Toward a Science of Consciousness 2011 CFP – Studio for Transdisciplinary Arts Research

Toward a Science of Consciousness 2011

Brain, Mind and Reality

May 2-8, 2011

Aula Magna Hall

Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden

http://consciousness.arizona.edu/TSC2011AnnouncCALLforABSTRACTS.htm

Toward a Science of Consciousness is an interdisciplinary conference

emphasizing broad and rigorous approaches to the study of conscious

awareness. Topical areas include neuroscience, philosophy, psychology,

biology, quantum physics, meditation and altered states, machine

consciousness, culture and experiential phenomenology. Held annually

since 1994, the conference is organized by the Center for Consciousness

Studies at the University of Arizona, and alternates yearly between Tucson,

Arizona and various locations around the world. Toward a Science of

Consciousness 2011 will be held at Stockholm University, Aula Magna Hall,

Stockholm, Sweden, May 2-8, 2011.

Nine recent developments related to the understanding of consciousness

will be addressed:

1) Electromagnetic fields and massively coherent neuronal activities

correlate

with consciousness in the brain

2) Transcranial therapies aimed at brain fields and neuronal targets promise

utility in various mental disorders

3) Neuronal connection maps enable computer simulations of brain !

functions, but

are axonal and/or dendritic processes! necessa ry/sufficient for

consciousness?

4) Anesthetic gases selectively erase consciousness and block coherent gamma

synchrony EEG acting in a distributed array of dendritic proteins

5) Warm temperature biological quantum coherence and ballistic conduction in

microtubules have rejuvenated quantum approaches to consciousness

6) Physics and cosmology are approaching the nature of reality, time and the

place of consciousness in the universe

7) Libet backward time referral of subjective experience is now observed in

mainstream neuroscience, perhaps accounted for by quantum physics

8) Surprising end-of-life coherent brain activity suggests a physiological

correlate for so-called near death experiences

9) Eastern philosophy and secular spirituality accommodate quantum physics

and cosmology

Speakers (preliminary list)

Anirban Bandyopadh! yay

Dick Bierman

Moran Cerf

Lakhmir Chawla

Deepak Chopra

Nicholas Franks

Stuart Hameroff

Germund Hesslow

Anthony Hudetz

Tarja Kallio-Tamminen

Menas Kafatos

Johnjoe MacFadden

Rafi Malach

David McCormick

Leonard Mlodinow

Sue Pockett

Paavo Pylkkanen

Allan Snyder

Jack Tuszynski

W. Jamie Tyler

Pim Von Lommel

Eric Wasserman

and others

Special Pre-Conference Workshop

Deepak Chopra Vedic approaches to consciousness

Monday May 2, 2011

Sessions, Themes and Speakers

1) Brain fields and coherence: Evidence and theory suggest brain

electromagnetic

fields and large scale coherent potentials, ignitions and avalanches

correlate

with consciousness and feed! back on neuronal activities, bolstering

longstanding

electro magnetic field theories of consciousness.

David McCormick, Yale, Brain electric field feedback

Johnjoe McFadden, Surrey, Electromagnetic field theory of consciousness

Sue Pockett, Auckland, E-M field theory of consciousness

2) Transcranial therapy of mental states: New therapeutic modalities based

brain stimulation aimed at conscious mental disorders include transcranial

electric and magnetic fields and ultrasound vibrations. Mechanisms and

utility

in relation to consciousness and memory will be discussed.

Allan Snyder, Sydney, Transcranial Electric fields for memory enhancement

W. Jamie Tyler, Arizona State, Transcranial ultrasound for mental disorders

Eric Wasserman, NIH, Transcranial magnetic stimulation for depression

3) Neuronal computation and brain simulation: What systems, levels and

specific

brain activities are critical for consciousness: axonal firings, dendritic

synchrony, macroscopic fields, complexity, intraneuronal processes, quantum

states? Will mapping the brain explain consciousness?

Germund Hesslow, Lund, Complex spike timing

Rafi Malach, Weizmann Institute, Neuronal ignitions

4) Anesthesia and consciousness: Anesthetic gases selectively erase

consciousness and block high frequency gamma synchrony EEG while sparing

non-conscious brain functions, acting by weak quantum forces in a

distributed

array of post-synaptic proteins

Nicholas Franks, Imperial College London, Anesthetic sites of action

Stuart Hameroff, Arizona, Hydrophobic quantum pockets in dendritic proteins

Anthony Hudetz, MC Wisconsin, Anesthetics and gamma synchrony

5) Quantum biology: The role of quantum phy! sics in consciousness has been

discounted by the ass! umption that the biological brain is too warm and

wet.

But quantum coherence, entanglement and ballistic conductance have now been

recognized in warm photosynthesis, DNA and microtubules.

Anirban Bandyopadhyay, Tsukuba, Ballistic conductance in microtubules

Jack Tuszynski, Alberta, Microtubule information processing capabilities

6) Consciousness, reality and the universe: Does the conscious observer

collapse

the wave function? Is consciousness an emergent property of complex

computation,

or irreducible and intrinsically related to spacetime geometry? How did the

universe arise from nothingness? What is entanglement?

Menas Kafatos, Chapman University, The holographic universe

Leonard Mlodinow, CalTech, Grand design (with Stephen Hawking)

Paavo Pylkkanen, Helsinki, Bohm and the quantum universe

7) Time, prec! ognition and consciousness: The Libet experiments and

parapsychology have long suggested backward time referral of subjective

conscious experience of hundreds of milliseconds in the brain. Now such

effects

are seen in mainstream neuroscience. Can they be explained through quantum

physics?

Dick Bierman, Amsterdam, Pre-sentiment

Moran Cerf, NYU/UCLA, Pre-cognition in human brain neurons?

9) End-of-life brain activity: Recent clinical studies report a surge of

coherent, high frequency EEG at the time of human death, when neuronal

metabolic supplies are depleted. Historically, nearly all civilizations have

reported so-called near death experiences with remarkably consistent

phenomenology. Have brain monitors captured the correlate of near death

experiences?

Lakhmir Chawla, George Washington, End-of-life br! ain activity

Pim von Lommel, Arnhem, Near death expe! riences< /div>

9) Eastern philosophy, quantum physics and cosmology. Buddhism and Vedanta

have

much in common with quantum physics and cosmology. Is consciousness inherent

the universe?

Deepak Chopra, Chopra Center, Vedic approach to consciousness

Tarja Kallio-Tamminen, Helsinki, Quantum physics and Eastern philosophy

In addition to Keynote and Plenary talks, the conference will feature

Pre-Conference Workshops, Concurrent Talks, Poster Sessions, Art/Tech

Demos, Social Events and Side Trips in the Stockholm tradition.

*Special Pre-Conference Workshop*

Deepak Chopra – Vedic approaches to consciousness

Monday May 2, 2011

TSC Stockholm 2011 Conference Abstract System will be available via the CCS

website after September 20. All Abstracts must be submitt! ed via the

online

system. Accepted abstracts will be included in the conference program book

and posted online.

Schedule of Deadlines:

Abstracts Due November 15

Decisions December 20

Registration January 5

Final Edits February 15

Pre-Conference Workshop Proposals:

Proposals (500 words or less) should be sent to: center@email.arizona.edu no

later than October 25 (notifications by November 15)

Workshops will be held in 4 hour sessions on Sunday May 1 and Monday May 2

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