The primary intent of this paper is to identify and elucidate various consequential factors that ... more The primary intent of this paper is to identify and elucidate various consequential factors that have impeded the attainment of a consensual definition and taxonomy of consciousness. As such, the author explores several etymological, semantic, sociolinguistic, and methodological issues, and offers several suggestions to minimize these obstacles, and enhance mutual understanding. Various de nitional issues are discussed, including the troubling con ation of 'conscious' and 'consciousness' , and the perpetual publication of competing descriptions and types of consciousness. The paper also reviews issues in consciousness research and the search for the neural correlates of consciousness, and contrasts two opposing notions of consciousness-as a singular phenomenon/thing versus a multifaceted process. In addition, the author examines theoretical and procedural obstacles to classifying consciousness within a cogent taxonomic framework, and evaluates several attempts to do so. The paper concludes with a perspective borrowed from foundational Indian scriptures that may offer valuable insight moving forward.
Frontiers of Psychology (Consciousness Research), 2020
Does MRI Confound Meditation Results? generally between sitting and simMRI, with some significant... more Does MRI Confound Meditation Results? generally between sitting and simMRI, with some significant exceptions. In conclusion, these data indicate that the fMRI procedure itself (high dB noise; lying down) strongly influences subjective and neurophysiological responses during meditation practice, and may therefore confound the interpretation of results from fMRI studies.
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Papers by Jonathan Nash