Consciousness Uncovered

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Tomas Chapa

The Revival of Panpsychism

The Revival of Panpsychism

Panpsychism, the idea that everything possesses consciousness, is making a surprising comeback. Once dismissed by scientists, this view suggests that consciousness is a fundamental and ubiquitous aspect of the universe. In my previous discussion on Separating Consciousness as Fundamental from Panpsychism, I delve into David Chalmers' critical distinction between

We Need to Save Science from Scientism

We Need to Save Science from Scientism

The Big Picture: A troubling trend has emerged in recent years: the elevation of science to a near-religious status, a belief system often referred to as “scientism.” Scientism isn’t about valuing scientific inquiry and evidence-based reasoning but treating science as the ultimate arbiter of truth beyond questioning or critique.

"After You": The Surprising Good Manners of Some Birds

"After You": The Surprising Good Manners of Some Birds

In a fascinating discovery, researchers from the University of Tokyo have uncovered that Japanese tits (Parus minor), a small bird species, use wing movements to communicate the gesture “after you.” This finding challenges the previous notion that complex, symbolic gestural communication is exclusive to humans and great apes, significantly expanding

Ancient Breathing Techniques, Modern Relevancy

Ancient Breathing Techniques, Modern Relevancy

Breathing techniques, a timeless part of human culture, have roots in ancient civilizations such as those of India, and China. These cultures not only understood and used controlled breathing for health benefits, but also integrated it into a system of introspection, a practice that is still relevant today. In the

How Breathing Affects Our Consciousness, Mind, and Body

How Breathing Affects Our Consciousness, Mind, and Body

In 2017, researchers at Stanford University revealed how our breathing patterns influence brain regions involved in attention, memory, and emotion. This groundbreaking study uncovered intricate cellular and molecular connections, highlighting the profound impact of breathing on our mental states. One of the findings was that breathing through the nose, as

Created using DALL-E by OpenAI, generated via ChatGPT

The Color of Sound: Exploring Synesthesia

Synesthesia is a condition where one sense automatically triggers another. People with synesthesia might see colors when they hear music, taste flavors when they read certain words, or associate colors with specific numbers or letters. These sensory experiences are involuntary and consistent, meaning the same sound or word always produces

The Mirror Neuron Mirage

The Mirror Neuron Mirage

The big picture: In the 1990s, researchers in Italy stumbled upon what they thought was a groundbreaking discovery while observing macaque monkeys during an experiment. They found that specific neurons, dubbed "mirror neurons," fired when the monkeys performed an action and when they watched humans perform the same