Clinical Psychology Commons^™

Detecting Cognitive, Functional And Behavioral Response To Donepezil In Alzheimer’S Disease: The Role Of Attention Tasks, Clara Vila-Castelar

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Introduction: Cholinesterase Inhibitors (ChEIs) used in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) have modest effects, heterogeneous treatment response, and it has been difficult to detect treatment response. The standard research and clinical outcome measure, the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog) aggregates multiple cognitive domains, and has limited sensitivity. We propose that because acetylcholine is directly linked to the cognitive domain of attention, and ChEIs increase available acetylcholine, measures of attention under high-load conditions could predict long-term cognitive, functional and behavioral response, and thus, unlike global measures, could be sensitive to treatment efficacy.

Method: We conducted a longitudinal, open label donepezil trial …

Wellness And Karate, Cristina Kumpf

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The promotion of wellness is an integral part of the counseling field and is considered to be a central focus to the counseling process (Barden, Conley, & Young, 2015; Myers, 1992). The counseling profession adopted the concept of wellness because it harmonizes with many of the founding principles of the ACA and is seen as a process of questing toward optimal health and well-being in body, mind, and spirit (Barden, Conley, & Young, 2015; Myers, 1992; Myers, Sweeney, & Witmer, 2000). Additionally, ACA Code of Ethics (2014) state that counselors “engage in self-care activities to maintain and promote their own …

Long-Term Focus Of Attentional Biases, Garrett Pollert

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Prior research regarding attentional biases, or patterns of visual attention, have focused on attention over the initial second when exposed to pictoral food stimuli. This manuscript reviews the literature regarding attentional biases in overweight/obese individuals over this timeframe for the two previously defined components of attentional bias (attentional orientation and attentional maintenance). A new component is proposed, called “attentional re-engagement,” defined as the pattern of attentional shifts towards target stimulus types over longer periods of time. Overweight/Obese and Normal-weighted participants were recruited and engaged in an Extended Dot Probe task, wherein attentional orientation, maintenance, and re-engagement were assessed using the …

Explicit, Implicit, And Behavioral Stigmatization Of Mental Illness, Jessica S. James

Dissertations

Mental health concern is a public health concern that continues to be stigmatized. While the dual process model has been applied to other areas of social cognition (e.g., racism), this framework has not previously been frequently used to examine the stigmatization of mental illness. The current study sought to examine the stigmatization of mental illness within a dual process model to determine the relationship between explicit and implicit stigmatizing attitudes and behaviors. A total of 104 undergraduate students from the University of Southern Mississippi participated in this study. Participants completed multiple implicit and explicit measures of stigmatizing attitudes and behavioral …

Complexities And Challenges Of Nonduality, Elizabeth Stephens

CONSCIOUSNESS: Ideas and Research for the Twenty-First Century

States of consciousness referred to as nonduality, awakening, enlightenment, moksha, peak experience, unitive states, or void states, among other terms, have garnered increasing secular attention and have become a topic of psychological and neuroscientific research. A review of the literature revealed many challenges to studying this set of states, such as inconsistent conceptualizations, a variety of models and theories, and conflicting descriptions indicating that the actual experience may not live up to the superlative descriptions found in historical texts or the expectations put forth by nondual teachers. A great deal more empirical research on this topic is needed, and researchers …

From Rock Art To Vertical Forests, Hall, Gill

Journal of Conscious Evolution

No abstract provided.

Can Synchronicity Be Invoked? Synchronistic Inquiry And The Nature Of Meaning, Crane, Gabriel S.

Journal of Conscious Evolution

This paper examines synchronicity, the concept first proposed by Carl Jung, of an “acausal connecting principle” (Jung, 1952), or, a meaningful coincidence linking inner and outer events, from three distinct angles. First, it reviews the theoretical framework for synchronicity, and specifically explores the nature of meaning as an arbiter of synchronicity. The paper then asks whether, considering the co-determined nature of meaning, synchronicity can possibly be consciously invoked. Drawing upon anecdotal examples from personal experience, the outlines of a possible research process, personal synchronistic inquiry, are proposed. Finally, this paper presents a personal attempt to implement the research protocol outlined …

The Mythic-Cosmological Equation: A Different Approach To Understanding Reality, Mcauley, Charles E.

Journal of Conscious Evolution

No abstract provided.

Panpsychism And J.R.R. Tolkien: Exploring A Universal Psyche In The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, And The Lord Of The Rings, Sheppard-Goodlett, Lisa R.

Journal of Conscious Evolution

An informal exploration of the concept of panpsychism in three of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy works, The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, by using multiple consciousness theories from prominent consciousness authors. Plotlines, character compositions, and physical and mental interactions between individuals and entities are examined through multi-faceted panpsychic consciousness lenses. Those lenses include consciousness as a “stream,” integrality, evolutionary emergence of consciousness in all life forms, numinosity, liminality, the mythical trickster, major consciousness themes, precognitive and lucid dreaming, removal of self-identity through separation and burial, inner work, plurality and conflict, and enlightenment and synergism.

A New Method Of Remote Healing Through Information Based Treatment, Sági, Mária

Journal of Conscious Evolution

Healing, in the form of remote healing, is one of the most exciting proofs of the working of the primordial field described by Ervin Laszlo. Although phenomena of "presentiment" and "faith healing" have been with us since earliest times, in each subsequent age, in every culture, and throughout the development of the world's belief systems, systematic attempts to understand these phenomena have been growing ever stronger. The paradigm of western science in the modern age tended to relegate remote healing to the realm of superstition or delusion, but this certainly does not characterize the complete history of science. Even in …

Poly-Perspectival Wisdom And Aperspectival Awareness: How Attunement To The Umwelten Of Nonhumans Cultivates Integral Awareness, Morley, Julie J.

Journal of Conscious Evolution

This paper explores the idea that humans are biologically, mentally, and spiritually connected to nonhumans throughout the natural world. As science and philosophy expand to include the participation of the observer, new integral methodologies emerge and understanding shifts. Without deeper awareness of our place and purpose within the planetary ecosystem, we cannot begin to understand who we are as a species, and what we mean to the cosmos. We need to re-awaken to our relationship with the whole. Theologian and Earth scholar Thomas Berry referred to this connected whole “the Great Conversation,” (1991). He warned that only our re-entry into …

Art And The Evolution Of Consciousness: A Look At The Work Of Owen Barfield, Jean Gebser, And Gottfried Richter, Brown, Zachary

Journal of Conscious Evolution

This essay examines the concept of consciousness in three major twentieth century writers, Owen Barfield (1977, 1988), Jean Gebser (1984), and Gottfried Richter (1982). Fundamental to all three of these is the idea that human consciousness, and especially perception, evolves with the passage of historical time, and that this evolution is reflected in the production of art. In each thinker, consciousness of the self is seen primarily as a function of orientation in space and time. The evolution of this orientation is concretely expressed in many areas of cultural development, especially the arts (Gebser, 1985).

Promethean Mythopoetics & Evolutionary Consciousness: A Theoretical Journey Through The Realms Of Metaphor, Media, And Mind, Mcauley, Charles E.

Journal of Conscious Evolution

The focus of this essay is exploring the concept of the critically acclaimed comic classic Promethea (2000) by Alan Moore (writer) and J. H. Williams III (artist) as an integral work of art. To that end I utilize the integral theories of cultural historian and poet Jean Gebser (1985), and theorist Ken Wilber (2000) Having introduced the general themes and theoretical lenses, mentioned above, which are used to see Promethea, there is first an exploration of the earliest origins of consciousness according to the integral theories of Wilber (2000) and Gebser (1985). From there, a brief exploration of the significance …

Clare W. Graves And The Turn Of Our Times, Reitter, Nicholas

Journal of Conscious Evolution

Clare W. Graves (1914 – 1986) was a psychologist and visionary who pioneered an evolutionary theory of human values. Based on research concerning differing views of “what is a mature human being,” he developed the idea of a universal progression of value-structures. According to the theory both individuals and societies may be placed in this progression. This paper attempts to summarize Graves’ ideas and his influences on others, while grappling with what I see as some of his theory’s most important problems. Refinements are proposed that bear on the theory as a whole, with a particular focus on how it …

The Grand Unfolding Yogaverse, Sovatsky, Stuart Jivanand

Journal of Conscious Evolution

No abstract provided.

Unwinding Into Being, Salmon, Ronald Keith

Journal of Conscious Evolution

Spontaneously arising physical expression is the birthright of every human being. This spontaneity is motivated by the intelligent dynamism of Life to facilitate our maturation into the fullness of our Being. Spontaneous expression began to guide our maturation even before our conception...and continued throughout our life in the womb. During our fetal development—and into our infancy— our movements were initiated by the activity of developing systems of motor neurons; the sensory impulses resulting from these movements in turn stimulated the development of sensory neuron systems that refined and defined higher neural centres…and thus played a pivotal role in our developing …

A Pedagogy Of Deep Listening In E-Learning, Laryea, Kerri

Journal of Conscious Evolution

This paper examines deep listening as a pedagogy in 21st century online education. The topic is situated in the intersubjectivity of computer-mediated communication in learning environments that foster transformative experiences. The transdisciplinary orientation of the paper includes the complex and overlapping lenses through which multiple ways of teaching, learning, and knowing are viewed and experienced in the context of fostering transformation in online education in a time of rapid growth in technological innovation, globalization, and significant environmental change. It transcends an individual disciplinary research and focus, bridging epistemologies to consider the felt sense of deep listening in the educator’s role.

From Primitive To Integral: The Evolution Of Graffiti Art, White, Ashanti

Journal of Conscious Evolution

Art is about expression. It is neither right nor wrong. It can be beautiful or distorted. It can be influenced by pain or pleasure. It can also be motivated for selfish or selfless reasons. It is expression. Arguably, no artistic movement encompasses this more than graffiti art. Because of its roots in ancient history, reemergence with the rise of the hip-hop culture, and constant transformation, graffiti art is integral. Its canvas can be a concrete building, paper, or animal. It can be two- or three-dimensional; it can be illusionistic and inclusive of various techniques. It can be composed with spray …

The Wabi Sabi Way: Antidote For A Dualistic Culture?, Cooper, Tracy M.

Journal of Conscious Evolution

This paper presents a discussion of the Japanese philosophical, aesthetic attitude known as Wabi Sabi. Tracing the history of Wabi Sabi from ancient times to the modern day this paper examines the tea ceremony in Japan, the production of handmade pottery, and the Zen way of artistic creation. Intermixed I offer a view of my artistic development and personal evolution of consciousness as I have come to understand them through the lens of Wabi Sabi.

Street Art As An Expression Of Post-Modern Consciousness, Suzuki, Christopher M.

Journal of Conscious Evolution

This paper explores the development and expression of street art from the end of the twentieth century to the present day. I examine the street art’s use and definition of public space and how it challenges the prevailing paradigm on property and ownership. I explore the way that street art uses the language of advertising to reach the largest amount of people, while speaking out against all that consumerism stands for. I discuss how in braking down the boundaries between high art and low, and using images from every source imaginable, street speaks to the post-modern projects desire to see …

The Russian Bride’S Attire: A Journey Through Art And Consciousness, Luce, Elizabeth A.

Journal of Conscious Evolution

This paper addresses the triad of, creativity, consciousness and culture. How the viewer “sees” the painting is influenced by consciousness and the surrounding culture – creativity is the creative process of the artist. Art is fluid in the sense that viewers see it differently at different times in their lives. The creative process experienced by the artist is the genesis of the painting. However, the art takes on a life of it’s own for every viewer. The definition of consciousness in this paper is based on the awareness and environment of the viewer.

Jack B. Yeats: Journey In Consciousness, Buck, Richard

Journal of Conscious Evolution

Jack B. Yeats (1871-1957) was an Irish artist and writer. His art evolved from the representational to something much more abstract. By examining six paintings covering the early, the middle, and the late periods of his life, I have endeavored to demonstrate a distinct shift in Jack B. Yeats from the mental structure of consciousness to the emergence of the integral structure of consciousness, as described by Gebser (1984). Artistic evidence of a shift in his consciousness is supplemented by a critical reading of one of his novels. Secondary sources were consulted to gain insight into the literary works that …

The Three Neurogenetic Phases Of Human Consciousness, Grandy, John K.

Journal of Conscious Evolution

This paper is an organization and conceptualization of a genetic account of human consciousness and to establish an initial list of the neurogenetic correlates of consciousness (NgCC). This will be accomplished by establishing networks of genes that are involved in the multiple facets of the process of human consciousness. The methodology utilized in this work is the evaluation of a small number of genes that have been researched experimentally in order to understand their role in brain development and function. The results demonstrate that most neurogenetic genes can be categorized into three phases: the emergence of neuron-based consciousness, the continuum …

A.I., Cyborgs, Shamans And Transcendence Configuring The Iso And The Mythopoeic Sacred In Tron: Legacy, Efthimiou, Olivia

Journal of Conscious Evolution

This essay explores the role of cyberspace in the 2010 film Tron: Legacy as an expression of the enduring relevance of religious symbolism and humanity's innate search for transcendence in modern technologies. Cyberspace is investigated as a sacred space of infinite possibilities in which humanity is redefined at the intersection of the digital, fantasy and consciousness. In the examination of the film’s religious symbolism as a modern-day creation myth and its roots in shamanic cosmology, artificial intelligences in the movie depicted as highly complex humanoid information systems are proposed as a blueprint for an advanced mode of consciousness which integrates …

Uncertainty, Enaction And Theater: Practicing For The Revolution, Scott, John

Journal of Conscious Evolution

This paper discusses how using theater and the creative arts can be a useful tool in changing ourselves and communities for the better. I will also offer examples of using Theater of the Oppressed structures in youth community settings, linking these case examples to concepts of uncertainty, enaction, and transformation. This paper will also offer examples of challenges in facilitating and participating in this community based creative arts work. I will then speak to the urgency of using this creative work in our American systems, arguing that theater and the creative arts can support both young people and adults in …

Intercorporeality: An Invitation To Being In The Human-Body-Nature Relationship, Eli, Renee

Journal of Conscious Evolution

Human-mediated climate change and environmental degradation are real. Likewise, human health issues associated with modernity are becoming increasingly concerning. This paper presupposes the inter-relationship between these two bourgeoning phenomena, and draws upon recent scholarship in the field of Religion and Ecology, and particularly the work of Thomas Berry (2006, 1999), as a means to critically analyze Judeo-Christian theosophy, an encoded meaning animus by which Westerners (largely), and Americans primarily, enact denial of the fullest expression of life – among one another and within the context of the natural world. I offer two broadly generalized and contrasting religious narratives, which together …

Human Collective Capacities, Montiel, Sergio

Journal of Conscious Evolution

No abstract provided.

Stilling The Mind: The Journey Of Consciousness In The Mental-Egoic Era, Hoshawk, Crystal Marie

Journal of Conscious Evolution

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Worldviews Figure, Lide, Allison

Journal of Conscious Evolution

No abstract provided.

Montessori Education: What Is Its Relationship With The Emerging Worldview?, Lide, Allison

Journal of Conscious Evolution

The classroom structure of traditional education has been modeled on the defining characteristics of the mechanical worldview, including linearity, hierarchy, reductionism, objectivity, outcomes, and empiricism. The advent of a participatory worldview has brought a new set of priorities including non-linearity, interdependence, process, relationship, and ecology. A Montessori classroom structure embodies these emerging characteristics. The Montessori approach is based on a non-linear developmental model. It provides a form of education that is not limited to mechanistic cognitive development, but integrally involves all aspects of human development, and is thus well-aligned with the qualities of the emerging worldview.