The similarity between religious visions and hallucinations and delusions of people with mental illness has long been known. Numerous mental conditions can produce mystical or spiritual experiences, including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and epilepsy. This focus here is on schizophrenia.
Author: david cycleback
Art Perception: Connecting to the Unreal
A complex and fascinating question is why do humans have such strong emotional reactions and human connections to art? Why do viewers become scared, even haunted for days, by a movie monster they know doesn't exist? Why do humans become enthralled by distorted figures and scenes that aren't realistic? Why do viewers have emotional attachments … Continue reading Art Perception: Connecting to the Unreal
The Religious Views of Six Famous Physicists
Scientists who use the same logic and scientific methods come to different conclusions, or opinions, about God and religion. Religion and God are beyond the scope of science and reasons, and it takes different types of thinking to address, though not answers, those areas. This also shows that the world view of even scientists, logicians … Continue reading The Religious Views of Six Famous Physicists
Antireductionism and the Death of Physics Nobel Prize Winner Philip Anderson
The Physics Nobel Prize winner at Princeton died a few days ago (Obituary at Scientific American), and he was a scientist of great interest to philosophers (like me). He was an antireductionist and was for complexity. He saw that reality, and any area within it, was far too complex and nuanced to be reduced to … Continue reading Antireductionism and the Death of Physics Nobel Prize Winner Philip Anderson
Neurodiversity: The theory, movement, issues and controversies
"The lunatic, the lover, and the poet are of imagination all compact."-- Shakespeare Neurodiversity is a recent theory and movement that wishes to reclassify mental illnesses and conditions as natural neurological variations. There is a wide variety of views and approaches to the topic, including within the medical field and amongst the mentally ill and … Continue reading Neurodiversity: The theory, movement, issues and controversies
Podcast #6: Neurodiveristy
Sixth in a podcast series on brains, thinking and the nature and limits of knowledge by cognitive scientist and philosopher David Cycleback, this 20-minute episode looks at the theory and movement called neurodiversity. Neurodiversity seeks to reclassify mental illnesses and conditions as natural variations in thinking. There are a wide variety of opinions and viewpoints, … Continue reading Podcast #6: Neurodiveristy
Podcast Episode #5: Thinking About Other (Non-Human) Minds
Fifth in a podcast series on brains, thinking and knowledge by cognitive scientist and philosopher David Cycleback, this 20-minute episode examines non-human minds and ways of thinking, including those of dogs, spiders, computers, groups and transhumanism. To download for free David Cycleback’s peer-reviewed books in cognitive science and philosophy visit his titles published … Continue reading Podcast Episode #5: Thinking About Other (Non-Human) Minds
Podcast Episode #4: Eastern Versus Western Psychology
Fourth in a podcast series on brains, thinking and knowledge by cognitive scientist and philosopher David Cycleback, this 20-minute episode compares and contrasts the different psychology approaches and theories of the East (Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Jainism) and the West (modern Western academia, science). They study human brains and minds in different ways and each has … Continue reading Podcast Episode #4: Eastern Versus Western Psychology
Brain, Thinking and Knowledge Podcast Episode #3: The Ambiguity of Language and the Answer to History’s Most Famous Philosophic Riddle
Third in a series on brains, thinking and knowledge, this 20-minute episode by cognitive scientist and philosopher David Cycleback is a look at that tricky, maddening, mysterious thing called human symbolic language. ' To download for free David Cycleback’s peer-reviewed books in cognitive science and philosophy visit his titles published by bookboon.
Is A Far Left’s Anti-Racism Model Antisemitic?
by David Cycleback “All models are false, but some are useful”– George E.P. Box “People view the world through their theories”– Thomas Kuhn It once dawned on me why some people believe antisemitism is a problem within some American and British progressive movements. A– I didn’t say the, as I know people on the left … Continue reading Is A Far Left’s Anti-Racism Model Antisemitic?
Looking at Artifacts and Ideas 