Toward a Science of Consciousness 2014The 20th Anniversary Conference April 21-26, 2014Marriott University Park, Tucson, ArizonaSponsored by the Center for Consciousness Studiesat the University of Arizona

Newswise — Toward a Science of Consciousness is a rigorous interdisciplinary conference covering neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, molecular biology, medicine, quantum physics, cosmology, art, technology, and experiential and contemplative approaches to the understanding of consciousness. This 20th anniversary conference will reflect on progress, challenges and future directions from an estimated 800 participants from over 60 countries. Program sessions will include plenary and keynote talks and panels, concurrent talks, posters, art/science demos and exhibits, pre-conference workshops, side trips, and social events in the Tucson tradition.

Plenary speakers will include Susan Blackmore, Ned Block, David Chalmers, Karl Deisseroth, Daniel Dennett, David Eagleman, Rebecca Goldstein, Stuart Hameroff, Christof Koch, Henry Markram, George Mashour, Sam Parnia, John Searle, Petra Stoerig, Giulio Tononi and many more.

Abstract Submission Deadlines Final Abstracts are due no later than December 20th for plenary considerationAll others: December 31 (Notifications by January 15)General Conference Registration: (Early registration by February 2)

The Plenary and full program will be announced in January, 2014.

Bhaumik Prize:The first ‘Bhaumik Prize in Consciousness Studies’ will be awarded for significant research toward understanding consciousness. The award in the amount of 10,000 dollars will be presented at the conference by Dr. Mani Bhaumik. Conference Sponsorships:Bhaumik FoundationThe Chopra Foundation

PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP PROGRAM:Monday Morning, April 21, 2014 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Sleights of Mind: The Illusory Nature of Perception and DeceptionStephen L. Macknik...how our brain constructs - rather than reconstructs - the world we see, featuring exciting, novel illusions by the best magicians of the new millennium.

Microtubules and Quantum BiologyJack Tuszynski, Travis Craddock, Anirban Bandyopadhyay, Stuart Hameroff...quantum vibrations in microtubules support the controversial Orch OR theory, and provide a basis for EEG as ‘beat frequencies’ of intra-neuronal dynamics

Toward a Standardized Curriculum of Consciousness StudiesLeslie Combs, Jeffery Martin (and others TBA)...how to build, and receive institutional approval for college and graduate level courses for a well-rounded course in consciousness studies

Nondual Awareness and the Unity of Consciousness: Experience and ResearchZoran Josipovic and Judith Blackstone...contemplative experiences describe a unity transcending self-object dichotomy.Neuroimaging reveals possible mechanisms for nondual awareness

DEI East-West Forum 1 (Full Day workshop)East: P. Sriramam S. Roy, V. Sahni, A.K. Mukhopadhyay, B. D. Dhir, P.S. SatsangiWest: R. Gennaro, J. Barrell, J. Tuszynski, P. Pylkkanen, S. Hameroff...Eastern spiritual traditions and Western science converge in a series of talks and discussions. Live 2-way video hookup with Dayalbagh Educational Institute (DEI), Agra, India

Monday Afternoon, April 21, 2014 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Preserving Consciousness: How a Missing Science of Consciousness Hobbles Life-Saving Medical ResearchKenneth Hayworth, Randal Koene, Max More...the age old dream of preserving consciousness after bodily death is bolstered by new initiatives in brain mapping, cryonics and other technologies. Three authorities boldly face the challenges of ‘mind uploading’

New Discoveries in Consciousness ScienceBernard J. Baars...a survey of new developments regarding consciousness and coma, brain stimulation, cognitive enhancers, sleep, emotion, oscillations, brain ‘hubs’ and global workspace theory

Perspectives in Philosophy & the Study of DreamingJennifer Windt, Sascha Benjamin Fink...first person introspection meets the science of dreams and spatial navigation. Try the ‘feelSpace belt’ to augment spatial orientation

Neuroscience of Music, Consciousness & TherapyAlexander Graur...how does music relate to consciousness, and vice versa? Applications of Music Integration Neurotherapy TM to mood, personality and sleep disorders

Monday Evening, April 21, 2014 7:00-10:00 PMThe Reality Problem: Can Science Become Enlightened?Deepak Chopra(with Menas Kafatos, Rudy Tanzi)...since the quantum revolution, the solid, tangible nature of reality has been undermined. Nevertheless, Western science and philosophy place the physical world as primary, with consciousness secondary. In Eastern traditions such as Vedanta, the situation is reversed. Which came first, consciousness or reality?Monday Evening, April 21, 2014 6:30 PM- 10:30 PMBrain StimulationW.J. Tyler (and others TBA)...noninvasive brain stimulation includes transcranial magnetic, direct current and ultrasound (TMS, tDCS, TUS). Applications for neurological, psychiatric, cognitive enhancement and experiential entertainment will be presented. Attendees are invited to a post-workshop ‘brain stim social’ at a nearby venue, sponsored by Neurotrek.Tuesday Morning, April 22, 2014 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM

From Phenomenology to Consciousness and Back:Integrated Information Theory (IIT) 3.0Giulio Tononi...IIT is based on phenomenological axioms and ontological postulates (information, integration, exclusion, and compositionality) in which an experience is an irreducible conceptual structure, allowing quantified levels of consciousness in wakefulness, sleep,anesthesia, and disorders of consciousness

Philosophical Theories of ConsciousnessRocco Gennaro, Josh Weisberg...dualism e.g. substance dualism, property dualism, and epiphenomenalism as well as nonreductive (but also nondualist) neutral monism and panpsychism will be compared with materialist identity theory, eliminative materialism, functionalism and representationalism.

Quantum CognitionHarald Atmanspacher, Peter Bruza, Peter beim Graben,Paavo Pylkkänen...cognition more closely follows quantum mathematical principles than classical, e.g. non-commutativity, bistable perception, choice as quantum state reduction, entanglement and complementarity. Irrespective of quantum biology, do quantum principles account for cognition?

The Healthy Human Mind, Tibetan Lamas and The Science of the Stream of ConsciousnessHenry Vyner...22 years of research and free healthcare amongst Tibetan lamas in South and Central Asia indicate that the egoless mind is far healthier than the egocentric mind, and generate a descriptive taxonomy of both the egocentric and egoless stream of consciousness.

Expanded States Through Shamanic WisdomFrancoise Bourzat...while Western Psychology addresses dysfunction by strengthening the ego and addressing psycho-emotional trauma, Shamanic methods seek to unlock the unlimited potential of the psyche with expanded states of consciousness based on preparation and integration

Theatre, Literature and ConsciousnessDaniel Meyer-Dinkgräfe, Harry Youtt...the experience of theatre and literature, encompassing both creative and receptive processes, can be better understood on the basis of consciousness studies. Conversely, subjective experience at the core of theatre and literature can provide insights in first-person approaches.

The Conference Opening Plenary Program will begin Tuesday afternoon, April 22 at 1:45 pmSpecial Experiential Workshop/Side Trip/Field StudyWednesday Evening April 23, 2014, 6:30 - 11:00 PM, Tucson Mountain Park‘Nightwalking’ - Peripheral Vision for Peak ExperienceNelson Zink, Petra Stoerig...utilizing only peripheral vision to navigate - ‘nightwalking’ – can lead to peak, or optimal experience. Nightwalking pioneer Nelson Zink and ‘blindsight’ neuroscientist Petra Stoerig lead a special workshop in the Sonoran desert of Tucson Mountain Park. Buses leave at 6:30, and return at 11:00 pm. (Note: This event is rigorous and challenging, and participation is limited)

Side Trips Thursday afternoon, April 24, 2014 1:00 - 6:00 PM

Mt. Lemmon-Sabino Canyon, The Santa Catalina Mts., and a Nature Walk 1:00-6:00 pm10,000 Ft. above the desert floor, 5 climactic zones, and 30 degrees cooler, lies Mt. Lemmon. Our trip up the Hitchcock Highway is like traveling from central Mexico to Alaska. Desert scrubs plants to tall ponderosa pines. A nature walk follows our journey up the mountain. There is a mountain top community and a few shops

Desert Jeep Adventure 1:00 - 5:30 pmThe four wheeled open air jeep tour will lead you through some of the most beautiful and rugged desert wilderness surrounding Tucson. Your driver/guide will share with you all of the history and narrate thru the cactus forests, canyons, washes and mountains that surround the trail.

General Conference Sessions/ Schedule links

Pre-Conference Workshops9:00 am Monday April 21 through 1:00 pm Tuesday, April 22.

Plenary sessions1:45 pm Tuesday April 22 through 1:00 pm, Saturday April 26.

Concurrent sessions4:30 pm to 6:35 pm on April 22, 23, and 25.

Poster sessionsFrom 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm on April 23 and 25.

Side TripsDuring free afternoon Thursday April 24.

Conference DinnerThursday April 24, 6:30 to 11:00 pm, Skyline Country Club.Additional social events Welcome reception April 22, 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm, Arizona State Museum,University of Arizona campusEvening hospitality gatherings TBA

Poetry Slam/Zombie Bluesfest April 25, 10:00 pm to midnight

'End-of-Consciousness' party April 26, 7:00 pm to...?, Gentle Ben’s Brewery

Program Co-ChairsDavid Chalmers, Australian National University, New York UniversityStuart Hameroff, University of Arizona

Conference ManagerAbi Behar-Montefiore, Center for Consciousness Studies, Assistant DirectorSponsored byThe Center for Consciousness Studies, The University of Arizona www.consciousness.arizona.edu Conference Website

Abstract Submission DeadlinesFinal Abstracts are due no later than December 20th for Plenary ConsiderationAll others by December 31 (Notifications by January 15)General Conference Registration:Early registration by February 2)

VenueFor the first time, Toward a Science of Consciousness will be held at the Marriott University Park Hotel, steps from the Main Gate of the beautiful campus of the University of Arizona, near shops, restaurants and pubs on University Boulevard. A special conference hotel rate of $109 has been arranged and this rate is extended for 2-3 days pre/post conference start/finish dates. See Links below.

Marriott University Park, 880 East 2nd Street, Tucson, AZTSC Conference, Booking Link TSC Group code Marriott U Park (lowercase only): tsctscaAll Hotel reservations must correspond to a paid TSC Online Conference Registration.Early Registration Deadline, February 2

Press Requests Abi Behar-Montefiore, Center for Consciousness Studies, [email protected] tel: 520-245-5785 Conference Links Online Abstract SubmissionsOnline RegistrationGuidelines to Submit Abstracts/Taxonomy Hotel Group Booking Link-Marriott University ParkConference WebsiteREGISTRATION FORM/pdfAirport Shuttle "Arizona Stage Coach" - Special TSC rates to/from Airport to Hotel - $17Additional Area Hotels with special TSC rates

Questions-Contact Us [email protected] Follow us Subscribe to TSC Email NoticesWebsiteFacebookTwitter

Toward a Science of Consciousness (TSC) is presented by the Center for Consciousness Studies (CCS) at the University of Arizona, and alternates yearly between Tucson, Ariz. (even-numbered years) and various locations around the world (odd-numbered years) in cooperation with partner organizations and institutions. Overseas TSC Conferences have been held in: 1995 Ischia, Italy; 1997, Elsinore, Denmark; 1999, Tokyo, Japan; 2001, Skovde, Sweden; 2003, Prague, Czech Republic; 2005, Copenhagen, Denmark; 2007, Budapest, Hungary; 2009, Hong Kong, China; 2011, Stockholm, Sweden; 2013, Agra, India. The 2015 TSC will take place in Helsinki, Finland.

The Center for Consciousness Studies (CCS) at the University of Arizona was established in 1997 by the Arizona Board of Regents. CCS is hosted by the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine.

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