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Learning Zone

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Learning Zone

“Unravelling the Mystery of the Self - From Philosophy to Modern Day Science”

at Imperial College London, September 10, 2009.

The symposium consisted of an engaging discussions on the nature of the “self” by:

Dr Peter Fenwick, Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College, London and
Dr Sam Parmia, Fellow in Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York.

The mystery of the human mind and consciousness has fascinated humankind from antiquity to the present day. The “self” or consciousness is an integral part of our lives and it is what gives rise to all of our thoughts, feelings and emotions. Advances in modern science have now enabled us to come to know and understand the human brain better than we ever have been able to do so in the past. However, the “problem of consciousness” still remains to be solved.

Watch the symposium on YouTube and share in the discussion. Separated into eight sections (under ten minutes).

Click each section to view:

Today, modern science may finally enable us to discover the nature of this mystery. This discovery would pave the way for a better understanding of the “self” and the manner in which it can be developed.

Joining them for a panelist discussion was:

Dr Christopher French, Professor of psychology at Goldsmiths College, University of London, is head of their Anomalistic psychology Research Unit which he founded in the year 2000 and
Dr. Joan LaRovere, a Consultant in Paediatric Intensive Care and Director of the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London.

Unraveling the Mystery of the Self Symposium: 2009