Understanding Consciousness : Recent Advances

Understanding Consciousness : Recent Advances

Product ID: 25634

Regular price
$24.95
Sale price
$24.95
Regular price
Sold out
Unit price
per 
Shipping calculated at checkout.

Author: Swami Sarvabhutananda
Eminent Contributors/
Publisher: Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture
Year: 2009
Language: English
Pages: 469
ISBN/UPC (if available): 9788187332541

Description

This volume consists of fifteen papers and the discussions thereon at the fourth biennial International Seminar on Consciousness held at the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Kolkata, in January 2008. The participants included not only philosophers and scientists but also mystics. Their illuminating paper will be read with profit and pleasure by scholars and lay persons alike. It is hoped that this volume will be as well received as the three earlier volumes.


A Profound Backgrounder:

Sri Ramakrishna showed through his own experience that consciousness as cit or caitanya is one and undivided, and it is transcendent consciousness that has become immanent consciousness. In order to realize Brahman as transcendent consciousness it is at first necessary to negate the world as neti, neti, ‘not this’ not this’. But after realizing transcendent consciousness, one comes back to the world and sees that Brahman itself has become the whole universe. Sri Ramakrishna gives an example to illustrate this point: a person who wants to reach the roof of a house at first leaves behind the steps of the staircase one after the other. But after reaching the roof when he comes down, he finds that the steps of the staircase are also made of the same material as the roof.

Contents

Publisher’s Note

INAGURAL SESSION

Welcome Address
SWAMISARVABHUTANANDA

Inaugural Address
SWAMI PRABHANANDA

Keynote Address
PROFESSOR P. N. TANDON

Presidential Address
PROFESSOR N. MUKUNDA

Brief Report on Progress till now
PROFESSOR DEBABRATA SEN SHARMA

Vote of Thanks
PROFESSOR SAROJ GHOSE

FIRST ACADEMIC SESSION

Knowledge and Consciousness: An Integral Approach
SWAMI BHAJANANANDA

The Veil of Avidya
PROFESSOR ULRICH MOHRHOFF

SECOND ACADEMIC SESSION

Ethics, Meditation and Development of Consciousness
PROFESSOR JONATHAN SHEAR

From Yogic Integration and Control to Metaphysical Holism
PROFESSOR STEPHEN PHILLIPS

THIRD ACADEMIC SESSION

Study of Consciousness from the Point of View of Visistadvaita Philosophy
PROFESSOR M.A. LAKSHMITHATHACHAR

Persistent Puzzles of Consciousness: What is it? Where is it?
PROFESSOR SANGEETHA MENON

FOURTH ACADEMIC SESSION

Consciousness Science: An Eclectic Perspective
PROFESSOR L. CLARK JOHNSON

Consciousness and Mental States According to Abhidharma and Pramana Texts
LAMA DOBOOM TULKU RINPOCHE

FIFTH ACADEMIC SESSION
Consciousness: Dominant Metaphors and Research Methods
PROFESSOR AMITA CHATTERJEE

Consciousness in Cognitive Science
PROFESSOR NARAYANAN SRINIVASAN

SIXTH ACADEMIC SESSION

Molecules that are involved in Cellular Consciousness
PROFESSOR SAMIR BHATTACHARYA

Coma, Sleep and Consciousness: A Neurologist’s View
PROFESSOR DAVID BATES

SEVENTH ACADEMIC SESSION

Geometry of Brain Function and Consciousness
PROFESSOR SISIR ROY

Play of Unconscious: Classical Yoga and Jungian Analytical Psychology
PROFESSOR AUDRIUS BEINORIUS

EIGHTH ACADEMIC SESSION

Images, Reflections and Suggestions for Interdisciplinary Dialogue
PROFESSOR N. MUKUNDA

DISCUSSION

Discussions on the Paper of Swami Bhajanananda
Discussions on the Paper of Professor Ulrich Mohrhoff
Discussions on the Paper of Professor Jonathan Shear
Discussions on the Paper of Professor Stephen Phillips
Discussions on the Paper of Professor M. A. Laksmithathachar
Discussions on the Paper of Professor Sangeetha Menon
Discussions on the Paper of Professor L. Clark Johnson
Discussions on the Paper of Lama Doboom Tulku Rinpoche
Discussions on the Paper of Professor Amita Chatterjee
Discussions on the Paper of Professor Narayana Srinivasan
Discussions on the Paper of Professor Samir Bhattacharya
Discussions on the Paper of Professor David Bates
Discussions on the Paper of Professor Sisir Roy
Discussions on the Paper of Professor Audrius Beinorius
Discussions on the Paper of Professor N. Mukunda

VALEDICTORY SESSION

Concluding Address
SWAMI SARVABHUTANANDA

Summing-up of the Proceedings
DR B.P. CHATTERJEE

Panel Discussion:
Swami Bhajanananda
Professor N. Mukunda
Professor Ulrich Mohrhoff
Professor David Bates
Professor Narayanan Srinivasan
Professor P. K. Mukhopadhyay

Presidential Address
PROFESSOR J. N. MOHANTY

Vote of Thanks
PROFESSOR A. K. SHARMA

APPENDIX

Consciousness and the New Math
PROFESSOR RALPH ABRAHAM

THE CONTRIBUTORS