[Advaita-l] NATIONAL CONFERENCE, NIAS, Bangalore, 6-7 February 2006, "Consciousness, Experience and Ways of Knowing: Perspectives from Science, Philosophy and the Arts"

[Sangeetha Menon]

Friends,

Will be happy to see you at this conference at NIAS, Bangalore.
Pl see below for registration details.

Pl let me know if you would wish to attend the conference.

New Year Greetings
Sangeetha Menon
----------------

A NATIONAL CONFERENCE
 On
 
 
Consciousness, Experience and Ways of Knowing: 
Perspectives from Science, Philosophy and the Arts
 
6-7 February 2006
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED STUDIES
Indian Institute of Science campus, Bangalore 560012
 

A national conference will be held at the National Institute of Advanced Studies Bangalore from 
6-7 February 2006, on the theme “Consciousness, Experience and Ways of Knowing: Perspectives from Science, Philosophy and the Arts”.
 
 
Attendance by registration:
Send your address, brief introduction and registration fee (by DD/local cheque payable to ‘National Institute of Advanced Studies) to
Sangeetha Menon
National Institute of Advanced Studies
Bangalore 560012
 
 
Registration Fee
General:   Rs. 400/-
Students:  Rs. 150/- 
(includes conference materials, 
refreshments and lunch for the conference days)
 
 
Last date for the receipt of registration:
31st January 2005
 
For Details, Contact:
BV Sreekantan/ Sangeetha Menon/ VB Maryammal
prajnana at yahoo.com ; nias_mmu at yahoo.co.in
Tel: 080 23606594, 23604351; FAX 080 23606634
 
 
 
Conference theme:
Today often the issue that gathers focus inspite of its evasive nature, in discussions on consciousness, cognition, or even advancements in nanotechnology and biotechnology, is ‘experience’. The last few decades have seen tremendous achievements in not only creating new technologies and theories to understand life, nature and universe, but also have brought back the human factor into discussions. Consciousness studies is one area that has emerged a significant one in bringing disciplines together as well as posing the challenge of the ‘binding problem’ of subjective experience. The puzzle how neural, discrete and quantitative processes give rise to consciousness that is subjective, unitary and qualitative has expanded the domain of consciousness studies to include as many different forms of human experience and ways of knowing. Do experience and the way we understand have significant roles in altering our ideas about consciousness? 
 
According to Thomas Kuhn the late historian and philosopher of science much of what we learn, including science, is by example. When we learn by example we learn how to do something not necessarily knowing everything that is involved in doing it. Michael Polanyi termed this kind of knowing ‘tacit knowledge’ where we do not fully know what it is that we ‘know’. So, is knowledge tentative and related to how far we extend our paradigms? Is the concept of ‘what is knowledge’ quite different in the sciences, humanities and arts? What is the role of ‘experience’ in influencing knowledge systems? 
 
The theory of emergence emphasises that the phenomenon of emergent order deals with organization, with the higher levels showing new properties that are not evident at the lower levels. The unique properties and behaviour of complex systems arise from how the parts are arranged and interact. These properties and behaviour cannot be fully explained by breaking that order down into its component parts. Considering this inherent non-reducibility, how do we understand a complex phenomenon like consciousness and subjective experience? What is complexity?
 
This conference will address the persistent puzzles and attempted solutions in consciousness studies, developments in cognitive sciences, and the distinct ways of knowing and experiencing in science, philosophy and the arts in the context of the Indian discourse. It is hoped that such a discussion will help to examine the emerging trends in these areas and also explore the place of ‘experience’ in knowledge systems. 


  Invited Speakers:

  Prof Sumantra Chatterjee 
  National Centre for Biological Sciences Bangalore
  on 
  The conscious versus the subconscious: A view through the neurobiology of mind

   
  Prof Ajit Dalal
  Dept of Psychology, University of Allahabad
  on 
  New Directions in Indian Psychology

  ---
  Shatavadhani R Ganesh,
  Sanskritist, Bangalore
  on 
  The Experience of Rasa 

  ---
  Dr R L Kapur
  National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore
  on 
  An Encounter with the Sadhus of Himalayas

  ---
  Dr Jean Letschert 
  Artist and Philosopher, Bangalore
  on 
  Mandala Awareness and the Tantric Lore
  ---

   Dr S Mahadevan
  Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
  on 
  Genetic Complexity


  Dr Sangeetha Menon 
  National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore
  on 
  Brain and Being 
   
   
  Prof Janak Pandey
  Centre for Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences, Allahabad
  ----

  Prof Satwant Pasricha
  National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore
  on 
  Research in Near Death Experiences
   ----

  Prof K Ramakrishna Rao  
  Institute for Human Science and Services, Vizakhapatanam
  on 
  Consciousness and Cognitive Anomalies
   ----

  Dr Mrinalini Sarabhai
  Darpana, Ahemadabad
  on 
  The Concept of Beauty in Indian Aesthetics
   
  ----
  Prof BV Sreekantan   
  National Institute of Advanced Studies
  on 
  Science, Reality and Consciousness
   -----

  Prof Narayanan Srinivasan
  Centre for Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences, Allahabad
  on 
  Cognition and Meditation
   
  -----

  Dr Sharada Srinivasan     
  National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore
  on 
  Art and Archaeometallurgy of Nataraja Bronzes







  ___________________________________________________
  Sangeetha Menon 
  Fellow, 
  Culture, Cognition and Consciousness
  NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED STUDIES 
  Indian Institute of Science Campus, Bangalore, India 
  Email prajnana at yahoo.com 
  URL http://www.geocities.com/prajnana