scholarly journals Neuroscience of the Yogic Theory of Mind and Consciousness

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vaibhav Tripathi ◽  
Pallavi Bharadwaj

Yoga as a practice and philosophy of life has been followed for more than 4500 years with known evidence of Yogic practices in the Indus Valley Civilization. A plethora of scholars have contributed to the development of the field, but in last century the profound knowledge remained inaccessible and incomprehensible to the general public. Last few decades have seen a resurgence in the utility of Yoga and Meditation as a practice with growing scientific evidence behind it. Significant scientific literature has been published, illustrating the benefits of Yogic practices including asana, pranayama and dhyana on mental and physical well being. Electrophysiological and recent functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) studies have found explicit neural signatures for Yogic practices. In this article, we present a review of the philosophy of Yoga, based on the dualistic Sankhya school, as applied to consciousness summarized by Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras followed by discussion on the five vritti (modulations of mind), practice of pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, different states of samadhi, and samapatti. We introduce Yogic Theory of Mind and Consciousness (YTMC), a cohesive theory that can model both external modulations and internal states of the mind. We propose that attention, sleep and mind wandering should be understood as unique modulatory states of the mind. YTMC allows us to model the external states, internal states of meditation, samadhi and even the disorders of consciousness. Further, we list some testable neuroscientific hypotheses that could be answered using YTMC, analyse the benefits, outcomes and possible limitations.

2005 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 425-427
Author(s):  
Csaba Pléh

Ádám György: A rejtozködo elme. Egy fiziológus széljegyzetei Carpendale, J. I. M. és Müller, U. (eds): Social interaction and the development of knowledge Cloninger, R. C.: Feeling good. The science of well being Dunbar, Robin, Barrett, Louise, Lycett, John: Evolutionary psychology Dunbar, Robin: The human story. A new history of makind's evolution Geary, D. C.: The origin of mind. Evolution of brain, cognition and general intelligence Gedeon Péter, Pál Eszter, Sárkány Mihály, Somlai Péter: Az evolúció elméletei és metaforái a társadalomtudományokban Harré, Rom: Cognitive science: A philosophical introduction Horváth György: Pedagógiai pszichológia Marcus, G.: The birth of the mind. How a tiny number of genes creates the complexities of human thought Solso, R. D.: The psychology of art and the evolution of the conscious brain Wray, A. (ed.): The transition to language


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew S. Fox ◽  
Regina Lapate ◽  
Alexander J. Shackman ◽  
Richard J Davidson

Emotion is a core feature of the human condition, with profound consequences for health, wealth, and wellbeing. Over the past quarter-century, improved methods for manipulating and measuring different features of emotion have yielded steady advances in our scientific understanding emotional states, traits, and disorders. Yet, it is clear that most of the work remains undone. Here, we highlight key challenges facing the field of affective sciences. Addressing these challenges will provide critical opportunities not just for understanding the mind, but also for increasing the impact of the affective sciences on public health and well-being.


2017 ◽  
Vol 168 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Elsasser

Monetary valuation of ecosystem services: a critical view of some critiques (essay) Diverse objections against the monetary valuation of ecosystem services are being raised in transdisciplinary discussions as well as in the scientific literature. The monetary valuation is said to overlook nature's intrinsic values, to infringe ethical norms, to narrow down perspectives to economic welfare alone, or even to nothing but material well-being, to stimulate the commercialisation of nature – conversely, others criticize that it fails exactly in this respect –, to favour social inequality, and to rely upon undependable methods. This essay questions the cogency of these criticisms and highlights some prejudices and misconceptions, often rooted in an erroneous understanding of the function of environmental valuations in the political decision process.


2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno da Silva Lourenço ◽  
Maria Angélica de Almeida Peres ◽  
Isaura Setenta Porto ◽  
Rosane Mara Pontes de Oliveira ◽  
Virginia Faria Damásio Dutra

Abstract This study is an integrative review with the aim to identify and describe the scientific evidence of the practical effect of physical activity in people with mental disorders. For the selection of articles, the databases CINAHL, MEDLINE, LILACS, SciELO, Cochrane and Scopus were used. The sample of this review consisted of eight articles. Their analysis resulted in the categories: obesity and metabolic syndrome, specialized nursing, sedentary and healthy lifestyles, support and social network, incentive to the practice of physical activity, and anxiety and physical activity. The benefits to physical health were partially elucidated by the sample. The implications for nursing care arise from the therapeutic efficacy of physical activity by people with mental disorders, adding individual and collective benefits that provide socialization and promotion of well-being.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brenna Lin ◽  
Christopher Prickett ◽  
Steven Woltering

Abstract Background Stress can negatively impact an individual’s health and well-being and high levels of stress are noted to exist among college students today. While traditional treatment methods are plagued with stigma and transfer problems, newly developed wearable biofeedback devices may offer unexplored possibilities. Although these products are becoming commonplace and inexpensive, scientific evidence of the effectiveness of these products is scarce and their feasibility within research contexts are relatively unexplored. Conversely, companies are not required, and possibly reluctant, to release information on the efficacy of these products against their claims. Thus, in the present pilot, we assess the feasibility of using a real-time respiratory-based biofeedback device in preparation for a larger study. Our main aims were to assess device-adherence and collaboration with the company that develops and sells the device. Method Data were collected from 39 college students who self-identified as experiencing chronic stress at a Southwestern university in the USA. Students were randomized into either a mindfulness-only control group without a biofeedback device (n = 21), or an experimental group with biofeedback device (n = 18). Both groups received mindfulness meditation training. Pre-test and post-test procedures were conducted 2 weeks apart. Further, both participant compliance and company compliance were assessed and collaboration with the company was evaluated. Results Participant device-adherence as well as the company’s collaboration necessary for a full-scale study was determined to be low. This may also have affected our results which showed a strong main effect for time for all outcome variables, suggesting all groups showed improvement in their levels of stress after the intervention period. No group by time effects were identified, however, indicating no added benefit of the biofeedback device. Conclusions Our findings suggest feasibility of future studies requires full collaboration and detailed and agreed upon data sharing procedures with the biofeedback company. The particular device under investigation added no value to the intervention outcomes and it was not feasible to continue a larger-scale study. Further, as the technology sector is innovating faster than it can validate products, we urge for open science collaborations between public and private sectors to properly develop evidence-based regulations that can withstand technological innovation while maintaining product quality, safety, and effectiveness. Trial registration NCT02837016. Registered 19 July 2016.


2021 ◽  
pp. 097206342110115
Author(s):  
Feryad A. Hussain

Integrative models of health care have garnered increasing attention over the years and are currently being employed within acute and secondary health care services to support medical treatments in a range of specialities. Clinical hypnosis has a history of working in partnership with medical treatments quite apart from its psychiatric associations. It aims to mobilise the mind–body connection in order to identify and overcome obstacles to managing symptoms of ill health, resulting in overall improved emotional and physical well-being. This article aims to encourage the use of hypnotherapy in physical health care by highlighting the effectiveness of hypnosis as an adjunct to medical treatment and identifying barriers preventing further integrative treatments.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1670
Author(s):  
Gerald Reiner ◽  
Josef Kuehling ◽  
Frederik Loewenstein ◽  
Mirjam Lechner ◽  
Sabrina Becker

Tail biting is a prevalent and undesirable behaviour in pigs and a major source of significant reduction in well-being. However, focusing on biting considers only one part of the solution, because tail damage can be found with a high prevalence without any action by other pigs. The lesions are not limited to the tail but can also be found in the ears, heels, soles, claw coronary bands, teats, navel, vulva, and face. Environmental improvement alone often fails to overcome the problem. This review addresses a new inflammation and necrosis syndrome in swine (SINS). It shows the clinical signs and the frequencies of occurrence in different age groups. It compiles scientific evidence from clinical and histopathological studies in newborn piglets that argue for a primary endogenous aetiology of the disease. Bringing together the findings of a broad body of research, the possible mechanisms leading to the disease are identified and then discussed. This part will especially focus on microbe-associated molecular patterns in the circulation and their role in activating defence mechanisms and inflammation. Finally, the methods are identified to ameliorate the problem by optimizing husbandry and selecting a suitable breeding stock.


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (04) ◽  
pp. 708-724
Author(s):  
ANDREA LAVAZZA ◽  
VITTORIO A. SIRONI

Abstract:The microbiome is proving to be increasingly important for human brain functioning. A series of recent studies have shown that the microbiome influences the central nervous system in various ways, and consequently acts on the psychological well-being of the individual by mediating, among others, the reactions of stress and anxiety. From a specifically neuroethical point of view, according to some scholars, the particular composition of the microbiome—qua microbial community—can have consequences on the traditional idea of human individuality. Another neuroethical aspect concerns the reception of this new knowledge in relation to clinical applications. In fact, attention to the balance of the microbiome—which includes eating behavior, the use of psychobiotics and, in the treatment of certain diseases, the use of fecal microbiota transplantation—may be limited or even prevented by a biased negative attitude. This attitude derives from a prejudice related to everything that has to do with the organic processing of food and, in general, with the human stomach and intestine: the latter have traditionally been regarded as low, dirty, contaminated and opposed to what belongs to the mind and the brain. This biased attitude can lead one to fail to adequately consider the new anthropological conceptions related to the microbiome, resulting in a state of health, both physical and psychological, inferior to what one might have by paying the right attention to the knowledge available today. Shifting from the ubiquitous high-low metaphor (which is synonymous with superior-inferior) to an inside-outside metaphor can thus be a neuroethical strategy to achieve a new and unbiased reception of the discoveries related to the microbiome.


2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilio López-Navarro

Impaired Theory of Mind (ToM) ability is a core feature of psychotic disorders that challenges psychosis treatment. We aimed to explore the effect of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention (MBI) on ToM ability in a randomized clinical trial (RCT). A sample of 36 participants diagnosed with psychotic disorder were recruited from a community center and randomly allocated to Integrated Rehabilitation Treatment (IRT) or IRT+MBI. ToM skills were assessed through the Hinting Test and the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET). IRT+MBI scored higher in RMET than IRT at posttreatment. MBI is a promising tool for improving ToM ability in psychosis.Keywords: psychotic disorders, theory of mind, mindfulness-based-interventions.


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