Philosophy Commons^™

Shamanism In Cross-Cultural Perspective, Michael Winkelman

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This article reviews the origins of the concept of the shaman and the principal sources of

controversy regarding the existence and nature of shamanism. Confusion regarding the

nature of shamanism is clarified with a review of research providing empirical support for a

cross-cultural concept of shamans that distinguishes them from related shamanistic healers.

The common shamanistic universals involving altered states of consciousness are examined

from psychobiological perspectives to illustrate shamanism’s relationships to human nature.

Common biological aspects of altered states of consciousness help explain the origins of

shamanism while social influences on this aspect of human nature help to explain …

Transpersonal Effects Of Exposure To Shamanic Use Of Khoomei (Tuvan Throat Singing): Preliminary Evaluations From Training Seminars, Vladislav Matrenitsky, Harris L. Friedman

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Khoomei is a Tuvan Siberian shamanic practice involving overtone throat singing. One hundred eighty-one Western participants completed questionnaires after attending Khoomei seminars, asking about the following: motivation of people to learn shamanic throat singing; self-perception at the levels of body, energy, and mind before-and-after the seminar; feelings and sensations from practicing throat singing; transpersonal experience during throat singing; experience of inner vibrations from listening to the singing; and general state and feelings after seminar. In general, most participants reported many benefits from attending the seminars, although a few reported mild negative effects (e.g., dizziness and sadness). Of particular interest are …

Dissipative Processes In Psychology: From The Psyche To Totality, Manuel Almendro, Daniella Weber

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This paper articulates a possible framework for understanding and resolving psychopathological

phenomena from the perspective of chaos theory and based on the application of Ilya

Prigogine’s concepts of dissipative structures and processes. Twenty-eight years in clinical

practice have shown the human being to be memory-inheritance, which produces a type of

“psychological DNA.” The personality is thereby crystallized, generating dynamic patterns

(fractals) in its interference with reality. Although necessary for living, this crystallization

is imprisoning. Once the shadow of memory has been resolved and dissolved, the person

achieves reorganizing and transrational processes. We develop the concepts of the emergent …

Introduction To Special Topic Section: Shamanism, Adam J. Rock

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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Sexuality As A Transformational Path: Exploring The Holistic Dimensions Of Human Vitality, Samuel A. Malkemus, Mariana T, Romero

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This article explores a holistic vision of human sexuality by contrasting it to the prevailing

trend of “cognicentrism” in sexological studies. To this end the authors propose that a

novel understanding of sexuality as a creative force of life energy can greatly enhance such

cognicentric approaches. Such a proposal rests on a holistic approach to human nature that

has been developed over many years of educational and clinical application. Within this

holistic vision, the role of a human multidimensional cognition that is somatically rooted in

bodily nature assists the articulation of sexuality as a transformational life path of embodied

spirituality, …

My Path In Shamanism, Michael Harner

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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Shamanism, Imagery Cultivation, And Psi-Signal Detection: A Theoretical Model, Experimental Protocol, And Preliminary Data, Adam J. Rock, Lance Storm

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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Shamans As Healers, Counselors, And Psychotherapists, Stanley Krippner

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Shamanic models of healing, counseling, and psychotherapy differ from Western models in that

they emphasize closeness to the natural world as well as to one’s body and life’s spiritual dimensions.

Shamanic practices reflect the ideals of harmony and knowledge. In shamanism, there is no division

between “mind” and “body,” hence what Westerners refer to as “mental illness” is seen as part of

the total client being treated by a shaman, a perspective that often includes the client’s family,

community, and the world of “spirits.”

Experiences Of “Soul Journeys” In The World’S Religions: The Journeys Of Mohammed, Saints Paul And John, Jewish Chariot Mysticism, Taoism’S Highest Clarity School, And Shamanism., Roger Walsh

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

“Soul journeys” are a central practice of shamanism. However, they have also been important

in many other religious traditions and have exerted a major impact on religions, cultures, and

history. This article surveys some important journeys in the world’s religions such as those of

Mohammed, the Christian saints Paul and John, Jewish Chariot Mysticism, Taoism’s Highest

Clarity tradition, and shamanism. The article explores the experiences of these journeys, techniques

for inducing them, culturally specific features, and the range of metaphysical interpretations of

them. It also examines some of the surprising ways in which journeys are currently impacting

Western culture, ranging …

Transforming Self And Others Through Research: Transpersonal Research Methods And Skills For The Human Sciences And Humanities, Dorit Netzer

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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A Reply To Abramson’S Response To My “Beyond Mind” Papers And Some Reflections On Wilber V, Elias Capriles

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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Review Of The Psychology And Character Of Virtue, Ed. Craig Steven Titus, Rebecca Konyndyk Deyoung

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

What's A Just War Theorist?, Aleksandar Jokić

Philosophy Faculty Publications and Presentations

The article provides an account of the unlikely revival of the medieval Just War Theory, due in large part to the efforts of Michael Walzer. Its purpose is to address the question: What is a just war theorist? By exploring contrasts between scholarly activity and forms of international activism, the paper argues that just war theorists appear to be just war criminals, both on the count of aiding and abetting aggression and on the count of inciting troops to commit war crimes.

Naturalized Panpsychism: An Alternative To Fundamentalist Physicalism And Supernaturalism, Earl R. Cookson

Dissertations (1934 -)

A central problem in the mind-body debate is the generation problem: how consciousness occurs in a universe understood as primarily non-conscious. This problem is particularly bothersome for physicalists. I argue that the generation problem stems from a non-critical presupposition about the nature of reality, namely, that the mental is an exception in the universe, a non-fundamental property. I call this presupposition mental specialism. Despite the fact that mental specialism dogmatically ingrained in the debate, there has been little reason offered either to accept or reject it. And doing so would dissolve the generation problem. But rejecting mental specialism, though it …

Philosophy And Theology: Contemporary Discussions Of Parenthood, Christopher Kaczor

Philosophy Faculty Works

The article offers the author's insights on parenthood, which is the topic of interest of philosophers and theologians. The author says that the fundamental and primary obligation of parents to care for their children grounds the prerogatives, which parents have over their children. He mentions the argument between Bernard Prusak and S. Matthew Liao about the article "The Right of Children to Be Loved," in which Prusak objects the idea of the child's right to be loved.

Constitutional Principles, David B. Lyons

Faculty Scholarship

Principles that are not given by the constitutional text are sometimes attributed to the Constitution. This is done within Professor Balkin’s “framework originalism.”1 The question I wish to consider is how it may properly be done. How can it be shown that the Constitution is committed tacitly to a given principle? I shall discuss Balkin’s theory with that question in mind.

Badiou's Relation To Heidegger In Theory Of The Subject, Graham Harman

Faculty Book Chapters

[no abstract provided]

Mam's Must-See 'Posters Of Paris', Curtis Carter

Philosophy Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Not To Be: Modality Without Possible Worlds, Samuel Girwarnauth

The Hilltop Review

For many with broadly Aristotelian intuitions the Humean usurpation of work in philosophy is a frustrating landscape. This is most obviously demonstrated in the arena of the metaphysics of modality, and talk of "possible worlds" specifically. Famously, the Humean denial of necessary connections in the world has led to the most strongly defended thesis on modality to date: the extreme modal realism (EMR) of David Lewis. Pace Lewis, actualism ought to be the preferred position, but whose version, which actuality? The thrust of this paper shall be to argue that the truth makers, or grounding, for modal claims are not …

Epistemic Two-Dimensionalism And Arguments From Epistemic Misclassification, Edward Elliott, Kelvin J. Mcqueen, Clas Weber

Philosophy Faculty Articles and Research

Epistemic Two-Dimensional Semantics (E2D) claims that expressions have a counterfactual intension and an epistemic intension. Epistemic intensions reflect cognitive significance such that sentences with necessary epistemic intensions are a priori. We defend E2D against an influential line of criticism: arguments from epistemic misclassification. We focus in particular on the arguments of Speaks [2010] and Schroeter [2005]. Such arguments conclude that E2D is mistaken from (i) the claim that E2D is committed to classifying certain sentences as a priori and (ii) the claim that such sentences are a posteriori. We aim to show that these arguments are unsuccessful as (i) and …

Toward A Working Theory Of Neurorhetorics, Jeffrey L. Honnold

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This piece makes the claim that rhetoric is first philosophy--before philosophy, epistemology, ontology, or any other field--or that rhetoric is, at the least, on equal footing as these fields because:

empathy--and thusly the impulse for communication--is physiologically hardwired into humans; special distinctions between human and animal are largely artificial constructions, as is evidenced by neurosciences; "hard" science, in the form of neurosciences, is providing entrance points & opportunities for rhetoric to raise its status within the academy; and said neurosciences, in addition to empathy studies, have shown strong evidence supporting linguistic and evolutionary links between humans and other species, thereby …

Integrity And Struggle, Matthew Pianalto

Philosophy and Religion Faculty and Staff Research

Integrity is sometimes conceived in terms of the wholeness of the individual, such that persons who experience temptations or other sorts of inner conflicts, afflictions, or divisions of self would seem to lack integrity to a greater or lesser degree. I contrast this understanding of integrity—which I label psychological integrity—with a different conception which I call practical integrity. On the latter conception, persons can manifest integrity in spite of the various factors mentioned above, so long as they remain true to their commitments in action and deliberation. Although psychological harmony is one feature reasonably associated with integrity, I suggest that …

Too Soon To Say, Edward W. James

Philosophy Faculty Publications

(1) Rupert Read charges that Rawls culpably overlooks the politicized Euthyphro: Do we accept our political perspective because it is right or is it right because we accept it? (2) This charge brings up the question of the deficiency dilemma: Do others disagree with us because of our failures or theirs? – where the two dilemmas appear to be independent of each other and lead to the questions of the logic of deficiency, moral epistemic deficiency, epistemic peers, and the hardness of philosophy. (3) In reply, on an expanded principle of charity Rawls does not overlook the Euthyphro but …

Voldemort Tyrannos: Plato’S Tyrant In The Republic And The Wizarding World, Anne Collins Smith, Owen M. Smith

Faculty Publications

In the Harry Potter novel series, by J. K. Rowling, the character of Lord Voldemort is the dictatorial ruler of the Death Eaters and aspiring despot of the entire wizarding community. As such, he serves as an apt subject for the application of Plato’s portrait of the tyrant in Republic IX. The process of applying Plato to Voldemort, however, leads to an apparent anomaly, the resolution of which requires that we move beyond the Republic to the account of beauty presented by Plato in the Symposium. In doing so, we shall find that while Plato can help us to understand …

Ibn Khaldun And The Modern Social Sciences: A Comparative Theoretical Inquiry Into Society, The State, And Revolution, Douglas H. Garrison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis represents a link in a long chain of recent Western scholarship that has attempted to bring the work of Ibn Khaldun, the late 14th century Tunisian jurist and historian, into the mainstream of historiographic, political, and sociological learning. Why Ibn Khaldun? What makes his work stand out among the classics of pre-modern and early-modern political and social theory? Why are his ideas still relevant to the study of politics and societies today? My thesis attempts to answer these questions through the lenses of comparative political theory and theoretical reinterpretation.

The study hinges on a thematic comparison of Ibn …

Moral Luck, Patrick A. Beach

Philosophy - Dissertations

The problem of moral luck arises because of an apparent conflict between the luck that humans face, the pervasiveness of moral considerations in our lives, and the idea that moral responsibility requires a level of control that luck robs them of. The claim is that we cannot be governed by luck and be morally responsible. The notions of luck and moral responsibility are developed, and several solutions to the problem of moral luck are discussed and rejected. Finally, a solution is offered that dissolves the problem. In particular, the luck that affects an agent's moral standing comes from the choices …

An Essay On The Ontology Of Reasons, Jeremy Anon Dickinson

Philosophy - Dissertations

I argue that many recent anti-psychologistic accounts of agential reasons are unsatisfactory. I also argue that psychologistic accounts are false. Then I develop and defend an anti-psychologistic, propositionalist theory of reasons whereby agential reasons are propositions. I also develop a corresponding anti-psychologistic account of reason-explanation that is able to help resolve some of the more difficult problems for theories of anti-psychologism. Next, I argue for a Russellian theory of propositionalism. Finally, I argue against teleological theories of reasons.

Review Of The Book "Globalizing Justice: The Ethics Of Poverty And Power," By Richard W. Miller, Joel P. Dittmer

Arts, Languages and Philosophy Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Complexity Theory And Political Change: Talcott Parsons Occupies Wall Street, Martin Zwick

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

Complexity theory can assist our understanding of social systems and social phenomena. This paper illustrates this assertion by linking Talcott Parsons' model of societal structure to the Occupy Wall Street movement. Parsons' model is used to organize ideas about the underlying causes of the recession that currently afflicts the US. While being too abstract to depict the immediate factors that precipitated this crisis, the model is employed to articulate the argument that vulnerability to this type of event results from flaws in societal structure. This implies that such crises can be avoided only if, in Parsons' terms, structural change occurs …

Complexity Theory And Political Change: Talcott Parsons Occupies Wall Street [Presentation], Martin Zwick

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

Complexity theory can assist our understanding of social systems and social phenomena. This paper illustrates this assertion by linking Talcott Parsons' model of societal structure to the Occupy Wall Street movement. Parsons' model is used to organize ideas about the underlying causes of the recession that currently afflicts the US. While being too abstract to depict the immediate factors that precipitated this crisis, the model is employed to articulate the argument that vulnerability to this type of event results from flaws in societal structure. This implies that such crises can be avoided only if, in Parsons' terms, structural change occurs …