Cognition and Perception Commons^™

Portrait Of A Mentor, Katherine Ziemke

Journal of Conscious Evolution

This essay offers a sketch of Professor Allan Leslie Combs’s mentorship to doctoral students. It represents one student’s experience of the latter part of Combs’s long career as a psychologist, consciousness researcher, academic, speaker, author, and mentor. The paper is written from a first-person perspective by one of Combs’s very last doctoral students, with details taken from her initial journey into the doctoral program, through the beginnings of dissertation research and proposal defense, until the time Combs left this world. Some of the details contained herein may be recognized from the author’s presentations given at Combs’s retirement and memorial gatherings. …

Love Will Get You Further: Allan Leslie Combs And The Legacy Of Radiance, Julia C. Gardner

Journal of Conscious Evolution

In this reflective tribute, I draw on a November 2025 remembrance gathering for Allan Leslie Combs to explore how his scholarship on consciousness lived through his presence, pedagogy, and relationships. The article weaves reflections from students, colleagues, friends, and family to show how Leslie treated consciousness as a living, radiant field and knowledge as participatory. Speakers describe a mentor who walked beside their work, welcoming spiritual, creative, and embodied ways of knowing, while trusting love, humor, and trickster-mischief as legitimate modes of inquiry.

I then turn to my own dissertation research on play consciousness (PlayCS) as a tangible extension of …

Navigating The Storm: A Qualitative Metaphor-Based Analysis Of Resilience And Identity Reconstruction Among Displaced Professionals, Erhan Atay, Serkan Bayraktaroglu, Leo Johannesberg

The Qualitative Report

Building on previous management scholarship, this paper explains how Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) and metaphorical expressions inform organizational resilience and leadership communication in employee support strategies. It tries to capture the interplay between personal sensemaking and collective adaptation. The study aims to provide practitioners with hands-on insights into developing inclusion, resilience, and identity reconstruction in organizational and societal contexts of disruption. The analysis identifies three critical metaphorical themes: resilience, which is likened to "climbing a mountain;" isolation, which is likened to being "trapped in a bubble;" and identity reconstruction, which is likened to "picking up the shattered pieces of a …

The Founding History Of The Journal Of Conscious Evolution, Charles H. Silverstein

Journal of Conscious Evolution

This article traces the founding history of the Journal of Conscious Evolution (JCE), established by Allan Leslie Combs in 2005. The narrative explores three distinct perspectives on conscious evolution that influenced the journal’s creation: Barbara Marx Hubbard’s emphasis on humanity’s interconnectedness and creative potential, the General Evolution Research Group’s systems theory approach led by Ervin László, and Combs’s integration of the developmental growth of states and structures of consciousness within a conscious evolution framework. The article details how Combs developed the curriculum for the first accredited Master of Arts degree program in Conscious Evolution at The Graduate Institute in Connecticut …

On Consciousness And Death: In Conversation With Allan Leslie Combs—A Posthumous Study Of An Influential Thinker’S Perspectives, Leila A. Kincaid

Journal of Conscious Evolution

The following is a summary of key findings from my analysis of the unconventional interviews that I posthumously conducted with Dr. Allan Leslie Combs in a creative take on qualitative interviews. This study is based on my viewing of several of his recorded interviews and talks and on reading two of his books, The Radiance of Being and Consciousness Explained Better. From these sources, I created a synthesis of theoretical responses from Combs to my interview questions for the purposes of this study. These findings include insights gained from my textual coding process and their relationship to emergent themes in …

Physiological Response To Concealed Information In A Mock-Crime Paradigm​, Ezra Koenigsberg, Tamya Mchenry, Jasmine Manzana, Taylor Powell, Samantha Jackson

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

The Concealed Information Test (CIT), based on Lykken’s guilty knowledge framework, measures physiological responses when individuals recognize crime-related details compared to neutral alternatives. Previous studies show that variations in stimulus presentation enhance the CIT’s accuracy, especially through changes in electrodermal activity and heart rate. However, few studies have tested whether a Qualtrics-based mock-crime version of the CIT can replicate these physiological patterns. This study addresses that gap by adapting the CIT for a digital research environment. The goal is to determine whether participants show greater physiological arousal—measured through skin conductance, heart rate, and respiration—when exposed to crime-related “critical” stimuli compared …

Martial Arts Studies: A Commentary On The Exploration Of Consciousness In Modern Martial Arts, James H. Sutton

Journal of Conscious Evolution

The rapid globalization of martial arts has reconditioned how the beliefs, customs, and philosophies of traditionally based systems are interpreted and applied in modern practice. As contemporary scholarship struggles to accommodate the cultural histories, myths, and traditions that permeate the perception of martial arts in modern contexts, the focus of inquiry has shifted towards explaining cultural variations in practice rather than understanding the nature of self-awareness derived from self-practice. Consequently, the deeper meanings of martial arts as pathways to personal and transpersonal awareness are often invalidated in favor of objective and verifiable explications. In short, the role of consciousness is …

Both Studying And Protecting Octopuses “On Their Own Terms”, Jennifer Jacquet, Janelle Kaz, Becca Franks, Christine Webb

Animal Sentience

Cephalopods – indeed, all animals – “must be seen on their own terms,” with respect for their autonomy and their ecological imperatives. This will provide greater scientific insight along with a more ethical and accurate understanding of minds beyond our own.

Measuring Human Ability To Detect Emotional Energies In Transpersonal Fields Of Consciousness, Carol Richardson Phd, Mdiv, Mph

Journal of Conscious Evolution

This research presents original data from an online research survey with 111 respondents regarding their ability to detect emotional energies in transpersonal fields of consciousness in crowds and dyads. The data show that a majority of respondents, from 90% to 96.4%, reported experiencing different emotions “in the air,” such as excitement, tension, anxiety, anger, and love. Personal data responses include age, gender or gender identity, and worldview. Examples of possible worldviews include: “scientific, not religious, not spiritual”; “spiritual and scientific”; “religious”; and “religious and scientific.” Respondents were given two free-answer essay options: one in which they could describe their personal …

Cephalopod Consciousness On “Their Own Terms”: Who Are “They”?, Willa M. Lane, Victor Ajuwon, Nicola S. Clayton

Animal Sentience

Mather’s call to consider cephalopods’ consciousness “on their own terms” raises the question of the extent to which cephalopods can be considered a homogenous group. While coloeoid cephalopods share traits that strongly distinguish them from other molluscs and invertebrates, they show vast ecological and morphological diversity, with implications for the design of empirical investigations of consciousness. Extending Mather’s argument, we apply Birch et al.’s (2020) five-dimensional model to compare octopus, cuttlefish, squid, and nautilus. This comparison shows that even within a graded rather than categorical framework, putative consciousness profiles depend on which taxa are included in discussions of “cephalopod consciousness.” …

Access Denied: An Argument Against King’S Propositional Access Principle, Jesse Fitts

Philosophy Faculty Research

Accounts of propositions face a problem that originates in the ontology of numbers: If propositions are abstract and causally isolated, then it’s unclear how agents cognitively access them. Jeff King presents a solution to this problem for his theory of propositions. King’s solution follows from a more general principle of cognitive access, which this paper challenges.

When Blatant Stereotype Threat Manipulations Fail: Participant Skepticism, Perceptions Of Experimenter Bias, And Anticipation Of Performance Used For Evaluation, Allison Seitchik, Emily J. Hangen

Psychology Faculty Publications

Past research has found a lack of stereotype threat effects with various explanations. Across four studies, we investigated participant skepticism toward blatant stereotype threat (vs. control) materials by measuring women’s personal beliefs and perceptions of the experimenter’s beliefs about gender differences existing on an upcoming math test. The results supported personal skepticism: participants perceived the experimenter as holding stereotyped beliefs on the task to a greater degree than the participants did themselves, regardless of stereotype threat materials. Although participants’ beliefs and their perceptions of the experimenter’s beliefs did not explain performance, anticipation of their data being used to test for …

Culture Mediates Climate Opinion Change: A System Dynamics Model, Louis (Lou) Gross, Yoon Ah Shin, Sara M. Constantino, Ann Kinzig, Katherine Lacasse, Brian Beckage

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Investigating The Relationship Between Noun Classes And Plant Folk Taxonomy In Chasu Language Of Kilimanjaro Region In Tanzania, Peter Rabson Mziray

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The current study investigates the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu (G 22). The study focuses on two objectives: the first objective is to describe the plant folk taxonomy in Chasu and the second objective is to determine the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu. Data were collected from rural villages in Same and Mwanga districts by using free listing, field interviews (jungle-walk-and-identify), and written texts containing Chasu plant names. The findings reveal that Chasu folk taxonomy reflects different ethnobotanical categories; including a unique beginner which is mmea/mimea ‘plant(s)’, and three life …

The Term Consciousness And Impressive Evidence For Cephalopod Awareness, Donald M. Broom

Animal Sentience

Mather presents comprehensive evidence of cephalopod cognitive ability and of a high level of awareness. The importance of taking account of the biological functioning and adaptations to the living environment is emphasised. An argument is presented that it is better to limit the use of the word conscious to ‘not unconscious’ and to use awareness in relation to the various levels of cognitive functioning.

The Consciousness Inherent In Chasing Your Tail, Sergio M. Pellis Dr.

Animal Sentience

Who is conscious and how do we know? Complexity in behavior and cognition is certainly a clue that cannot be ignored in identifying this trait, and as Mather’s target article shows, it is hard not to imagine consciousness arising in cephalopods. But how complex is complex? An alternative may be gleaned from the fact that all living things rely on negative feedback to navigate their worlds, and this requires all sentient beings knowing what is to be stabilized in reflection to themselves. If so, consciousness is a universal trait.

Consciousness Below Scuba Depths, Michael Vecchione

Animal Sentience

Abstract: Jennifer Mather has nicely summarized what is known about consciousness in shallow water octopods as well as what is known about shallow water squids and cuttlefish. However, once she gets below SCUBA depths, she misses out on most of cephalopod diversity. I have attempted to add this aspect and perhaps some evolutionary biology to this target article.

Strategic Branding: The Critical Role Of Brand Strategy For Successful Branding Initiatives, Sara Virginia Abell

Senior Honors Theses

In the increasingly saturated world of branding, the ability to rise above the noise and establish meaningful connections with an audience is essential. This thesis explores the relationship between brand strategy development and successful branding outcomes. An initial review of relevant literature is conducted, focusing on the importance and creation of strategy. Further consideration is given to the unique challenges associated with rebranding efforts. The practical impact of brand and rebrand strategies is underscored through case studies across varying contexts. Following this, the implementation of strategy is discussed, with an emphasis on the role of design elements and principles in …

Eeg And Media Multitasking: Adhd As A Moderating Factor, Xiaoying Guo

Theses and Dissertations

Media use has become an integral part of everyday life. It has risen dramatically over the past century with the advent of television, computers, and digital platforms, and more recently, it has been characterized by individuals using multiple devices simultaneously (Bushman & Anderson, 2001; Nielsen Media Research, 1998; Rideout & Robb, 2019, 2021). Media multitasking (MMT) has been linked to cognitive control challenges and attentional difficulties. This study examined EEG workload (Fz theta/Pz alpha ratio), survey accuracy, and ADHD traits (ASRS v1.1) in 33 adult participants across baseline and single-versus dual-media conditions. Results indicated that mental workload was significantly higher …

Cephalopod Consciousness: Asking The Right Questions, Gordon Burghardt

Animal Sentience

Jennifer Mather has provided a comprehensive and fascinating overview of the various cognitive accomplishments of cephalopods and their sensory, behavioral, and neurophysiological attributes. The advances in our understanding of a clade that has been separated from vertebrate evolution by well over half a billion years is a testament to advances in both methodology and the questions we now feel free to address. Mather embeds her review in the issue of consciousness, which is certainly a perennial issue in mental evolution, going back to Romanes and earlier. I argue that the term “consciousness” has such a checkered history and is used …