[Nettime-bold] LEA SPECIAL ISSUE - CONSCIOUSNESS STUDIES EAST AND WEST

["Fatima Lasay" <digiteer@ispbonanza.com.ph>]

LEA SPECIAL ISSUE - CONSCIOUSNESS STUDIES EAST AND WEST


In recent years, there has been a surge in interest in the study of
consciousness, especially within the scientific community. Such studies
explore the definition and nature of consciousness from points of view of
neurobiology, psychology and psychiatry. Often, however, such explorations
lead to more questions than answers, and a vast divergence of opinion on
what actually constitutes consciousness - is it entirely a biological
entity, or something that is shaped not only by biology but by other
factors? What roles do experience and environment play in the development of
consciousness, if any?


At the same time as this surge in interest, there has been greater interest
on the part of the scientific community in exploring points of view from
other cultures and traditions, especially those with strong contemplative
aspects, on the nature and workings of consciousness. One result of such
interest has been the development of conferences between Western scientists
and prominent spiritual leaders, including the Dalai Lama, in order to
further investigate the meaning and nature of consciousness in different
cultures and contexts, and the implications of such studies for the world
and humanity at large.

For this special issue of LEA, we are interested in discussions of
consciousness in the context of Western philosophical and scientific
traditions and how such theories might relate to, complement or contradict
presentations according to contemplative religious traditions such as
Buddhism, Hinduism, Sufism, etc. We are also interested in works by artists
that explore such themes, especially those utilizing technology and
technology-related ideas.

We are interested in the following types of articles:


1.Theoretical discussions - Discussions relating to the nature and functions
of consciousness, either according to scientific perspectives or according
to an established spiritual contemplative tradition. These discussions may
be of a theoretical nature but should be supported by solid citations and
references as much as possible. As the intention is to compare, contrast and
explore points of convergence between scientific and contemplative views, we
are especially interested in work that explicitly discusses such points.
Although contributors' opinions are welcome, we would like the discussions
to rely on generally accepted scholarship and theories, whether within
scientific or spiritual traditions. These articles can be anywhere from
1,000 to 4,000 words.


2.Artists' articles - Shorter discussions of specific technology-related
artworks that explore the convergence of ideas related to consciousness,
spirituality, etc. These can be between 500 and 1,500 words.


We are planning this issue for publication in early 2003. If you have any
questions or ideas for submission, please contact Patrick Lambelet by 15 Nov
2002: <plambelet@tiscali.it>.


What is LEA?
-------------

Established in 1993, the Leonardo Electronic Almanac (ISSN No: 1071-4391)
is the electronic arm of the world's most prestigious art journal, Leonardo
- Journal of Art, Science & Technology. LEA is jointly produced by
Leonardo, the International Society for the Arts, Sciences and Technology
(ISAST) and published under the auspices of MIT Press.
--



 * Digiteer Art Tech Cult http://digitalmedia.upd.edu.ph/digiteer/
 * Algorithmic Music http://www.mp3.com/fatimalasay
 * Experimental Classical http://www.mp3.com/breathemusic/
 * Discussion Group send email to digiteer-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

_______________________________________________
Nettime-bold mailing list
Nettime-bold@nettime.org
http://amsterdam.nettime.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/nettime-bold