Paranormalia: Matthew Colborn on Consciousness

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Paranormalia is written by Robert McLuhan, a journalist and author based in London. Please contact me at robertmcluhan@gmail.com

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October 31, 2011

Matthew Colborn on Consciousness

I'm halfway through Matthew Colborn's new book on consciousness, Pluralism and the Mind, and am hugely impressed. Matt has posted here a few times, and has an interest in Buddhism and psychic research, which has helped to form his views. He provides a good survey of existing approaches in psychology, neuroscience and the philosophy of mind, and points up the flaws in physicalist thinking.

If you're interested in consciousness, and want a readable survey of the topic, then this is the one to go for. I'll be posting a review in a week or two.

Posted at 08:16 PM in consciousness | Permalink

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Thanks for this, Robert. Was great talking this weekend!

Posted by: Matt Colborn | November 08, 2011 at 09:10 AM

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‘These disturbing phenomena seem to deny all our usual scientific ideas. How we should like to discredit them! Unfortunately the statistical evidence, at least for telepathy, is overwhelming. It is very difficult to rearrange one’s ideas so as to fit these new facts in.’ Alan Turing, computer scientist.

‘I have noticed that if a small group of intelligent people, not supposed to be impressed by psychic research, get together and such matters are mentioned, and all feel that they are in safe and sane company, usually from a third to a half of them begin to relate exceptions. That is to say, each opens a little residual closet and takes out some incident which happened to them or to some member of their family, or to some friend whom they trust and which they think odd and extremely puzzling.’ Walter Prince, psychic researcher.

When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong. Arthur C. Clarke

‘Science seems to me to teach in the highest and strongest manner the great truth which is embodied in the Christian conception of entire surrender to the will of God. Sit down before fact as a little child, be prepared to give up every preconceived notion, follow humbly wherever and to whatever abysses nature leads, or you shall learn nothing.’ Thomas Henry Huxley

We can always immunize a theory against refutation. There are many such immunizing tactics; and if nothing better occurs to us, we can always deny the objectivity – or even the existence – of the refuting observation. Those intellectuals who are more interested in being right than in learning something interesting but unexpected are by no means rare exceptions. Karl Popper, on the defenders of materialism.

If we have learned one thing from the history of invention and discovery, it is that, in the long run - and often in the short one - the most daring prophecies seem laughably conservative. Arthur C. Clarke.

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