Investigating Phenomenal Consciousness: New Methodologies and Maps (Advances in Consciousness Research. Series a, Vol 13)

Description

How can one investigate phenomenal consciousness? As in other areas of science, the investigation of consciousness aims for a more precise knowledge of its phenomena, and the discovery of general truths as well as the description of individual differences. This requires the development of systematic investigative methods, including combinations of first-person, second-person and third-person methods. This book introduces some of the creative ways in which this can be achieved for different investigative purposes, e.g. for understanding the relation of consciousness to brain, for examining or transforming consciousness as such, and for understanding the way individual experience is influenced by social, clinical and therapeutic contexts. To clarify the interplay of methodology and epistemology in this new, interdisciplinary field, the book also suggests a number of "maps" of the consciousness studies terrain that place different approaches to the study of consciousness into a broader context, establishing their domain of applicability and providing some bases for synthesis.