Abstract
The paper reviews the book "The Illusion of the Conscious Will", where Daniel Wegner brings into question whether or not human beings exercise free will. The paper outlines Wegner's main arguments and highlights how they are based on a series of assumptions. The paper asserts that in order for this work to become an important part of the academic world, Wegner's experiments and research would have to incorporate techniques to prove many of his empirical theories.

From the Paper
"What Wegner argues for is the fact that the conscious mind is an illusion and he does so by presenting a number of different ideas that attack the idea that we make individual decisions based on logic, rather than determinism. One of the ideas that he attacks is the idea of a metaphysically free will. This idea has been around for centuries, and many different philosophers throughout history have presented this idea in different forms. Basically it means that we are free to make our own decisions and we do so based on what we have learned from our past experiences. The problem is that Wegner does not come up with his own philosophical ideal for this, but rather just bases his argument on a series of assumptions."

Tags:actions, emotions, consciousness, automatisms, psychological, determinism

Abstract
This paper explores whether our conscious perception is epiphenious of the central nervous system. The paper argues that conscious perception is an epiphenomenon of the activity of our central nervous system.

From the Paper
"The relationship between conscious perception and the central nervous system is very controversial. The question that this essay will seek to answer is whether our conscious perception is an epiphenomenon of the activity of our central nervous system? This essay will argue that conscious perception is an epiphenomenon of the central nervous system. This argument will be based on the fact that perception is shaped by cultural factors. This means that people from two different cultures will not perceive the world in exactly the same way. If conscious perception was not an epiphenomenon of the central nervous system then there would be..."

Tags:perception, central, nervous

Abstract
The paper examines whether our conscious perception is an epiphenomenon of the activity of our central nervous system. The paper states that the argument is based on the fact that perception is shaped by cultural factors, meaning that people from two different cultures do not perceive the world in exactly the same way and explains that if conscious perception was not an epiphenomenon of the central nervous system, there would be no significant differences between cultures.

From the Paper
"In order to prove this point it is necessary to look at the nature of perception. Emily A. Schultz and Robert H. Lavenda in Cultural Anthropology define perception as, "The processes by which people organize and experience information that is primarily of sensory origin"(Schultz and Lavenda 1995: 139). What this means is that perception involves two distinct components. The first components are
the sensory organs themselves. The detect stimulus from the environment. However,sensory organs can only detect, they can't process the information. The central nervous system processes the information that the sensory organs have detected."

Tags:perception, central, nervous, system

Abstract
This paper compares T.S. Eliot, Virginia Woolf, Carl Jung, Shakespeare, and Jiddu Krishnamurti. The thesis of this paper is that all the writers considered that bringing out the unconscious to the conscious helped men to find the truth.

Abstract
One of the most interesting areas of scientific research these days is the brain. This paper discusses the important cerebral functions of memory storage and development of reality and consciousness. It shows how the brain is capable of storing past events in one of its several compartments, but it has to be done efficiently or else past events would encroach upon recent ones thus blurring the boundaries between conscious and unconscious worlds.

From the Paper
"But while man does need to be able to recall past events, it is equally important for him to be able to separate past from present. For this he needs to know what reality is and where he is today and now. This may appear rather puzzling to someone who has just undertaken the study of brain, but it is nonetheless worth pondering. How does man know who he is and what reality actually is? In other words, in order to qualify as a normal rational human being, man needs to be able to separate conscious reality from the unconscious. But consciousness is not something tangible, it is one of those cerebral functions that cannot be explained in concert terms."

Tags:language, processing, Michael, Lemonick, Frontal, lobes

From the Paper
"The purpose of this research is to examine in detail The Conscious Lovers by Sir Richard Steele. The plan of the research will be to set forth the social milieu in which The Conscious Lovers first appeared, and then, with reference to the pattern of ideas and events emerging in the work, to discuss the importance and standing of The Conscious Lovers as a representative drama of its type (sentimental comedy). As appropriate, reference will be made to the role that prevailing or emerging social mores played in positioning the play in the post-Restoration period.


A useful way of appreciating the social milieu of The Conscious Lovers is to refer, first to the milieu of the play, then to evidence of the societal environment in which it appeared, and then to judgments of both play and society. Steele's preface to the published play is framed by a deliberate..."

Abstract
The paper discusses the disassociation of dream-related REM sleep from atonia, resulting in a disturbing experience of hypnagogic paralysis with or without visual hallucinations. The paper relates that autonomic arousal and overwhelming emotions of fear often accompany such disorders as sleep terrors and nightmare disorders. The paper explains that with the simultaneous occurrence of hypnagogic paralysis with these fear reactions and hallucinations, it is often difficult to distinguish whether the cause is from the paralysis or the hallucination. The paper further discusses how the occurrence of specific phenomena such as spirit manifestations, out-of-body experiences, loss of bodily control or being "possessed" is an even more complex phenomenon to fathom due to the equally complex psychological, social and cultural interactions of the individual. The paper explains that they can be partially explained by higher cortical activity occurring mostly during REM sleep, and shows why PTSD is an unlikely cause of hypnagogic paralysis.

From the Paper
"I have had these experiences since age 13. I am now 50 and they seem more powerful. I am always awake during these experiences and [seem to] see evil spirits or feel like I can leave my body. Sometimes I let it take control over me; at times I have felt possessed... The author's experience may at first seem unrelated to the fields of psychiatry or the neurosciences and may seem more appropriate as a case of..."

Tags:hypnagogic, hallucinations, parasomnias

Abstract
This essay looks at two works that attempt to deal with the problem of consciousness. These works are "Minds, Brains, and Programs" by John R. Searle and "Facing up to the Problem of Consciousness" by David J. Chalmers. The writer points out that there are many similarities between these works. However, there are also a wide range of differences. It is argued in this essay that Chalmers provides the better explanation for consciousness. The writer maintains that this is because he uses a non-reductive method to try and explain the nature of consciousness based on the idea that experience is a fundamental.

From the Paper
"Consciousness is one of the most problematic concepts in philosophy, psychology, neurobiology and a wide range of other disciplines."

Tags:the, problem, consciousness

Abstract
The main point of this paper is that consciousness is not something that is specific to human beings; but that man is likely the only species that truly does not understand the depth and intensity that animals possess in their special consciousness. It analyzes various ways in which man acts towards animals that shows how insensitive we are to other living creatures' consciousness - they are used for experiments, as a food source, in labor, etc. The paper argues humanity has taken advantage of the animal kingdom, while at the same time given nothing back in return with regard to a level of appreciation for nonhuman sentience. It examines research in the field which proves that animals do have definite levels of consciousness and different animal species are compared to each other to determine their level.

From the Paper
"What is consciousness if not the awareness that one exists and, therefore, acts upon that knowledge as a means by which to maintain survival? Just because animals do not outwardly possess the prerequisites of consciousness set down by man's definition does not mean they do not exhibit their own consciousness in various other -- and significantly more elusive -- ways. When science has taken to task the issue of animal consciousness, it has typically pitted several species against one another as a means by which to establish some semblance of conscious behavior. Results from these types of research methods have consistently demonstrated a considerable divergence between and among species residing at varying rungs upon both the evolutionary and supraliminal ladders."

Tags:anthropomorphism, communicator, consciousness, experiment, humanity, rights, science, sentience

Abstract
This paper focuses on Starhawk's philosophy that language shapes consciousness and consciousness shapes reality. Within the paper it is shown that Starhawk's belief is that language can have a deciding factor on a person's perception of themselves, and through this perception they develop concepts of reality in their consciousness. Therefore, this perception then shapes their reality.

From the Paper
"Reality, according to Starhawks, is a state in which we must find definition. It is how we define reality within our consciousness that ultimately determines the type of power that will control our lives. As individuals, what we perceive to be real will be. What we believe to be true will happen. The key to discovering a harmony in life is to come to the realization that people do have a final say in how their lives will be lived, and through the consciousness every individual can make that choice. To understand how this is possible the individual must first comprehend that there are powers in the world. Starhawks contends that there is the "power-over" which is any power that comes from outside of the individual that is controlling."

Tags:starhawk, reality, consciousness