Creolizing Modern Buddhism: A Reply to Yarran Hominh & A. Minh Nguyen

In reply to Hominh and Nguyen, I argue that “creolizing” methods in the study and practice of Buddhism should not be opposed to historicist and contextualist modes of investigation and understanding. Rather, historicism and contextualism can and should inform creolizing approaches

The EU and Southern Cross: The effects of EU energy policy on EU-Australia energy trade

The Lisbon Treaty which entered into force in 2009 was a major event in the ongoing evolution of the European Union (EU) project. However, despite important changes, energy policy formation remains muddled and continues to be area of contest between the EU and its Member States. This in turn means that trade dynamics with important energy providers such as Australia become affected by the internal dynamics concerning energy policy within the EU. Complicating this further is the advancement of climate change mitigation as a major policy issue also has wide ranging implications.The article argues that despite the Lisbon Treaty providing a legal basis for formulating energy policy through the application of shared competences, it does not exercise any substantive direct influence on national or trade-related issues surrounding energy. Instead of the EU exercising relative control, trade in energy resources is still conducted largely on a bilateral basis with EU Member States continuing to determine the primary aspects of their energy policy. As such, the greatest impact the EU has on Member State-Australia’s energy trade is indirect, through binding policy initiatives originally negotiated by the Member States

Hydraulics of IDEal Drip Irrigation Systems

The hydraulics of IDEal drip irrigation system components were analyzed under controlled laboratory conditions and the results can be applied to the design of IDEal systems. The hydraulic loss coefficient for the lateral-submain connector valves was determined based on laboratory measurements. It was found that the hydraulic loss due to friction in the lay-flat laterals can be accurately estimated with standard friction loss equations using a smaller effective diameter based on the wall thickness and inlet pressure head. The equivalent length barb loss, expressed as an equivalent length of lateral, was calculated for button emitters, as well as for micro-tubes inserted to lengths of 5 and 10 cm. It was concluded that the barb loss is essentially constant over the micro-tube insertion range of 5-10 cm. The head-discharge relationship and coefficient of manufacturer\u27s variation of pre-punched lateral holes (without emitters), button emitters, and micro-tubes were characterized. Finally, several IDEal drip irrigation systems in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia were evaluated in the field. Recommendations were given for future research and improvements in the manufacturing, installation, operation, and maintenance of IDEal drip irrigation equipment

Steps toward a neurophenomenology of conscious sleep : a reply to Jennifer M. Windt

Windt’s groundbreaking commentary expands and enriches my target article by presenting new considerations against the default neuroscience view that “consciousness is that which disappears in dreamless sleep,” by proposing a refined conceptual and phenomenological analysis of dreamless sleep experience, and by offering a refined taxonomy of dreamless sleep experiences. These contributions provide new conceptual and methodological tools for the neurophenomenology of sleep and consciousness

Enacting emotional interpretations with feeling

Commentary. © 2005 Cambridge University PressThis commentary makes three points: (1) There may be no clear-cut distinction between emotion and appraisal “constituents” at neural and psychological levels. (2) The microdevelopment of an emotional interpretation contains a complex microdevelopment of affect. (3) Neurophenomenology is a promising research program for testing Lewis's hypotheses about the neurodynamics of emotion-appraisal amalgams

Own-body perception

‘Own-body perception’ refers to the perception of one’s body as one’s own body. The chapter reviews various disruptions to own-body perception, including what is known about their neural correlates. It argues that it is crucial to distinguish between the sense of ownership for one’s body as an object of perception—the body-as-object—and the sense of ownership for one’s body as that by which and through which one perceives the world—the body-as-subject. Despite the fact that illusory own-body perception provides an excellent case for illustrating this distinction, most discussions to date of own-body perception have failed to make this distinction and apply it to the various clinical and experimental findings. The chapter summarizes one recent model of the body-as-subject, according to which the body-as-subject is based on sensorimotor integration. Finally, it uses this model to clarify the phenomenon of illusory own-body perception, and it suggests directions for future research