Integral Coaching: The Importance of “Looking As” the Client

It is often said that to Look As a client is more challenging than Look At the client, but I really feel so through my coaching journey. Both of them require a different kind of ability of a coach.  In a word, the ability to Look At the client calls for a high cognitive development to see the client from multi-perspectives. On the other hand, the ability to Look As the client entails not only cognitive development but also various lines’ development (emotional, somatic, interpersonal, spiritual, moral, etc.). That’s why I need to make strenuous efforts to develop whole capacities as a coach, as a human through integral life practices. 

My Integral Coaching and the Wisdom of Behaviorism

              I believe that the insights of the psychotherapeutic schools associated with behaviorism might be helpful for my coaching clients. Now, I engage in Integral Coaching activity, which is based on Ken Wilber’s Integral Theory and Robert Kegan’s Subject-Object Theory. In each coaching case, I always need to assess client’s behavioral aspects. For example, in every coaching session, I make sure that I ask my clients about questions related to individual objective things (e.g., action, respond, behavior, energy flow, etc.). Furthermore, I pay attention to my behavior during coaching session, for instance, my posture, gesture, facial expression, energy state, and breathing rhythm.  

In addition to the assessment, I sometimes offer some developmental exercises for my clients to create a new way of being, considering my client’s past behavioral patterns. When I think about the best exercise for my clients, I’d like to refer to psychotherapeutic techniques more. Especially, I think that Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy will be helpful to modify clients’ behavioral patterns, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is also useful to make clients’ life rich and meaningful. In a word, the wisdom of behaviorism is indispensable in my coaching in order to assess and transform my clients.   

Subjectivity and Objectivity

At first, when I was thinking of behaviorism, I felt as if I had been a “machine” and all my acts, behaviors, and movements had been predetermined by outside force. Literally, I was not a human being but a machine without mind during the imagination. However, my perception came to change gradually. I was able to appreciate the both subjective and objective aspects in reality, though behaviorism is apt to emphasize objectivity in human beings. In other words, by virtue of the wisdom of behaviorism, I came to perceive vividly both subjective and objective realms in this world.  

“I” am living today, and “I” am the last “I” who live today

“I” am living today (actually, I don’t know whether I’m living or not), and “I” am the last “I” who live today. I came up with this while running this morning. 

Gifts and Limitations in Behaviorism

From my perspective as an Integral practitioner, the most important gift of behaviorism is to enhance my understanding of objective aspects in human beings. In behaviorism, human beings are defined as measurable objects in a scientific manner. Due to this objective approach, a plethora of human behavioral mechanisms are elucidated. 

Although behaviorism has contributed to social science extensively, that includes inherent limitations. For instance, Skinner (1957) explains that “[t]he simplest and most satisfactory view is that thought is simply behavior” (p. 449). This statement implies one of the limitations in behaviorism. Even though our subjective experiences (thoughts, emotions, feelings, etc.) can’t be measured objectively, Skinner reduced our thoughts (subjective aspect) into our behaviors (objective aspects). We need to respect the wisdom of behaviorism mentioned above, but we need to pay attention to the intrinsic limitations at the same time. 

Reference

Modifying Someone Else’s Behavior

              I’d like to introduce a simple practice in behaviorism to modify someone else’s behavior. A lot of experiments have shown that “verbal behavior can be conditioned by selectively rewarding types of words or phrases” (as cited in Frager & Fadiman, 2002). Considering this concept, we can give others some rewarding verbal behaviors by simply nodding our heads or saying “yeah” or “uh-huh.” That kind of verbal behaviors may be effective to reinforce other’s behaviors whenever they express emotional statements in particular.  

Reference

Personality and Personal Growth (6th Edition)

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy: Socratic Questions

              Socratic questions is generally used in Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) in order to make a client discover and understand his/her irrational beliefs. Dryden (1999) articulates the key point in Socratic questioning. Firstly, Socratic questioning encourages clients to understand rational principles. In this method, therapists don’t give clients a certain answer but ask several questions in order to encourage them to think by themselves. If the client’s answer is still irrational, RBET therapists ask further questions based on the answer to guide him or her to the rational answer (Dryden, 1999). Through this process, a client discovers his or her irrational beliefs and changes them into rational ones gradually.

Reference

Weekly Reading Log

As long as I remember, the following books were interesting for me this week.

Observational Learning and Retention Process: Bandura's Model

Observational Learning

              While Skinner insisted that responses must first occur and then be reinforced, Bandura averred that our learning occurred through observation (Frager & Fadiman, 2002). Bandura called this “observational learning.” In a word, this learning process arises when we observe that someone gets rewards for their behavior, and we receive second-hand reinforcement.

Retention Process

              Retention process is one of the key components in observational learning. Unless people remember the objects which they observed, the effect of observational learning decreases. In order to retain our memory, imaginal and verbal systems are crucial in observational learning. Some of our behaviors are retained in imagery. As a famous experiment, children who watched a violent TV became more likely to act aggressively than who were not exposed to violent TV. In fact, there are some critics in this experiment, but visual imagery seems to play an important role in observational learning. Especially, it may have significant influence on infants who don’t develop verbal skills fully yet.

              In addition to imaginal systems, verbal systems are important in observational learning. Bandura (1976) points out: “Most of the cognitive processes that regulate behavior are primarily verbal rather than visual” (p. 26). In this point, Bandura explains that verbal codes convey a great deal of information in an easily stored form. Furthermore, Bandura illustrates: “When people mentally rehearse or actually perform modeled response patterns, they are less likely to forget them than if they neither think about them nor practice what they have seen” (p. 26). This represents our visualization power.  

The Power of Self-Efficacy: Key Points and Practices

              I’d like to recapitulate Bandura’s one interesting concept, “self-efficacy.” Bandura defined self-efficacy as “people’s beliefs in their capabilities to produce desired effects by their own actions” (as cited in Frager & Fadiman, 2002). In cognitive psychology, self-efficacy is regarded as a key factor in our behavior. If we have a strong self-efficacy, we are able to tackle difficulties, perceiving them as challenges in lieu of threats. Furthermore, “a sense of self-efficacy also enhances our physiological response to stress, including strengthening the immune system” (as cited in Frager & Fadiman, 2002). This is a very fascinating point, and self-efficacy contributes to both our mental and physical realms.
Five Key Points (Maddux, "Handbook of Positive Psychology)
1 Successful Performance.
2 Vicarious experiences of success.
3 Internal success images.
4 Verbal persuasion.
5 Physiological and emotional arousal.
Practical Methods (Bandura's model)
1 Provide people with success experiences by setting for them difficult but achievable goals.
2 Observe models performing successfully.
3 Supply verbal encouragement that the person can perform successfully.
4 Use diet, stress reduction, and exercise to control physiological arousal and thus increase stamina,strength, and relaxation under pressure.

Reference

1 Personality and Personal Growth (6th Edition)
2 Handbook of Positive Psychology

Behavioral Control and Functional Analysis in Behaviorism

I picked up the following two key ideas in behaviorism and pointed out the reductionistic aspect.

1 Behavior Control

Whereas many psychologists were interested in predicting human behavior in around 1950’s, Skinner had a strong interest in the control of behavior. To describe Skinner’s point succinctly, he contended that human beings are strongly controlled by the environment, and if we can change the environment, we can control behavior. In my view, if he defines the environment as only an exterior one, his idea is a little bit reductionistic. I admit the impact of the outer world on us, but it is not so easy to control our behavior when we change the only outer environment.   

In terms of Integral Theory which is proposed by Ken Wilber, Wilber (2000) addresses the importance of integral approach. In his theory, not only exterior environment (system, structure, etc.) but also interior environment (culture, shared meaning, shared value, etc.), interior individual aspects (thought, belief, emotion, sensation, etc.), and outer individual aspects (e.g., action, blood pressure, brain state) are also important. In that sense, when we want to change behavior, we need to at least the above four dimensions.

2 Functional Analysis

             Functional analysis deals with our behavior as a “function” of condition which can be described by physical terms. Put it in another way, the main idea of functional analysis is to elucidate the cause and effect of our behavior, and Frager & Fadiman (2002) point out: “Precise descriptions of behavior help us make accurate predictions of future behaviors and improve the analysis of the reinforcements that led to the behavior” (p. 257). However, I refute the assumption that the analysis of current behavior leads to a certain future behavior. I think that we need to consider not only behavioral patterns but also other factors which I mentioned above in terms of Integral Theory to predict a future behavior.

Reference

1 Personality and Personal Growth (6th Edition)
2A Theory of Everything: An Integral Vision for Business, Politics, Science, and Spirituality

The Distinct Characteristic of Behavior Therapy

Regarding behavioral transformation and healing model, therapy plays a significant role. In a behaviorists’ perspective, the aim of therapy is not to make clients feel better or be better modified. That is because behaviorists believe that “therapy must try to modify the shape or order of behaviors―that is, prevent undesirable behaviors from recurring and have desirable behaviors occur more often” (Frager & Fadiman, 2002, p. 262).

In other words, behavioral therapists tend to focus on actual behaviors rather than inner states or trauma of clients. Thus, the distinct characteristic of behavior therapy is not to attempt to adjust emotional attitudes in clients but to pinpoint clients’ actual behaviors in order to modify them.     
Reference

Personality and Personal Growth (6th Edition)

“Human Behavior, Learning, and the Developing Brain”: Does Coaching Enhance Human Language Skills? Which Brain Parts Activated Through Coaching?

In the chapter of “Experience and Developmental Changes in the Organization of Language-Relevant Brain Activity,” the author elucidates the process of human language development in terms of cognitive neuroscience. As for the shaping new synapses and a new brain, Mills & Sheehan (2007) expounds: “experience plays an important role in shaping the organization of the brain for a variety of sensory and cognitive process such as music, face recognition, speech perception, and language development” (p. 183). 


After reading this sentence, I remembered my coaching session. In a coaching session, clients explore themselves and explain various kinds of things about a coaching topic. During the coaching session, I noticed that coaching process has the possibility to enhance clients’ cognitive and language development because they objectify themselves as possible as they can and try to describe themselves as detailed as possible by using language with dexterity in the coaching process. 


Furthermore, in my view, coaching is a kind of the non-ordinary experience in our daily life. The main reason is that there may not be more powerful opportunities to identify and dis-identify own than coaching. I assume that the extraordinary experience, coaching activates our brain, especially the part which we don’t usually stimulate. Also, I witnessed the situation several times that my clients’ words and language became crystallized gradually in my coaching session. Therefore, my interests are: Does coaching develop language skills (cognitive ability)? Which parts in a brain are activated through coaching?

Reference

I read this book because one of the editors is Dr. Kurt W. Fischer. He is a founder of “Mind, Brain, and Education” program at Harvard Graduate School of Education. I’m really interested in this new type of education program and his research topics.

“The Developing Mind”: Attachment Theory for Human Development

I came up with one thought after reading the description of attachment theory in this book. Siegel (1999) points out that it is important for parents to give enough attachment to their children, especially when their children are infants. Also, he describes the importance of attachment for infants in the following: “When children develop secure attachments to parents, these allow them to go out into the world to explore and develop relationships with others” (p. 71). 

I totally agree with his idea, but I think this theory is more versatile. In my view, something sacred phenomenon is occurring when parents and infants interact with each other. So, of course, the attachment to parents cultivates infants’ emotional and interpersonal competencies, but also I think that interaction with infants enriches parents’ emotional and interpersonal competencies. In that sense, I believe that attachment theory is not only for infants’ development but also for parents’ growth.

Reference:

Providing Coaching and Getting Coaching

Yesterday was a meaningful day for me as a coach. I can’t describe it well, but because I felt a “true human connection” between my client and I. Also, I noticed the moment during the coaching session was, sacred, holy, and blessed. Actually, I believe that my client’s Big Mind and Big Heart resonated with mine…The atmosphere during coaching session was like a concert of the masterpiece of symphony with  mixture of agony and jubilance. I’ve never “tasted” such a moment before. Yesterday’s experience ignited my heart and passion as a coach.

Also, I got coaching from my Integral Coach through Skype today. This was also an exceptional experience for me. She gave me not only feedback about my assessment of my clients but also plethora of insights toward my assessment, client’s coaching topic, and my “CWOB (Current Way of Being).” The coaching session with her was a succession of “aha moments.”

I really would like to continue to provide people who rely on me and need support with Integral Coaching, and I wish to keep on getting Integral Coaching from other coaches. Both of them are wonderful opportunity to interact with others deeply and accelerate not only clients’ and my psychological growth but also our quality of life. I believe so.

Harvard Graduate School of Education: Information Session @ San Francisco

Harvard Graduate School of Education: Information Session @ San Francisco

Yesterday, I participated in the information session for Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) programs. Actually, I’m intrigued by HGSE, especially Human Development and Education (Ed.D.), Human Development and Psychology (Ed.M.) and Mind, Brain, and Education (Ed.M.). After graduation from JFKU, I plan to go to the one of three (I’ll apply for the 2013-2014 academic year), but I needed more information. In that sense, yesterday’s information session was very helpful for me, so I’d like to share the information I got there.

1 What’s the difference between Ed.D. and Ed.L.D?

Ed.D is a really, really research based program.

2 Essay is critical for admission. You need to clarify at least the following questions.

-Who you are? What’s your experience? What brought you to HGSE?

-What’s your interest? What do you want to learn at HGSE?

-What’s your career vision? What do you want to do after HGSE?

In addition to the above questions, if you plan to apply for Ed.D programs, you need to make clear the following questions.

-What’s your research topic?

-Who do you want to work with?

3 Three Recommendation Letters

-Usually, the two are academic and the other is experiential.

4 Interview is only for Ed.L.D program.

5 Human development and psychology in Ed.M has a lot of research opportunities. The number of this program is the largest in HGSE.

If you apply for HGSE, please feel free to comment or contact me. Let’s share the information each other. Yohei

“The Origin of Minds”: Theory of Other Minds

I was really intrigued by the theory of other minds (ToOM). It is my understanding that ToOM is like an empathetic ability to understand other feelings, emotions, sensations, and thoughts. I totally acknowledge that ToOM can be called “Mind Read.” Because I’ve met many people who pointed out my emotion or feeling in that moment in a very precise way. 

However, I always had the following question: Why are they able to put themselves in my shoes so skillfully? After reading the mechanism of ToOM, I had an assumption in terms of neuroscience that they might have strong neuron networks to grasp “stimulus (I’m looking at a candy),” “state change (I’m motivated to eat it),” “behavior (I’m eating it),” “outcome (I feel happy).” How much robust network do they create?    

Reference

The Origin of Minds: Evolution, Uniqueness, and the New Science of the Self

Skinner's Model: Conditioning and Reinforcer

              Regarding the primary model of pathology in behaviorism, conditioning and reinforcement are the key concepts to adjust negative behaviors. Thus, I’d like to describe the mechanism of conditioning and reinforcement in the following.

              In the first place, Frager & Fadiman (2002) explicates that “the conditioning that takes place depends on what occurs after the behavior has been completed” (p. 252). The following example illustrates the idea of the conditioning. I have one client who wants to break the habit of biting his nail. But it seems difficult for him to stop that quickly because he has this habit for many years. So, I decided to give him a cigarette which is his favorite thing when he wants to bite his nail. Once he was able to stop biting his nail, I gave him a cigarette. Gradually, his negative habit was modified by the cigarettes. This reward may not be desirable, but the conditioning (especially, operant conditioning) is roughly the above process. To explain more about the characteristics of the conditioning, there are mainly three points. The first is that “conditioning can and does take place without awareness” (Frager & Fadiman, 2002, p. 253). In other words, our recognitions are affected by our past perceptions, and we are not aware of learning to respond to a conditioned response in our daily life. The second is that “conditioning is maintained in spite of awareness” (p. 253). To put it another way, we can be conditioned even though we perceive the process of conditioning. In a sense, we may not resist the conditioned responses by using awareness. The last is that “conditioning is less effective when the subject is aware but uncooperative” (p. 253). This means that a positive cooperation is required to modify a negative conditioning to positive one.

              In the second place, this is Skinner’s view: our all behaviors are created by a mixture of positive and negative reinforcers. Here, I’d like to clarify the meaning of both positive and negative reinforcers. In a word, a positive reinforcer is a stimulus that serves to increase the likelihood of the response that produces it. For instance, ice cream could be a positive reinforcer when we feel hot, and if we eat it, we tend to behave in the same way again on similar occasions. On the other hand, a negative reinforcer is a stimulus that works for decreasing the likelihood of the response that produces it (Frager & Fadiman, 2002). For example, turning off the radio when we attempt to work, and if turning off the radio increases the quality of our work, the stimulus of turning off the radio is a negative reinforcer.

              As the above described, the mechanism of conditioning and reinforcement will be key when we modify a certain habit.  

Reference

1 Personality and Personal Growth (6th Edition)

Mimic Wilber’s Writing and Speaking Style: Activate My Mirror Neuron

Seven months have passed since I came to USA. Honestly speaking, I’m still struggling with English every day (especially, when I express my thoughts, feelings, emotions, and sensations, it is still difficult for me to convey the deep sense of them to others), but my English seems to be improved, compared with the level right after my coming here, I want to believe so…

Actually, I have continued to copy (type) Wilber’s books every day in order to acquire his writing skill. In addition to that, I started to watch a Wilber’s DVD or videos and mimic his speaking style. This is a kind of shadowing method.

I hope that my mirror neuron will be activated, and I’ll be like Wilber someday. Please laugh at me, if I come to write and speak English like Ken Wilber. I think most people’s writing and speaking style are affected by someone else. That could be by parents, friends, teachers, etc. Fortunately or unfortunately, I grew up in Japan (Chinese characters, hiragana, katakana culture) for 25 years, so in a sense, my English is not strongly affected by someone else. This may mean that I can be anyone…

Where is the first force situated on Ken Wilber’s spectrum of consciousness model?

Ken Wilber’s spectrum of consciousness model comprises the following four levels: shadow, ego, existential, and mind. To come right to the point, the behavioral force is situated on the existential level. In this level, Wilber (1975) expounds that human beings are identified with their psychophysical organism, and the organism is regarded as the existence in space and time. Put Wilber’s remarks more simply, in this level, human beings come to acquire rational thought and will power which separate self and other, and organism and environment.

This description of human beings is almost the same as behaviorism’s definition. The basic concept in behaviorism is that human beings have thinking ability, and their thoughts, emotions, and feelings are all considered as “behaviors.” In other words, human beings obtain a rational mind to differentiate the internal world from the outer environment, though human thoughts are reduced to the word “behaviors.”

Although Wilber’s spectrum of consciousness model doesn’t directly refer to behaviorism, for the reasons mentioned above, I think the first force (behaviorism) is categorized into the existential level in Wilber’s model.  

Reference:

1 Wilber, K. (1975). Psychologia perennis: The spectrum of consciousness. Journal of Transpersonal Psychology. 7(2), 105-132.

2 The Spectrum of Consciousness

The Origin of Minds: Evolution, Uniqueness, and the New Science of the Self

Homeostasis: Why We Can't Change?
I think this self-regulating function “homeostasis” is an interesting physiological phenomenon. The author gives us a good example of homeostasis: it’s like a thermostat. When I read this example, I came up with my weight. Each of us has a specific desirable weight, for example, for me, the range from 56 to 58 kilogram is my healthy weight. Therefore, if my weight exceeds 58 kilogram or falls below 56 kilogram, my weight automatically falls within my desirable weight range. This is my experience. 

However, some people may go over or down too much their healthy range, and their function of homeostasis doesn’t seem to work well… At first, I took for granted that this phenomenon was a case of failure of homeostasis. But, after thinking deeply, I came to think that this phenomenon may also be one example of homeostasis. Perhaps, once we set a desirable weight over or under the healthy range and we feel comfortable with the new weight unconsciously, it is may be very difficult for us to change the weight into proper weight because homeostasis makes us keep the new weight. I suppose that we have not only physiological homeostasis but also “psychological” homeostasis… Thus, psychological homeostasis may become a key factor when we attempt to transform or change.

Behavior and Psychological Man: Essays in Motivation and Learning

I thought I needed to cultivate my understanding of classical behavioral psychology, so I picked up this book. I admire the wisdom the contents written in this book, but classical behavioral psychology relies too much on the assumption that brain functions of human beings are equal to those of other animals, especially rats…

Where were and are my passions?

I just came up with the idea where my passion were in the past and are now. Maybe the following chart represents my academic interests.

Age	Passions (Interests)
7-11	Entomology, Paleontology (I bought all books about the fields in a near bookstore, saving my monthly small allowance)
12-13	Brain Science (not phenomenological mind but physical brain)
14-18	N/A I can’t remember…
19-23	Business Strategy, Accounting, Economics
24-25	Integral Theory, Psychology, Organizational Behavior
25~	Integral Theory, Developmental Psychology, Consciousness Studies, Cognitive Psychology, Humanistic Psychology, Behavioral Psychology, Neuropsychology, Neurophilosophy, Pedagogy, Transpersonal Psychology, Psychoanalysis, Psychosynthesis, Linguistics, Hermeneutics, Anthropology, System Theory,…the list goes on.

 At first glance, my current interests seem chaotic…but they are a part of our reality or the universe.  In that sense, my interests don’t reside in one academic area any more but I may be interested in this reality itself.

Simulations Make You Suffer: From Buddha's Brain

This chapter (Simulations Make You Suffer) was really insightful for me. That is because I’m likely to simulate my future too much (This is my most distinctive characteristic from childhood. In terms of the Enneagram, this is one of type seven’s characteristics.) So much so, I can’t sometimes feel happy in the present moment. Of course, I don’t want to choose the extreme idea to stop simulations completely, but I need to recognize the author’s beautiful words: “it’s only in the present moment that we find real happiness, love, or wisdom” (Hanson, 2009, p. 44).

Reference:

Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom

Change and Equilibrium in Our Brain and Mind

When I read the chapter “The Challenges of Maintaining an Equilibrium” in Buddha’s Brain, I came up with one thing about an interesting characteristic of human mind and brain. I think that human beings are very mysterious and enigmatic creatures. Because we have inconsistent tendencies to maintain equilibrium and to change. Regarding our mind, we sometimes have desire to change in our mind. However, in such a situation, we often suffer from a psychological resistance to avoid change. In addition, in terms of neuroscience, our brain changes continuously, which is to say, the cells in our brain always continues the process of creation and annihilation. Thus, our brain goes on with changing and trying to keep balance. In a certain sense, we, human beings may be always caught in a dilemma between change and equipoise mentally and physically.

Reference: 

Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom

A Brain-Based Approach to Coaching: Neuroscience and Coaching

I read an interesting article “A Brain-Based Approach to Coaching” which introduces a unique coaching method based on neuroscience. To tell you the truth, I really expect the neurophilosophy class to give me a hint or a fresh idea which makes my coaching more effective and more functional. In that sense, this article provided me with unique perspectives about coaching. Basically, why do we need coaching? I came up with this fundamental question in my mind though I work as a coach now. As for this question, the author explains the need of coaching in the following way. For us, “change” is much harder than we think, and not only we but also our brains need coaches. This is a unique answer. 

In my view, each of us has inherent immune system to change. So, it is strenuous for us to change something which we want to alter. The author remarks that “change requires more than just scant thought; it requires ongoing attention and a significant effort of the will.” This statement implies an important thing. We need continuing awareness and conscious training in order to change something in us. However, we tend not be able to do that by ourselves. That is because our will power is not so strong as we think, and we have immune systems to change. In that sense, we need others’ help to change; that is coaching. Coaches encourage clients’ constant awareness and support their endeavor to change.

Brain-Based Therapy with Adults: Evidence-Based Treatment for Everyday Practice

Arden and Linford (2009) insist: “The more often the neural network organizes an event such as a memory, the more likely it is that this event will occur again, and when it does reoccur, it will take less energy to make it happen” (p. 22). In retrospect, I understand this sentence from my past (or current) experiences. When I learn something new, in the beginning, the learning process is tough and rugged. That is because my new neural network is not built firmly, but it is a frail and weak network. 

Thus, I need to spend (sometimes enormous) time and effort to establish a new neural network. In that sense, the authors’ point is true for me. Also, once a new neural network is created in my brain, the learning content requires little effort for me. In other words, I become able to do the same thing without spending my energy a lot.

Mind Wide Open: Your Brain and the Neuroscience of Everyday Life, What is Qualia?

In the book of “Mind wide open,” the author, Johnson (2004) refers to “qualia.” I’ve heard of this word before again and again, but I’ve never taken a real understanding of the meaning. It is my understanding that qualia are our subjective feelings, in other words, our sense of feelings themselves. For instance, when we smell good, electronic signals corresponding to the stimulus are produced in our brain. However, these electronic signals are not qualia. Qualia are our pleasant feelings themselves in this case. 

Regarding qualia, I came up with the following questions: Where do our qualia arise from? Where do our qualia exist? In my view, our qualia show up from our consciousness and also reside in our consciousness. However, I still don’t know the process of production. What creates our qualia? How do our qualia come from our consciousness? By the way, what creates our consciousness? The list of my philosophical questions goes on.

Brain and Mind Development?

Hanson (2009) explains “as the brain develops in childhood, so does the mind; if the brain is ever damaged, so is the mind” (p. 10). I agree with this idea for the main part, but I have several questions. I’m not sure the meaning of “mind development” in this sentence. What does it mean our mind develops? Perhaps, the author doesn’t definite it appropriately. If it means that our perception to the world is expanded, why is our phenomenological perception widened when our physical brain is developed? I’d like to know the link between our physical brain and phenomenological mind. 

Furthermore, if I turn the author’s argument upside down, what does it happen? ; As the mind develops, so does the brain.” Is that true? When our mind develops more and more, our physical brain also grows in accordance with the development of our mind? If so, we, human beings may get a new function of the brain or new part of the brain in the future. The possibility about our physical brain’s evolution will still remain. How far can our mind and brain evolve?

Reference

1 Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom

Business Administration and Economics→Psychology and Consciousness

In retrospect, I selected economics classes (microeconomics, macroeconomics, econometrics, financial economics, etc.) as all of my electives when I was an undergraduate student (my major was business administration, especially accounting, more specifically managerial accounting). Now, at JFKU, I selected consciousness classes as my all electives…Interestingly, my academic background is like below chart.

In a word, this is my joking, but my academic history could be called “integral.” What’s next? I totally understand what I’d like to pursue next.

Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom

This is a required book in neurophilosophy class at JFKU. This book encompasses plenty of topics about neuroscience. As the tile says, this book also covers many practices to train our brain. I recommend this book, but I feel something is missing in this book…Maybe I wanted to read about more neurophilosophical issues. 

Neurophilosophy and Neuroscience Video

The following videos are recommended by my teacher in neurophilosophy class. The second one may be a little monotonous, but it shows us our brain is a kind of “small universe.”

Brain Power

How the Human Brain Works

Postmodernism? Contribution and Limitation

As Wilber (2000) explains, modernism contributes to differentiation of art, morals, and science spheres which were regarded as undifferentiated sphere in pre-modernism. However, modernism includes some inherent limitations. From the modernism perspectives, the dominant belief is that it is possible to describe scientifically and logically all phenomena including subjective experiences. Furthermore, most modernists tend to believe that our reality is objective, and our world is based on materials.

As opposed to modernism, postmodernism came to the forefront. In a word, postmodernism is an antithesis of modernism, attempting to overcome the limitations in modernism. Also, a distinguishing characteristic in postmodernism is a relative worldview. In that sense, postmodernism is sometimes called as relativism.

As for the contribution of postmodernism, Wilber (1996) demonstrates: “the great postmodern discovery was that neither the self nor the world is simply pregiven, but rather they exist in contexts and backgrounds that have a history, a development” (p. 60).To put it in another way, postmodernism created a large philosophical map which embraces almost everything by acclaiming subsistent values in it. Therefore, the relativistic attribute in postmodernism is able to allow for the inclusion of additional paradigms.

Although postmodernism had a positive influence on many fields (e.g., philosophy, architecture, literature, music, etc.), it also includes innate limitations. In regard to this point, Mcintosh (2007) contends:

Postmodernism’s pathological fusion is found in the way that it fails to differentiate between the healthy aspects of the previous stages―aspects that we want to carry forward into the future and include―and the immature and pathological aspects of the previous stages that we would do well to leave behind. (p. 59)

              In other words, the potential weakness of postmodernism is that it can’t discern positive aspects from negative ones in previous stages. As a consequence, postmodernism tends to fall into an undesirable situation to include a flood of values without careful consideration.

Reference:

1 A Brief History of Everything

2 Integral Consciousness and the Future of Evolution