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There is No Mind-Body Problem In Parapsychology

There is No Mind-Body Problem In Parapsychology. Hoyt Edge Rollins College Winter Park, Florida. Conceptual Issue. William James – Be clear on your concepts Concepts have a history Ideas arise in a conceptual environment in which they do work. Mind was invented in the 17 th century.

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There is No Mind-Body Problem In Parapsychology

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  1. There is No Mind-Body ProblemIn Parapsychology Hoyt Edge Rollins College Winter Park, Florida

  2. Conceptual Issue • William James – Be clear on your concepts • Concepts have a history Ideas arise in a conceptual environment in which they do work

  3. Mind was invented in the 17th century • Two assumptions: 1. Cartesian dualism – mind and body MindMatter Thinking Non-thinking Non-spatial Spatial Free Determined Purposeful Mechanical Seat of value A-valuable Subject (ive) Object (ive) 2. Atomism – no action at a distance

  4. History of Parapsychology • Arose under assumptions of dualism • J. B. Rhine explicitly argued that parapsychology proved Cartesian dualism • Late 20th century dualists – Beloff and Dilly

  5. Mind-Body Problem Arose and Depends on: • 1. A particular view of mind and matter Cartesian-like These are mutually dependent terms • 2. Atomism – no action at a distance

  6. Paradigm Change • Change in folk explanations – we no longer accept traditional mind-matter • Other examples • Pendulum • Nature vs. Nurture “No longer is it nature versus nurture but nature via nurture. Genes are designed to take their cures from nurture. … You will have to enter a world where your genes are not puppet masters pulling the strings of your behavior but puppets at the mercy of your behavior;...a world…where environmental influences are sometimes less reversible than genetic ones, and where nature is designed for nurture.” Matt Ridley from Nature Via Nurture

  7. Mind • Student survey • Advances in Neuro-science

  8. Matter • Subatomic physics • EPR and non-locality

  9. Reconceptualize Problem:The Person • Characteristics of Person • Reflective subjectivity • 1st person perspective • Reflective, not just having experience • Meaning • Moral responsibility

  10. My view • Bloom – even infants distinguish people from moving objects • Person constituted by the body

  11. A Naturalism • No double-decker universe • But 3rd person perspective alone will not work; it is non-reductionistic • Pluralism • Steoscopy in understanding the world is as important as it is in visual perception

  12. Parapsychology and Naturalism • Parapsychologists are already accepting this, especially through physics • Entanglement • Radin • Pseudo-telepathy

  13. The Future of Parapsychology:4 comments • 1. We should engage in cross-cultural research • Western individualism (atomism) and Non-Western collectivism (relational view) • Which psi phenomena appear cross-culturally? • How do they explain it • Parapsychology is relational

  14. 2. Psi is a function of what? • Traditionally, psi as function of mind • Now, is psi a function of person or of nature?

  15. 3. We can contribute to other disciplines • We have already done this • Volition and other cognitive functioning • Examine psychological processes

  16. 4. The survival issue • It is still an important issue • Is there any evidence • Conceptually, can a person survive and not simply a mind?

  17. 4 directions for the future • 1. Cross-cultural research • 2. Psi as property of person or nature • 3. Contribute to other disciplines • 4. Survival research

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