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Attempts to Expand the Human Mind

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Language:  English
This cognitive science book is a critical survey of historic, current and futuristic attempts to expand the human mind.
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Description
Content

Third in a cognitive science series, this book critically surveys historical, current and futuristic attempts to expand the human mind. Areas covered include artificial intelligence, health and medicine, mystical experiences and spirituality, eugenics, brain-computer interfaces, Eastern versus Western psychological approaches and brain studies, virtual reality and implants. The book covers key philosophical, psychological and practical issues.

About the author

David Cycleback is Director of Center for Artifact Studies ( centerforartifactstudies.org ), an internationally known scholar working in cognitive science, philosophy and artifacts history, and a best-selling author. He was runner-up for the International Book Award for Philosophy for Noise Music: Cognitive Psychology, Aesthetics and Epistemology and a four-time Eric Hoffer Award Finalist. In their second printing by China's National Photographic Art Publishing House, his guides Judging the Authenticity of Prints by the Masters and Judging the Authenticity of Photographs were the first comprehensive books on the subjects published in Asia, and Art Perception is one of four books students are recommended to study in preparation for India's Common Entrance Exam for Design (CEED) for postgraduate studies in technical design. He has been a practicum coordinator for the University of Washington, and an authenticity researcher for Arizona State University's Society for American Baseball Research. His other books include Cognitive Science of Religion and Belief Systems, Understanding Human Minds and Their Limits, Limits of Science, Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence, and Authenticating Art and Artifacts: An Introduction to Methods and Issues.

  • About the author
  1. Introduction
  2. What is Meant by Expanding of the Mind?
    1. Questions
  3. The normal Limits of Human Minds
    1. Overview
    2. Key Points
  4. Low Hanging Fruit: Little Daily Things to Improve Your Mind
    1. Homework
  5. Expanding and Studying the Brain’s Left Hemisphere and the Unconscious: Introduction
    1. Overview
    2. The Right and Left Hemispheres of the Brain
    3. Videos
  6. Mystical Experiences
    1. Introduction
    2. Methods for Obtaining Mystical Experiences
    3. Secular Practices
    4. Art
    5. Drugs and Mental Conditions
    6. The Debate About the Nature, Meaning and Authenticity of the Mystical Experiences
    7. Mystical Experiences Demonstrate the Artificial Cognitive Constructs of The Human Mind
    8. The Mystical Experience is Explained Through One’s Culture, Language, Beliefs, Sensory Abilities, Biology
    9. Even Beyond These Differences Caused By The Beliefs, These Experiences Are Still Not Provable Of Truth
    10. Whether Real Or Not, Mystical Experiences Can Be Life Changing
    11. Summary: Key Points of Chapter
    12. Further Reading
    13. Questions
  7. Organized religions
    1. Further reading
  8. Eastern Versus Western Psychology: Introduction
  9. Eastern Psychology
    1. Introduction
    2. Eastern Psychology, Philosophy and Religion as One Not Separates
    3. Eastern Psychology Focuses on Everyone, Not Just the Mentally Ill or Troubled
    4. Eastern Psychology Is About Looking Inward At The Self
    5. Eastern Psychotherapy
    6. Eastern Psychology Is Concerned With Society and Earth, Not Just The Individual
  10. Western Psychology and the Scientific Method
    1. Introduction
    2. Western Psychology As A Science
    3. Structuralism
    4. Behavioralism
    5. Looking Inside: Cognitive Psychology
    6. Limits Of The Scientific Method, Including in Psychology
    7. Moving Beyond The Limits of Science in Western Psychology
  11. Summary of Eastern Versus Western Psychology
    1. Overview
    2. Focus: Charles Towe on Religion And Science
    3. Questions
  12. Modern Medicine, Technology, Transhumanism and Posthumanism
    1. Introduction
    2. Medicine
    3. Psychiatric And Other Drugs To Treat Mental Conditions
    4. Add On And Implants
    5. Eugenics, And Gene Editing And Therapy
    6. Brain-Computer Interfaces
    7. Expanding Human Senses
    8. Virtual Reality
    9. Brain Plasticity
    10. Questions
  13. Philosophic Notes on Chapter 12
    1. Psychiatric Drugs and Treatment
    2. Expanding The Senses
    3. Virtual Reality and the Question of What is Reality
    4. The Cognitive Issues With Processing New Sensory Information
    5. New Body Functions and Implants
    6. It’s Not Just New Technology But What You Do With It
    7. Eugenics
    8. New Methods of Communication
    9. The Future is Unknown
    10. Technology Allows Us to Do More In The Same Length of Time
  14. Further and Final Philosophic Notes
    1. Individuality
    2. Expansion Of An Artificial Construct
    3. The Brain’s Left Hemisphere
    4. Different And Other Ways Of Processing Information And Thinking
    5. Moving Beyond Current Human Functions And Qualities
    6. Changing Society
    7. Do You Think Of Expansion of the Individual Or Group Mind?
    8. Making Practical Choices for Life on Earth
    9. Be Conscious Of Your Mind’s Limits
    10. There Is No One Or Objective ‘Correct’ Way To Expand The Mind
    11. Questions
About the Author
David

David Cycleback