October 13, 2010
Toward a Science of Consciousness 2011
TSC 2011: The 18th Toward a Science of Consciousness Conference Brain, Mind and Reality May 2-8, 2011 Stockholm University
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.
Sessions, Themes and Speakers
Dates and Times TBA
Consciousness in the universe. Is consciousness an epiphenomenal happenstance
of this one particular universe among multitudes, as proposed in M-theory by Hawking
and Mlodinow? Or are consciousness and intelligence intrinsic to the fabric of reality?
Deepak Chopra, Chopra Foundation, Vedic approaches to consciousness and reality
Leonard Mlodinow, CalTech, Grand Design (with Stephen Hawking)
Paola Zizzi, Padua, Consciousness in the early universe.
TBA
Brain fields and coherence: Evidence and theory suggest brain electromagnetic fields and large scale coherent potentials, ignitions and avalanches correlate with consciousness and feedback on neuronal activities, bolstering long-standing electromagnetic 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
TBA
Transcranial therapy of mental states: New therapeutic modalities based on 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 Wassermann, NIH, Transcranial magnetic stimulation for depression
TBA
Neuronal activities: What systems, levels and collective functions are critical for consciousness: axonal firings, avalanches and ignitions, dendritic synchrony, macroscopic fields, complexity, intraneuronal processes? Will mapping the brain explain consciousness? Germund Hesslow, Lund, Complex spike timing Rafi Malach, Weizmann Institute, Neuronal ignitions Dietmar Plenz, NIH, Neuronal avalanches, coherence and criticality
TBA
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
TBA
Quantum biology: The role of quantum physics in consciousness has been discounted by the assumption 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
TBA
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
Tarja Kallio-Tamminen, Helsinki, Quantum physics and Eastern philosophy Paavo Pylkkanen, Helsinki, Bohm and the quantum universe
TBA
Time, precognition 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?
Sara Gonzalez Andino, Geneva, Backward time referral in monkey amygdala
TBA
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 brain activity
Peter Fenwick, London, End-of-life conscious experience Pim von Lommel, Arnhem, Near death experiences
TBA
The variety of religious experience.
Mario Beauregard, Montreal, Neuroscience of transcendent experience
Padrinho Paulo Roberto, Rio, Sacramental plants of Amazonia and religious experience TBA
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 - full day - Monday May 2, 2011 Deepak Chopra, Vedic approaches to consciousness
Additional half day Pre-Conference Workshops
TBA
TSC Stockholm 2011 Conference Abstract System
All Abstracts must be submitted via the online system.
Accepted abstracts will be included in the conference program book and posted online.
Schedule of Deadlines:
2010 November 15 Abstracts Due December 20 Decisions
2011 January 5 Registration February 15 Final Edits
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
Sponsors (partial list) Perfjell Wellness Center Center for Consciousness Studies, University of Arizona Mind Event SA Chopra Foundation Agora for Biosystems
Organizing Committee(partial list) Stuart Hameroff (University of Arizona) Paavo Pylkkanen (University of Helsinki) Christer Perfjell (Perfjell Wellness Center, Mind Event SA) Deepak Chopra (Chopra Center) Adrian Parker (University of Gothenburg) Hans Liljenstrom (Stockholm University, Agora for Biosystems) Annekatrine Puhle (University of Gothenburg)