is defined as a mathematical divergence between a fixation distribution and a distribution of optical flows induced by fixations, is proposed by making use of a widely-known information theoretic tool, the square root of Jensen-Shannon divergence. Based on the proposed efficiency metric, a cognitive effort measure (CEM) is developed by using the concept of quantity of information. Psychophysical eye tracking studies, in virtual reality based driving, are conducted to reveal that the new metric of visual scanning efficiency can be employed very well as a proxy evaluation for driving performance. In addition, the effectiveness of the proposed cognitive effort measure is demonstrated by a strong correlation between this measure and pupil size change. These results suggest that the exploitation of eye tracking data provides an effective biomarker for sensorimotor behaviors. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.11.02.364836v1?rss=1 Authors: Noel, J.-P. G., Paredes, R., Terrebonne, E., Feldman, J. I., Woynaroski, T. G., Cascio, C. J., Series, P., Wallace, M. Abstract: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogenous disorder predominantly characterized by social and communicative differences, but increasingly recognized to also alter (multi)sensory function. To face the heterogeneity and ubiquity of ASD, researchers have proposed models of statistical inference operating at the level of computations. Here, we attempt to bridge both across domains, from social to sensory, and levels of description, from behavioral computations to neural ensemble activity to a biologically-plausible artificial neural network, in furthering our understanding of autism. We do so by mapping visuo-tactile peri-personal space (PPS), and examining its electroencephalography (EEG) correlates, in individuals with ASD and neurotypical individuals during both a social and non-social context given that (i) the sensory coding of PPS is well understood, (ii) this space is thought to distinguish between self and other, and (iii) PPS is known to remap during social interactions. In contrast to their neurotypical counterparts, psychophysical and EEG evidence suggested that PPS does not remap in ASD during a social context. To account for this observation, we then employed a neural network model of PPS and demonstrate that PPS remapping may be driven by changes in neural gain operating at the level of multisensory neurons. Critically, under the anomalous excitation-inhibition (E/I) regime of ASD, this gain modulation does not result in PPS resizing. Overall, our findings are in line with recent statistical inference accounts suggesting diminished flexibility in ASD, and further these accounts by demonstrating within an example relevant for social cognition that such inflexibility may be due to E/I imbalances. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.08.29.271254v1?rss=1 Authors: Wu, Y., Chen, K., Zhao, K., Zhou, W. Abstract: A sniff in humans typically lasts 1-2 seconds and is considered to produce a "snapshot" of the chemical environment that also sets the temporal resolution of olfactory perception. To examine whether the temporal order of events within a sniff influences the perceptual "snapshot", we devised an apparatus that enabled us to phase-lock odor delivery to sniff onset and precisely manipulate onset asynchronies of odorants in humans. Psychophysical testing showed that participants were able to tell apart two odorants presented in the same or different order when the onset asynchrony was as low as 40 milliseconds. The performance improved with longer onset asynchronies and was not based on the molar ratio difference of the two odorants. Meanwhile, they were consistently at chance in reporting which odorant arrived first. These results provide behavioral evidence that human olfaction is sensitive to temporal patterns within a single sniff and indicate that timing of odor-evoked responses in relation to the sniff contributes to the perceived odor quality. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.06.05.136598v1?rss=1 Authors: Emerson, N. M., Nahman-Averbuch, H., Coghill, R. C. Abstract: There is emerging evidence suggesting a relationship between obesity and chronic pain. We investigated whether pain-free obese individuals display altered pain responses to acute noxious stimuli, thus raising the possibility of greater pain sensitivity and potential susceptibility for chronic pain development. Psychophysical and anthropometric data were collected from 39 individuals with an obese body mass index (BMI) classification (BMI [≥] 30) and 40 age/sex-matched individuals of a healthy BMI (BMI

Philosophy of mind A new 24-hour #mentalhealth phone line 1800 111 888. ------------------------------------------ has been launched to assist people access supports and services. Callers to the 'Your Mental Health' information number will be connected to the most appropriate service provider for their needs, nationally or locally, by trained National Ambulance Service (NAS) personnel. The freephone service can be contacted on 1800 111 888. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #Philosophy of mind René Descartes' illustration of mind/body dualism. Descartes believed inputs were passed on by the sensory organs to the epiphysis in the brain and from there to the immaterial spirit. Different approaches toward resolving the mind–body problem The #mind–body problem is a debate concerning the relationship between thought and consciousness in the human mind, and the brain as part of the physical body. It is distinct from the question of how mind and body function chemically and physiologically, as that question presupposes an interactionist account of mind-body relations.[1] This question arises when mind and body are considered as distinct, based on the premise that the mind and the body are fundamentally different in nature.[1] The problem was addressed by René Descartes in the 17th century, resulting in Cartesian dualism, and by pre-Aristotelian philosophers,[2][3] in Avicennian philosophy,[4] and in earlier Asian traditions. A variety of approaches have been proposed. Most are either dualist or monist. Dualism maintains a rigid distinction between the realms of mind and matter. Monism maintains that there is only one unifying reality, substance or essence, in terms of which everything can be explained. Each of these categories contains numerous variants. The two main forms of dualism are substance dualism, which holds that the mind is formed of a distinct type of substance not governed by the laws of physics, and property dualism, which holds that mental properties involving conscious experience are fundamental properties, alongside the fundamental properties identified by a completed physics. The three main forms of monism are physicalism, which holds that the mind consists of matter organized in a particular way; idealism, which holds that only thought truly exists and matter is merely an illusion; and neutral monism, which holds that both mind and matter are aspects of a distinct essence that is itself identical to neither of them. Psychophysical parallelism is a third possible alternative regarding the relation between mind and body, between interaction (dualism) and one-sided action (monism).[5] Several philosophical perspectives have been developed which reject the mind–body dichotomy. The historical materialism of Karl Marx and subsequent writers, itself a form of physicalism, held that consciousness was engendered by the material contingencies of one's environment.[6] An explicit rejection of the dichotomy is found in French structuralism, and is a position that generally characterized post-war Continental philosophy.[7] The absence of an empirically identifiable meeting point between the non-physical mind (if there is such a thing) and its physical extension (if there is such a thing) has proven problematic to dualism, and many modern philosophers of mind maintain that the mind is not something separate from the body.[8] These approaches have been particularly influential in the sciences, particularly in the fields of sociobiology, computer science, evolutionary psychology, and the neurosciences.[9][10][11][12] --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/vegansteven/message

Undergraduate students at Cal State Dominguez Hills participate in meaningful experiences ranging from observational studies and laboratory experiments to biomedical and psychophysiological research. Students work closely with faculty mentors in the neuroscience lab partnering on scholarly writing and research. The program has been successful in increasing the aspirations of students towards careers in research and enrolling in competitive graduate programs across the nation.  If you haven’t already, please review us on Apple Podcasts. It will help bring new listeners to learn more about student success efforts. Higher Ed ReWired is produced by California State University.

The systematic degradation of gastrointestinal health is breaking down one of our most primal pathways to wellbeing. According to Dr Daniel Weber, the gut is the second organ system in evolution and is by far, the most complex, with the intestines being both the largest endocrine and the largest immunological organs in the body. The gut is the lynch pin to it all and is at the seat of most psychophysical disease presentations we know today. Dr Weber joins us today ahead of his forthcoming key note speaking engagement at the ATMS Functional GI Symposium in Sydney in September 2019. Find today's show notes and transcript here: https://www.fxmedicine.com.au/content/gut-brain-axis-and-rise-psychophysical-disease-dr-daniel-weber *****DISCLAIMER: The information provided on FX Medicine is for educational and informational purposes only. The information provided is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for professional advice or care. Please seek the advice of a qualified health care professional in the event something you learn here raises questions or concerns regarding your health.***** 

Dr Costas Karageorghis is a reader in sport psychology and Divisional Lead for Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences. From 2009-14, he served as Deputy Head (Research) of the former School of Sport and Education and led preparations for two REF2014 subject submissions (Sports-Related and Education). Costas has established an international reputation for his research into the psychological, psychophysiological and neurophysiological effects of music. He has captured 25 research grants during his academic career. Marcelo Bigliassi is a PhD student at Brunel University London/United Kingdom. He has concluded a BSc and MSc in physical education at Londrina State University/Brazil, including an Erasmus period in Sports Science at Technical University of Lisbon/Portugal. He has been working with psychophysiology since 2009 by integrating physiological measures to understand psychological phenomena during conditions of exercise. He has published 19 peer-reviewed manuscripts in national and international journals, 32 abstracts and 1 book chapter. His research was acknowledged by magazines and newspapers around the world: Fitness Magazine® (US), Shape Magazine® (US), Galileu and many other Brazilian newspapers. In 2012, Marcelo developed a new application on Facebook for people to use music before, during and after different modes of exercise. The fBeat was developed in partnership with the international companies FILA® and W3Hauss®. Costas’s music research has been featured in newspapers around the world; most recently in the Times, Independent, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and Sydney Morning Herald. In both 2011 and 2016 he was the recipient of the Sportesse Award for Sport and Exercise Sciences at the annual conference of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES). The awards were for new theoretical and mechanistic work in the area of music and physical activity. He is currently working on multi-modal stimulation during physical activity that entails the use of music, video images, virtual reality and visual primes. Such work is oriented towards enhancing people's sensory experiences during physical activity, with a view to increasing exercise adherence and promoting public health. See more of Costas' biography here: http://www.brunel.ac.uk/people/costas-karageorghis Show notes Home is where the heart is: where the journey of music began The history of music research - applying scientific processes to explain the theories of performance enhancement  Understanding the components of music using the Brunel Music Inventory  The difference between synchronous and asynchronous music in exercise Pre-post performance variables when combining music and activity  What are the neurophysiological mechanisms of listening to music? Are affects of music more emotionally or physically driven, or both? How can music impact the perception of fatigue during activity? The supportive role music can play in the public health initiatives to increase physical activity  The principle of entrainment - musical influences on sympathetic or automatic body and mind processes  The direct and indirect impacts of music on working muscles  Is the ergogenic affect of music turning into a debate on mind-body efficiency?  An explanation for why different people may like or dislike certain songs  The three attentional styles of people that may determine musical integration with activity  The great debate: which gender is the better dancer? The evolutionary and sociological theories that may explain why women are more adept to move well with music  A complete portrayal of Costa’s research can be found in his new book: Applying Music in Exercise and Sport (Human Kinetics, 2017) Check out the diverse practices and findings from inside the labs @savibrunel  

We start the journey into the training. 'Climbing The Mountain: A Performer's Journey Into Presence' is 30 short talks that take you through a six week ensemble performance training programme. Based on actual talks given during an MA training programme devised and delivered by the Author, John Britton, step-by-step they guide you to increasingly sophisticated understandings of how to be a performer. This week we are at the start of the Journey. The training ensemble meets for the first time and so it begins. Welcome to Days One and Two of 'Climbing The Mountain'.

John Macy, an Alexander Technique teacher, physical therapst, and owner of Great Plains Pilates and Physical Therapy in Omaha, Nebraska, talks with Robert Rickover about the meaning of Mind-Body Unity and how that relates to the principles of the Alexander Technique. John's website: gppandpt.com Robert teaches in Lincoln, Nebraska and Toronto, Canada. Website: alexandertechniquenebraska.com More information about the Alexander Technique: alexandertechnique.com Learn how you can support this and other Alxander Technique sites: AlexTechExpress.com/support

The exhibition Warhol Basquiat in the Bank Austria Kunstforum in Vienna provides unique insights into the creative process of two very different artistic personalities.

In The Psychophysical Ear: Musical Experiments, Experimental Sounds, 1840-1910 (MIT Press, 2013), Alexandra Hui explores a fascinating chapter of that history in a period when musical aesthetics and natural science came together in the psychophysical study of sound in nineteenth century Germany. Though we tend to consider the performing arts and sciences as occupying different epistemic and disciplinary realms, Hui argues that the scientific study of sound sensation not only was framed in terms of musical aesthetics, but became increasingly so over time. The book traces a series of arguments by practitioners of the study of sound sensation as they sought to uncover universal rules for understanding the sonic world: How much epistemic weight ought to be placed on the experiences of an individual listener? What sorts of expertise were relevant or necessary for a sound scientist's experimental practice? Did musical training matter? Was there a proper way to listen to music? The Psychophysical Ear follows sound scientists as they grappled with these and other questions, struggling with the consequences of understanding the act of listening as a practice that was fundamentally grounded in particular historical contexts as phonographic technology and the increasing number of performances of non-Western music in Europe were transforming the sonic world of Europe. Hui's story often involves the reader's own sensorium in the story, urging us to imagine or play sequences of musical notes that prove crucial to some of the arguments of the actors in the story. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In The Psychophysical Ear: Musical Experiments, Experimental Sounds, 1840-1910 (MIT Press, 2013), Alexandra Hui explores a fascinating chapter of that history in a period when musical aesthetics and natural science came together in the psychophysical study of sound in nineteenth century Germany. Though we tend to consider the performing arts and sciences as occupying different epistemic and disciplinary realms, Hui argues that the scientific study of sound sensation not only was framed in terms of musical aesthetics, but became increasingly so over time. The book traces a series of arguments by practitioners of the study of sound sensation as they sought to uncover universal rules for understanding the sonic world: How much epistemic weight ought to be placed on the experiences of an individual listener? What sorts of expertise were relevant or necessary for a sound scientist’s experimental practice? Did musical training matter? Was there a proper way to listen to music? The Psychophysical Ear follows sound scientists as they grappled with these and other questions, struggling with the consequences of understanding the act of listening as a practice that was fundamentally grounded in particular historical contexts as phonographic technology and the increasing number of performances of non-Western music in Europe were transforming the sonic world of Europe. Hui’s story often involves the reader’s own sensorium in the story, urging us to imagine or play sequences of musical notes that prove crucial to some of the arguments of the actors in the story. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In The Psychophysical Ear: Musical Experiments, Experimental Sounds, 1840-1910 (MIT Press, 2013), Alexandra Hui explores a fascinating chapter of that history in a period when musical aesthetics and natural science came together in the psychophysical study of sound in nineteenth century Germany. Though we tend to consider the performing arts and sciences as occupying different epistemic and disciplinary realms, Hui argues that the scientific study of sound sensation not only was framed in terms of musical aesthetics, but became increasingly so over time. The book traces a series of arguments by practitioners of the study of sound sensation as they sought to uncover universal rules for understanding the sonic world: How much epistemic weight ought to be placed on the experiences of an individual listener? What sorts of expertise were relevant or necessary for a sound scientist’s experimental practice? Did musical training matter? Was there a proper way to listen to music? The Psychophysical Ear follows sound scientists as they grappled with these and other questions, struggling with the consequences of understanding the act of listening as a practice that was fundamentally grounded in particular historical contexts as phonographic technology and the increasing number of performances of non-Western music in Europe were transforming the sonic world of Europe. Hui’s story often involves the reader’s own sensorium in the story, urging us to imagine or play sequences of musical notes that prove crucial to some of the arguments of the actors in the story. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In The Psychophysical Ear: Musical Experiments, Experimental Sounds, 1840-1910 (MIT Press, 2013), Alexandra Hui explores a fascinating chapter of that history in a period when musical aesthetics and natural science came together in the psychophysical study of sound in nineteenth century Germany. Though we tend to consider the performing arts and sciences as occupying different epistemic and disciplinary realms, Hui argues that the scientific study of sound sensation not only was framed in terms of musical aesthetics, but became increasingly so over time. The book traces a series of arguments by practitioners of the study of sound sensation as they sought to uncover universal rules for understanding the sonic world: How much epistemic weight ought to be placed on the experiences of an individual listener? What sorts of expertise were relevant or necessary for a sound scientist’s experimental practice? Did musical training matter? Was there a proper way to listen to music? The Psychophysical Ear follows sound scientists as they grappled with these and other questions, struggling with the consequences of understanding the act of listening as a practice that was fundamentally grounded in particular historical contexts as phonographic technology and the increasing number of performances of non-Western music in Europe were transforming the sonic world of Europe. Hui’s story often involves the reader’s own sensorium in the story, urging us to imagine or play sequences of musical notes that prove crucial to some of the arguments of the actors in the story. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In The Psychophysical Ear: Musical Experiments, Experimental Sounds, 1840-1910 (MIT Press, 2013), Alexandra Hui explores a fascinating chapter of that history in a period when musical aesthetics and natural science came together in the psychophysical study of sound in nineteenth century Germany. Though we tend to consider the performing arts... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In The Psychophysical Ear: Musical Experiments, Experimental Sounds, 1840-1910 (MIT Press, 2013), Alexandra Hui explores a fascinating chapter of that history in a period when musical aesthetics and natural science came together in the psychophysical study of sound in nineteenth century Germany. Though we tend to consider the performing arts and sciences as occupying different epistemic and disciplinary realms, Hui argues that the scientific study of sound sensation not only was framed in terms of musical aesthetics, but became increasingly so over time. The book traces a series of arguments by practitioners of the study of sound sensation as they sought to uncover universal rules for understanding the sonic world: How much epistemic weight ought to be placed on the experiences of an individual listener? What sorts of expertise were relevant or necessary for a sound scientist’s experimental practice? Did musical training matter? Was there a proper way to listen to music? The Psychophysical Ear follows sound scientists as they grappled with these and other questions, struggling with the consequences of understanding the act of listening as a practice that was fundamentally grounded in particular historical contexts as phonographic technology and the increasing number of performances of non-Western music in Europe were transforming the sonic world of Europe. Hui’s story often involves the reader’s own sensorium in the story, urging us to imagine or play sequences of musical notes that prove crucial to some of the arguments of the actors in the story. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The visual and vestibular systems play one of the central roles in the perception of verticality, spatial orientation, maintenance of balance and distinguishing self-motion from motion of the environment. As the brain continuously and simultaneously receives an enormous quantity of information through their receptor organs, collaboration between these systems at different levels of information processing is crucial for the proper execution of the above mentioned functions. Psychophysical and neuroimaging research in humans has provided support for the concept of a reciprocal inhibitory visual-vestibular interaction, the functional significance of which lies in suppression of potential mismatch between incongruent sensory inputs delivered from the two systems. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) enabled visualization of this interaction through detection of blood-oxygen-level-dependant (BOLD) signal increases or signal decreases in the visual and vestibular networks during unisensory stimulation. Specifically, visual stimulation related to the percept of self-motion, such as optokinetic stimulation, was shown to elicit BOLD signal increases in areas involved in visual processing along with BOLD signal decreases in areas involved in vestibular processing. Increasing age was shown to alter the morphological and functional properties of the sensory, motor and cognitive systems. Previous research has revealed that senescence associates with deterioration of both, visual and vestibular functions, as well as a change in the psychophysical measurements related to their interaction. However, the effects of age on the BOLD signal pattern reflecting the visual-vestibular interaction have not yet been investigated. Exploring these effects in healthy subjects could offer the possibility to detect early age-related changes in the cortical function occurring before a decline in behavioural measurements can be detected. Aside broadening the scientific knowledge on the physiological changes with age in the sensory systems and their interactions, such research would also help to better understand the pathophysiological processes underlying various visual and vestibular disorders investigated in neuroimaging studies. Therefore, the aim of this doctoral thesis was to explore how the BOLD signal related to the visualvestibular interaction during optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) changes with age in healthy subjects. It specifically aimed to investigate the age-related changes in the spatial and temporal patterns of the signal during unaltered oculomotor performance. In order to obtain information on the diverse effects of age, the changes in the mean of the BOLD signal, as well as the changes in its temporal variability were analyzed. For the purpose of differentiating between global and task-related changes with age, the alterations of the BOLD signal during OKN were compared to the alterations of the BOLD signal elicited by a pure visual and a pure motor task. In the frame of this work, we were able to show that significant age-related changes in the mean of the BOLD signal and in its temporal fluctuations occur prior to any measurable decline in OKN performance. The changes in the mean of the BOLD signal were taskspecific and possibly reflected age-related alterations in neurovascular coupling and neural processing related to OKN. They were found only in cortical and subcortical areas of the visual system. The changes in the temporal fluctuations of the BOLD signal were not specific for the OKN task, but rather region-specific, affecting mostly areas know to be part of the multimodal vestibular processing network.

Dr. Theodore Dimon is the founder and director of The Dimon Institute in New York City. The Institute is based on Dr. Dimon’s pioneering work in a new field: the study of the human mental and physical ‘operating system’ as a holistic entity and how it works in activity. Based on a multi-disciplinary approach that includes work in neuroscience, anatomy, evolution, physiology, psychology, philosophy and mindfulness, Dimon’s work provides a groundbreaking view of human functioning and behavior leading to new foundational principles applicable in the fields of health, education, and child development. Dr. Dimon received both master’s and doctorate degrees in education from Harvard University and is an internationally renowned teacher of mind/body disciplines. He has written five books including Anatomy of the Moving Body, The Body in Motion, Your Body, Your Voice, The Elements of Skill, and The Undivided Self. He lectures internationally and is an adjunct professor in the Clinical Psychology Department at Columbia Teachers College where he teaches a course on mind/body unity and its applications in education and health. More information about Dr Dimon’s work and The Dimon Institute can be found on the website: www.dimoninstitute.org

A. A fundamental property of hearing is the decomposition of complex sounds into perceptually distinct frequency components. Each receptor cell in the cochlea and most centrally located neurons respond only to a limited range of frequencies. The individual frequency channels are spatially organized on the cortical surface. This consistent topographical pattern provides a framework for the investigation of other functional organization principles, e.g., the functional properties of neurons in the six cortical layers and the responsiveness of neurons to complex sounds. The frequency specific features of inhibition should play an important role in shaping a neuron’s response to complex behaviorally relevant stimuli. Physiological and immunocytochemical evidence indicates a layer-dependent organization of inhibitory circuits in the neocortex. To investigate the contribution of GABAergic inhibition to frequency tuning in the different cortical layers, single and multi units were recorded in near-radial penetrations before and during iontophoretic application of the GABAA-receptor antagonist bicuculline in the auditory cortex of the lightly anaesthetized gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus). Bicuculline generally increased the spontaneous neuronal activity and enhanced and prolonged onset responses to sound. Application of bicuculline often resulted in a shift of the most sensitive frequency of the neurons’ receptive fields and a decrease of threshold (5.5 dB). A broadening of the frequency tuning evident by lower Q40dB values was observed in 63% of the units. In units with several peaks in their tuning curve or clearly separated response areas, bicuculline application removed inhibitory gaps in the receptive fields and created single-peaked tuning curves. The influence of bicuculline on the receptive field size was not significantly layer-specific but tended to be most pronounced in layers V and VI. In layer VI, "silent" neurons were frequently found that responded to sound only when GABAergic inhibition was antagonized. From the analysis of postembedding GABA immunocytochemistry, the proportion of GABAergic neurons was found to be maximal in layers I and V, and the number of GABAergic perisomatic puncta (axon terminals) on cell somata peaked in layer V. The influence of bicuculline was compared with the effects of two-tone suppression. It was found that in some units, the effects of suppression could be partially mediated by intracortical GABAergic inhibition. In some units in layers IV, V, and VI, additionally to the initial excitatory activity in response to stimulus onset, a second, long-lasting excitatory response occurred several hundred milliseconds after the stimulus. This late response was not dependent on stimulus duration and could be enhanced or elicited by GABAA blockade. The fact that several, rhythmically occurring late responses were elicited by the application of bicuculline suggests that recurrent excitatory networks can become entrained by small modifications of inhibition. B. In the natural environment, acoustic signals like animals’ communication sound or human speech is often masked by background noise. Amplitude fluctuations are often superimposed upon environmental sounds on their path of transmission which can lead to a distinct temporal structure of the sound. Furthermore, many natural background sounds are often temporally structured. Vertebrates have evolved mechanisms to exploit amplitude modulations in background noise to improve signal detection. Psychophysical and behavioral experiments have shown that amplitude-modulated background noise (comodulated noise) is less effective as a masker than unmodulated noise bands of the same bandwidth, a phenomenon called comodulation masking release (CMR). This phenomenon has been extensively studied in human psychoacoustics. However, the underlying neural mechanisms are still debated. Animal models in which a direct comparison of the neuronal response and the behaviorally measured performance is possible could increase our understanding of the underlying mechanisms. CMR could be demonstrated behaviorally and neurophysiologically in a songbird, however, models for mammals are still lacking. In behavioral experiments, Kittel et al. (2000) demonstrated CMR in the gerbil. In the present study, using acoustic stimuli that were identical with those of a behavioral experiment, a neural correlate of CMR was described in the auditory cortex of the gerbil and compared with the behavioral data. In this study of neural mechanisms of masking release in the primary auditory cortex of the anaesthetized gerbil, I determined neural detection thresholds for 200-ms test tones presented in a background of band-pass amplitude modulated (50 Hz) noise maskers of different bandwidth (between 50 and 3200 Hz). Neural release from masking caused by comodulated band-pass noise was evident at the level of the gerbil’s primary auditory cortex. On average, the largest masking release (median 6.9 dB) was found for a masker bandwidth of 3200 Hz. This is less than the median masking release of 15.7 dB observed in the behavioral study in the gerbil. For most masker bandwidths, however, a small fraction of the neurons exhibited a masking release that was close to or even larger than the behavioral masking release. The observation that the release from masking increased as a function of the masker bandwidth indicates that spectral components remote from the signal frequency enhance the signal detection. However, there was no correlation between the neurons’ filter bandwidths and the amount of masking release. Thus, neuronal masking release in the gerbil primary auditory cortex could be attributed to both signalmasker interactions across different frequency channels and also to mechanisms that act within a single frequency channel. The gerbil appears to be a suitable animal model for additional studies comparing behavioral and physiological performance in the same species. These studies could increase our understanding of the perceptual mechanisms that are useful for the analysis of auditory scenes.