Academic Taboos About Consciousness with Marjorie Woollacott

Marjorie Woollacott, PhD, is emeritus professor of Neuroscience and Human Physiology at the University of Oregon. She is coauthor of the textbook, Motor Control: Translating Research Into Clinical Practice. She is author of Infinite Awareness: The Awakening of a Scientific Mind.

Here she describes the many obstacles that researchers and scholars in academia face when endeavoring to explore human consciousness. Even long-standing areas of research, such as meditation, are shown little respect in the mainstream neuroscience publications. She attributes much of the bias to the materialistic outlook that dominates academic thinking. However, she does see some signs that the situation is easing for consciousness researchers.

New Thinking Allowed host, Jeffrey Mishlove, PhD, hosted and co-produced the original Thinking Allowed public television series. He is a past vice-president of the Association for Humanistic Psychology; and is the recipient of the Pathfinder Award from that Association for his contributions to the field of human consciousness exploration.

(Recorded on April 12, 2018)

[alienprotocols]

You would think, out of all the professions, academia would be the most receptive to the exploration of the boundaries of consciousness!!!

[houshangsarkesh]

I love your spirit Dr, I am like your son but please we are the center of univers, look within, love you

[semichiganandy]

Another interesting talk. In grad school, I saw the games associated with tenure (physical sciences in this case) and chose the cesspool of industrial politics (corporate R&D). In that culture, religion is generally accepted as long as it's main stream of one sort or another that's associated with the person's country of origin. But do NOT admit to a belief in reincarnation or psychic phenomena of any sort (except for the Indian scientists, they were allowed). So, it's pervasive in science and not just limited to academia. I think it's because people adopt a behavior that they feel conforms to the group that they belong to. Pure conformity, just like in junior high (or middle school for the younger people). As a culture we need to grow up.

[anonymoushuman]

As a young philosophy student taking a course in the philosophy of mind, I once asked a neuroscientist in the psychology department what she thought I should look at. She recommended the interactionist dualism of Eccles! I didn't realize until a few years later what an unusual suggestion this was in her discipline.

[MrSolver]

Thoroughly enjoyed this one Jeff, it reminded me very much of Rupert Sheldrake's book 'The Science Delusion. It would be nice to see Rupert back for a discusion on New Thinking Allowed, his recent book 'Science and Spiritual Practice' would make for a great talking point.

[ForeverConsciousResearch]

"EXPAND Beyond Materialism!" Such a great quote. Also... denying or refusing to acknowledge scientific research on meditation is not surprising to say the least. Especially considering how suppressed everything else is in the consciousness related field.

TY both for this great interview.

Dr Mishlove you are a warrior in your field. Keep up the great work and don't let academia, science, and religion get you down. You are a trailblazer in your field and your body of work is absolutely mind blowing and will live on for generations to come. Be proud! 🥇

Thinking allowed is hands down my favorite channel on YT.

Much Love to everyone :hugs: 🤗🤗

[HueyTheDoctor]

I didn't watch anything on your channel for the last seven days and as a result I have 4 hours and 10 minutes of content to catch up on. That's pretty impressive, Jeffrey. I appreciate the pace with which you've been providing us with fresh food for thought.

[sonnycorbi]

AH !! - A BREACH IN THE BRAINS CLOGGED BIOMASS - PHYSICAL NURO SCIENTISTS WOULD HAVE US BELIEVE THAT THE BRAIN IS ENTIRELY RESPONSIBLE FOR NAMING ITSELF -

THANK YOU DOCTOR MARJORIE

[Sparty]

Excellent segment ☼ extensively shared <3

[augustreigns]

there is no way back,
only to go,
right through this.

[kirstinstrand]

Considering all the Trauma experienced in current populations, I suspect many people have become Conscious, without understanding this phenomenon. Consciousness evolves little by little; it is not immediate Bliss. Infact, it is becoming aware of reality...the blinders are removed. Then the work begins, requiring people to reflect on both past and current events, personally and culturally. At least this is how Consciousness found me.
Emotional or physical pain and suffering bring Consciousness to life.
Those who found a Guru to teach Meditation follow another method, it seems.
Both approaches ought to be studied.
Bliss occurs when we become content on a personal level from being Present...living in the moment; not in the Past or the Future. (which are only fantasy expectations.)

[alcosmic]

Great discussion

It seems to me that skeptics often make an open show of contempt as a power play -
after all, one is typically in a socially dominant position if one is in the position to display contempt, and an audience picks up on that implicitly

[RodCornholio]

I thought Jessica Utts' paper was a slam dunk on skeptics. Radin's "Entangled Minds" is also a tough nut for a skeptic to crack. I've realized that, short of a personal transformational experience, many false skeptics simply refuse ANY evidence for psi as a reaction.

[heyumr]

Much luck bridging the gap my friends.

[Flanalb]

I think there are a lot of scientists who acknowledge the value of meditation and the validity of parapsychology. Even the administrators who officially shun the type of studies you are talking about are trying to keep their institution functioning in the part of the real world that they have already staked out. When we all realize that more isn't better and consumption must be followed by digestion and elimination, we will all be better off. I think our world is stuffed to the gills with information already, and science really needs to stop collecting more or at least really digest what we have already taken in while the collection continues. Part of that process involves seriously looking at the structure of the network (or hologram) that the information fits into. It is a very empirical task to figure out whether the models we use are the best we can come up with, and if there aren't people willing to work on that, science will falter through inattention to detail. I think there are probably people who would be willing to support groups of scientists to work on those problems. The reason that I am writing in such a general manner is that I believe post-post-modern awareness has already left the old paradigms behind, but people are working so hard at their jobs in science that they don't even realize it has happened.
On a different tack: if you could succeed at a rehabilitation effort through the use of meditation that could not be effected by the use of cognitive training, medications, biofeedback, surgical procedures, physical therapy, or other standard treatment modalities, you would have a result that any journal *should* jump to publish. Of course, it would have to be a nearly miraculous cure to convince the scoffers, but so what? As Joe Dispenza says, "Let's just do it and let the scientists figure out how we did it later."

[danzigvssartre]

One of the sad things is that mainstream accepted paradigms to explore mind are rather limited. Computational theories of mind based on notions like Predictive Coding mechanisms are a dime a dozen but in my opinion shed little insight on how the mind actually works.

[bugyourparents]

a doctoral degree in para psychology from 30 years ago, hardly any others before or since?? that would feel lonely. but feel pride in it too, because you were born to be you.