Consciousness: The Science of Subjectivity

ISBN-13: 9781841697260 / Angielski / Miękka / 2009 / 324 str.

Antti Revonsuo

Opis

The study of consciousness is recognized as one of the biggest remaining challenges to the scientific community. This book provides a fascinating introduction to the new science that promises to illuminate our understanding of the subject. Consciousness covers all the main approaches to the modern scientific study of consciousness, and also gives the necessary historical, philosophical and conceptual background to the field. Current scientific evidence and theory from the fields of neuropsychology, cognitive neuroscience, brain imaging and the study of altered states of consciousness such as dreaming, hypnosis, meditation and out-of-body experiences is presented. Revonsuo provides an integrative review of the major existing philosophical and empirical theories of consciousness and identifies the most promising areas for future developments in the field. This textbook offers a readable and timely introduction to the science of consciousness for anyone interested in this compelling area, especially undergraduates studying psychology, philosophy, cognition, neuroscience and related fields.

Spis treści

Part 1. Background of the Science of Consciousness. Introduction: Consciousness and Its Place in the Scientific View of the World. 1. The Philosophical Foundations of Consciousness Science. 2. The Historical Foundations of Consciousness Science. 3. The Conceptual Foundations of Consciousness Science. Part 2. Central Domains of Consciousness Science I: Neuropsychology and Consciousness. 4. Neuropsychological Deficits of Visual Consciousness.  5. Neuropsychological Dissociations of Visual Consciousness from Behaviour. 6. Neuropsychological Disorders of Self-Awareness. Part 3. Central Domains of Consciousness Science II: Neural Correlates of Consciousness (NCC). 7. Methods and Design of NCC Experiments. 8. Studies on the Neural Basis of Consciousness as a State. 9. Studies on the Neural Basis of Visual Consciousness. Part 4. Central Domains of Consciousness Science III: Theories of Consciousness. 10. Philosophical Theories of Consciousness. 11. Empirical Theories of Consciousness. Part 5. Central Domains of Consciousness Science IV: Altered States of Consciousness.  12. What is an "Altered State of Consciousness" (ASC)? 13. Dreaming and Sleep. 14. Hypnosis.  15. Higher States of Consciousness. 16. Epilogue: Reflections on the Science of Subjective Experience. 

O autorze

 

Antti Revonsuo is Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Skövde, Sweden, and Professor of Psychology at the University of Turku, Finland. He has been conducting research on consciousness since the early 1990s and has directed an undergraduate degree programme on consciousness studies since 1997. He is best known for his evolutionary–psychological theory of dreaming, the threat-simulation theory.