41 research outputs found
Emergence of qualia from brain activity or from an interaction of proto-consciousness with the brain: which one is the weirder? Available evidence and a research agenda
This contribution to the science of consciousness aims at comparing how two different theories can
explain the emergence of different qualia experiences, meta-awareness, meta-cognition, the placebo
effect, out-of-body experiences, cognitive therapy and meditation-induced brain changes, etc.
The first theory postulates that qualia experiences derive from specific neural patterns, the second
one, that qualia experiences derive from the interaction of a proto-consciousness with the brain\u2019s
neural activity. From this comparison it will be possible to judge which one seems to better explain
the different qualia experiences and to offer a more promising research agenda
Megascopic Quantum Phenomena. A Critical Study of Physical Interpretations
A megascopic revalidation is offered providing responses and resolutions of
current inconsistencies and existing contradictions in present-day quantum
theory. As the core of this study we present an independent proof of the
Goldstone theorem for a quantum field formulation of molecules and solids.
Along with phonons two types of new quasiparticles appear: rotons and
translons. In full analogy with Lorentz covariance, combining space and time
coordinates, a new covariance is necessary, binding together the internal and
external degrees of freedom, without explicitly separating the centre-of-mass,
which normally applies in both classical and quantum formulations. The
generally accepted view regarding the lack of a simple correspondence between
the Goldstone modes and broken symmetries, has significant consequences: an
ambiguous BCS theory as well as a subsequent Higgs mechanism. The application
of the archetype of the classical spontaneous symmetry breaking, i.e. the
Mexican hat, as compared to standard quantum relations, i.e. the Jahn-Teller
effect, superconductivity or the Higgs mechanism, becomes a disparity. In
short, symmetry broken states have a microscopic causal origin, but transitions
between them have a teleological component. The different treatments of the
problem of the centre of gravity in quantum mechanics and in field theories
imply a second type of Bohr complementarity on the many-body level opening the
door for megascopic representations of all basic microscopic quantum axioms
with further readings for teleonomic megascopic quantum phenomena, which have
no microscopic rationale: isomeric transitions, Jahn-Teller effect, chemical
reactions, Einstein-de Haas effect, superconductivity-superfluidity, and
brittle fracture.Comment: 117 pages, 17 sections, final revised version from 20 May 2019 but
uploaded after the DOI was know
Team Dynamics Theory: Nomological network among cohesion, team mental models, coordination, and collective efficacy
I put forth a theoretical framework, namely Team Dynamics Theory (TDT), to address the need for a parsimonious yet integrated, explanatory and systemic view of team dynamics. In TDT, I integrate team processes and outputs and explain their relationships within a systemic view of team dynamics. Specifically, I propose a generative nomological network linking cohesion, team mental models, coordination, collective efficacy, and team outcomes. From this nomological conceptualization, I illustrate how myriad alternative models can be derived to account for variance in different working teams, each comprised of unique members, and embedded in singular contexts. I outline TDT’s applied implications for team development, the enhancement of team functioning, and the profiling of team resilience. I conclude by discussing how TDT’s ontological and nomological propositions can be tested through various theoretical inquiries, methodological approaches, and intervention-based studies