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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

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Western University

Psychology

2010

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Beyond Scientific Materialism: Toward A Transcendent Theory Of Consciousness, Imants Barušs Jan 2010

Beyond Scientific Materialism: Toward A Transcendent Theory Of Consciousness, Imants Barušs

Psychology

Analysis of the social-cognitive substrate of scientific activity reveals that much of science functions in an inauthentic mode whereby a materialist world view constrains the authentic practice of science. But materialism cannot explain matter, as evidenced by empirical data concerning the nature of physical manifestation. Nor, then, should materialism be the basis for our interpretation of consciousness. It is time to move beyond scientific materialism and develop transcendent theories of consciousness. Such theories should minimally meet the following criteria: they should be based on all of the usual empirical data concerning consciousness, including altered states of consciousness; they should take …