LA-140 The Mind and the Body
Since ancient times, humans have puzzled over “the mind-body problem.” In modern times this puzzle is described as the relation of the brain to consciousness. This class is entertained by the power of the human brain through revelations of what its parts are and how they work as best we can tell at present. The class demonstrates the findings on how consciousness comes and goes or fades and sharpens. Explanations of dreams are described and related to students’ experiences. Fluctuations of memory, sensation, perception, and attention will be demonstrated along with the brain and body mechanisms that support those mental processes. Expressions of mental states in bodily reactions are examined in the cases of psychosomatic illness, biofeedback training, and yoga. Debates about emotion as bodily states vs. qualities of consciousness are introduced. This course utilizes a combination of lectures, discussions, videos and Internet research. Students are given both verbal and multimedia content in order to improve their analytical and critical thinking abilities. Emphasis is on both specific content and the big picture of the evolution and evolutionary potentials of mind/body.
Credits
3