Experience without self : Phenomenology and neural correlates of selflessness

The present dissertation project concerns the relationship between self and consciousness. Specifically, it concerns the phenomenal sense of self and if this is a necessary component of all experience or not. What is it to have a sense of self? This can refer to several things, such as the sense of being a continuous person through time, the sense of having a body, the sense of being in control of your actions, the sense of being located in a specific place, or the sense of being a recipient of experiences. All these aspects have in common a sense of separation or duality between self and not-self. In order to answer the overarching question about whether there can be experience without self, I present three papers. For Paper I, I interviewed persons who had undergone self-transcendent experiences – transient episodes of strong alterations of the sense of self that can be induced by, for example, meditation or psychedelic drugs. The aim was to identify which of the various aspects of self that were reported to be changed or lost during the experience. For Paper II, I interviewed persons with varying meditation background about their sense of self in everyday life. Here, the aim was mainly to explore the sense of being a recipient of experiences, what is referred to here as perspectival ownership of experience, and how this relates to other aspects of self. Paper III is a brain imaging study, where participants interviewed for Paper II underwent brain scanning (fMRI) while resting and performing two tasks. The aim was to look for neural correlates of various aspects of self. Paper I showed that the self reported to be altered or lost in self-transcendent experiences can encompass one or several aspects of self in different combinations. One conclusion was that studies that investigate altered self-experiences ought to define better the exact aspect of self that is targeted, as terms such as “ego-dissolution” can refer to many different things. Paper II revealed that perspectival ownership of experience showed a quadratic relation to the general level of selflessness in everyday life, so that participants in the middle range of selflessness described a salient sense of being a recipient of experiences, whereas participants in both the low and high end of selflessness did not. Paper III revealed quadratic relations between brain data and overall selflessness, for example so that connectivity within the brain’s default mode network was higher for participants in either end of selflessness compared to those in between. In conclusion, this project adds to the understanding of the relationship between self and consciousness through exemplifying experiences lacking one or several aspects of self and clarifying the relationship between these aspects, a relation that – it seems – is not necessarily linear

Hur kan man få fler att använda infartsparkerinar?

Problems associated with traffic, such as traffic congestion and pollution, have occurred in major urban areas in particular due to the increased use of cars. One possible way to reduce the use of cars is to replace commuter trips by car with other modes of transport, such as a combination of car and public transport called Park & Ride. The aim of this thesis was to understand more about factors influencing the choice of mode and to find measures that could attract car drivers to Park & Ride. A stated preference survey has been conducted in order to quantify some standard factors. The factors used in this stated choice experiment were: security at the lot, availability of spaces at the parking lot, costs at the parking lot and walking distances between the parking space and the station. The results indicate that security at the Park & Ride facility is important. Both sexes assign a high value to secure parking, but women are more willing to pay for lights at an unguarded parking lot. The results reveal that park-ing facilities, such as free parking and short distance between parking place and work at work, influence people’s choice of mode. A general conclusion is that there is potential for increasing the use of Park & Ride facilities, especially among women and respon-dents over 30 years

Performance of laying hens in a cognitive bias task

In the debate on laying hen welfare, and specifically housing conditions, the main focus has been on physiological and behavioural measures. What is lacking is knowledge of how the hen experiences the situation – her state of mind. This study is an attempt to gain insight into the private mental states of former battery hens. It uses a cognitive bias method based on spatial judgement, i.e. judgement of a ambiguous stimulus placed spatially in between a reinforced and an unreinforced stimulus. This method has previously shown differences in judgement by animals in enriched versus poor housing. The aim of the current study was to measure such biases expressed by hens two months compared to four months after moving from battery cages to littered pens. The animals were also tested in a novel object task for a measure on general anxiety, and their plumage condition was scored. Their social rank was established by testing penmates in pairwise competitions over a limited food resource. The hens showed longer latencies to reach the intermediate position four months after leaving the cages, compared to two months after. Possible reasons for this could be that the positive effects of the improved environment were largest when the hens had recently left the battery cages, with the effect of the improvement gradually being diminished or even reversed. It is likely that novelty in itself is positive to hens, and a static environment becomes boring in time even though it is far more complex than a battery cage. No difference was found in the reactions to ambiguous cues by hens of different social status. A strong correlation was found between feather score and social dominance.I djurskyddsdebatten runt värphönor och hur de hålls har fokus huvudsakligen legat på fysiologiska faktorer och mätbara beteenden. Däremot saknas kunskap om hur hönan själv upplever sin situation, hennes inre tillstånd. Den här studien är ett försök att få tillträde till de privata mentala upplevelserna hos före detta burhönor. Metoden som används går ut på att se hur en höna tolkar ett tvetydigt stimulus, som ligger spatiellt mellan två inlärda stimuli; en belönad och en obelönad. Metoden har tidigare visat att djur som lever i berikade jämfört med oberikade miljöer bedömer sådana stimuli olika. Den här studien jämför bedömningarna hos hönor som flyttat från konventionella, oinredda burar till ströade boxar, två och fyra månader efter flytten. Hönornas reaktion på ett främmande föremål testades för att mäta deras allmänna nervositet, och deras fjäderdräkt bedömdes. Deras dominanstatus fastställdes genom parvis konkurrens över en begränsad födoresurs. Hönorna tog längre tid på sig att nå den mittersta positionen fyra månader jämfört med två månader efter flytten. Detta kan bero på att den positiva effekten av miljöbytet var störst kort efter flytten, och därefter gradvis jämnades ut eller till och med omvändes. Det verkar troligt att förändring i sig är positivt för hönor, och att en statisk miljö blir tråkig med tiden, även om den är mycket mer komplex än en konventionell bur. Ingen skillnad hittades i reaktionerna på tvetydiga signaler hos hönor med olika social status. Det fanns en stark korrelation mellan befjädring och rang

Nonlinear brain correlates of trait self-boundarylessness

Alterations of the sense of self induced by meditation include an increased sense of boundarylessness. In this study, we investigatedbehavioural and functional magnetic resonance imaging correlates of trait self-boundarylessness during resting state and the performanceof two experimental tasks. We found that boundarylessness correlated with greater self-endorsement of words related to fluidityand with longer response times in a math task. Boundarylessness also correlated negatively with brain activity in the posterior cingulatecortex/precuneus during mind-wandering compared to a task targeting a minimal sense of self. Interestingly, boundarylessnessshowed quadratic relations to several measures. Participants reporting low or high boundarylessness, as compared to those in between,showed higher functional connectivity within the default mode network during rest, less brain activity in the medial prefrontal cortexduring self-referential word processing, and less self-endorsement of words related to constancy. We relate these results to our previousfindings of a quadratic relation between boundarylessness and the sense of perspectival ownership of experience. Additionally,an instruction to direct attention to the centre of experience elicited brain activation similar to that of meditation onset, includingincreases in anterior precentral gyrus and anterior insula and decreases in default mode network areas, for both non-meditators andexperienced meditators

Dispositional self-consciousness and hypnotizability

The abeyance of self-consciousness (SC) during hypnosis has beendiscussed as a central aspect of hypnosis, yet dispositional SC hasbeen very rarely evaluated as a correlate of hypnotizability. In thisstudy (N = 328), the authors administered the Harvard Group Scaleof Hypnotic Susceptibility (HGSHS), the Inventory Scale of HypnoticDepth (ISHD), and the Self-Consciousness Scale-Revised (SCS-R).Women tended to score higher than men on the HGSHS, besidesexperiencing greater ISHD automaticity. The Discontinuity (with everydayexperiences) subscale of the ISHD correlated with the Public Self-Consciousness scale of the SCS-R and with the Private Self-Consciousness subscale (using simple, quadratic, and cubic regressions).Being concerned about the perception of others related toexperiencing hypnosis as discontinuous with everyday life, whichalso related to being more introspective and interested in subjectivityat the middle range of scores. The article concludes with suggestionson how to pursue the implications of these results, including testingfor nonlinear relations

A neurophenomenological fMRI study of a spontaneous automatic writer and a hypnotic cohort

Purpose: To evaluate the neurophenomenology of automatic writing (AW) in a spontaneous automatic writer (NN) and four high hypnotizables (HH). Methods: During fMRI, NN and the HH were cued to perform sponta- neous (NN) or induced (HH) AW, and a comparison task of copying complex symbols, and to rate their expe- rience of control and agency. Results: Compared to copying, for all participants AW was associated with less sense of control and agency and decreased BOLD signal responses in brain regions implicated in the sense of agency (left premotor cortex and insula, right premotor cortex, and supplemental motor area), and increased BOLD signal responses in the left and right temporoparietal junctions and the occipital lobes. During AW, the HH differed from NN in widespread BOLD decreases across the brain and increases in frontal and parietal regions. Conclusions: Spontaneous and induced AW had similar effects on agency, but only partly overlapping effects on cortical activity

Animal health beyond the single disease approach – A role for veterinary herd health management in low-income countries?

In order to identify and evaluate health related constraints faced by Ugandan pig farmers, a veterinary herd health management approach (VHHM) was applied in 20 randomly selected pig farms in the Lira district, Uganda. Regular herd visits were conducted between July 2018 and June 2019, using e.g. interviews, observations, clinical examinations and laboratory analyzes to gather qualitative and quantitative data on relevant aspects of the production. The pig farmers kept on average 18.6 pigs, including 2.6 sows/year. The production figures varied considerably but were generally poor. The sows produced 1.6 litters/year and 8.2 piglets born alive per litter, the average daily gain was 101 g/day, and the mortality in growers was 9.7%. Four major constraints were identified; poor nutrition, infectious diseases, inferior biosecurity, and poor reproductive management. The quantity and quality of feed was suboptimal. Endo- and ectoparasites were very common, causing diarrhea, bronchitis, pneumonia, skin lesions and pruritus. Post-weaning diarrhea associated with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli was important in the two largest herds, and parvoviral antibodies were found in seven herds, two experiencing problems with mummified fetuses. Biosecurity practices were insufficient and inconsistent, with free-ranging pigs and the use of village boars being the major risks. Reproductive figures were affected by poor estrus detection and service management. Overall, farmers lacked important knowledge on good management practices. In conclusion, the VHHM identified several important constraints that should be addressed in order to increase the productivity of Ugandan pig herds

Reconstructing Racially Polarized Voting

Racially polarized voting makes minorities more vulnerable to discriminatory changes in election laws and therefore implicates nearly every voting rights doctrine. In Thornburg v. Gingles , the Supreme Court held that racially polarized voting is a necessary—but not a sufficient—condition for a vote dilution claim under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The Court, however, has recently questioned the propriety of recognizing the existence of racially polarized voting. This colorblind approach threatens not only the Gingles factors but also Section 2’s constitutionality. The Court treats racially polarized voting as a modern phenomenon. But the relevant starting point is the 1860s, not the 1960s. Prior to the Fifteenth Amendment’s passage, Republicans received overwhelming support from newly enfranchised Black voters in the former Confederate States and expected that support to continue. The Reconstruction Framers were thus attentive to the realities of racially polarized voting and openly recognized that extending the franchise would empower Black voters to mobilize politically and protect their own interests. Racially polarized voting was a feature—not a bug—in the passage and ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment. Accordingly, this Article argues that the Court’s treatment of racially polarized voting as a constitutional taboo is historically unfounded and doctrinally incoherent. There are significant implications for acknowledging the role of racially polarized voting during Reconstruction. This historical insight moves vote dilution claims—and their predicate finding of racially polarized voting—far closer to the heart of the Reconstruction Amendments and challenges the Court’s hostility to race-based redistricting. It is powerful evidence that Congress is well within its enforcement authority to remedy and deter dilutive measures that exploit racially polarized voting. Finally, reconstructing racially polarized voting helps reorient voting rights doctrine toward a Fifteenth Amendment framework

Clinical features and treatment response to differentiate idiopathic peritonitis from non-strangulating intestinal infarction of the pelvic flexure associated with Strongylus vulgaris infection in the horse

Background Peritonitis in horses secondary to non-strangulating infarction (NSII) has a guarded prognosis, even after intestinal resection. In contrast, horses with idiopathic peritonitis respond well to medical treatment. Affected horses in both cases often show signs of both colic and systemic inflammation, but early diagnosis is crucial for optimal treatment and an accurate prognosis. One cause of NSII is thrombus formation secondary to Strongylus vulgaris larval migration. There has been a documented increase in S. vulgaris prevalence in Sweden since the implementation of selective anthelmintic treatment in 2007, which subsequently could result in a rise in NSII cases. In a retrospective clinical study, medical records from cases diagnosed with NSII of the pelvic flexure or idiopathic peritonitis from three equine referral hospitals in Sweden during 2017-2020 were reviewed. Information including demographic data, relevant medical history, and clinical- and laboratory parameters were obtained from patient records. To facilitate the differentiation between cases of idiopathic peritonitis and cases with confirmed NSII of the pelvic flexure, the aim of the study was to compare clinical and laboratory parameters, clinical progression and initial response to antimicrobial treatment. A secondary aim was to compare survival-rates. Results Horses with NSII (n = 20) were significantly more likely to present during the winter months with a poorer response to medical treatment within 48 h. Cases of idiopathic peritonitis (n = 107) had a 100% survival rate with medical treatment, although one case required surgical correction of a colon displacement. In comparison, all confirmed NSII cases were non-responsive to antimicrobial treatment, with a survival rate to discharge of 50% after colon resection. Specific rectal findings and peripheral blood neutropenia were strongly associated with NSII. Conclusions In Sweden, idiopathic peritonitis cases still predominate over S. vulgaris associated NSII cases and have an excellent survival rate with antimicrobial treatment. However, horses presenting with septic peritonitis during the winter months with a palpable rectal mass and displaying fever and colic signs beyond 48 h of medical treatment are likely to suffer from NSII of the pelvic flexure and should be considered for abdominal surgery

Effects of work ability and health promoting interventions for women with musculoskeletal symptoms: A 9-month prospective study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Women working in the public human service sector in 'overstrained' situations run the risk of musculoskeletal symptoms and long-term sick leave. In order to maintain the level of health and work ability and strengthen the potential resources for health, it is important that employees gain greater control over decisions and actions affecting their health – a process associated with the concept of self-efficacy. The aim of this study was to describe the effects of a self-efficacy intervention and an ergonomic education intervention for women with musculoskeletal symptoms, employed in the public sector.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The design of the study was a 9-month prospective study describing the effects of two interventions, a comprehensive self-efficacy intervention (<it>n </it>= 21) and an ergonomic education intervention (<it>n </it>= 21). Data were obtained by a self-report questionnaire on health- and work ability-related factors at baseline, and at ten weeks and nine months follow-up. Within-group differences over time were analysed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Over the time period studied there were small magnitudes of improvements within each group. Within the self-efficacy intervention group positive effects in perceived work ability were shown. The ergonomic education group showed increased positive beliefs about future work ability and a more frequent use of pain coping strategies.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Both interventions showed positive effects on women with musculoskeletal symptoms, but in different ways. Future research in this area should tailor interventions to participants' motivation and readiness to change.</p