Teaching Responsibility
LJMU Schools involved in Delivery:
LJMU Partner Taught
Learning Methods
Lecture
Online
Tutorial
Module Offerings
7501ALEFTP-SEP-PAR
Aims
1. To enable students to engage critically with the contemporary discourse on the nature of consciousness—its relation to physical processes, such as those in the human brain, its possible status as a fundamental property of the universe, and the issues involved in those transformations of conscious state that spiritual and mystical traditions promote.
2. To explore in depth the impact of worldview, beliefs, and personal aspirations on definitions of consciousness and on the theories that have been advanced to explain consciousness.
3. To facilitate mature and informed reflection by students on their assumptions about the nature of consciousness and how these impact on their own sense of personal and/or spiritual growth.
Learning Outcomes
1.
Review and critically evaluate major theories that have been advanced to explain consciousness and its relation to other processes, such as those at microphysical, biological and/or universal levels of explanation.
2.
Conceptualise the relevance of current theories of consciousness for notions of psychological growth and/or spiritual development.
3.
Critically assess the contribution to the advancement of consciousness research of one or more recent conference presentations. This ability to be demonstrated through a group online presentation.
Module Content
Outline Syllabus:• Fundamental issues in the study of consciousness:
o Philosophical considerations
o Consciousness and modern physics
• Neuroscientific approaches to consciousness
o Neurophysiological concepts—binding; recurrent processing
o Cognitive neuroscience—implicit processing; global workspace
• Spiritual and mystical approaches to consciousness
o Perennialism and ‘pure consciousness’
o Transformations of conscious states.
Additional Information:This module is a core module on a fully online, distance learning MSc programme. All activities take place via the Collaborative Learning Environment (CLE) into which students will be inducted at the commencement of the programme.
The term "online" under Delivery Options includes teaching delivered through synchronous webinars and through asynchronous forums.