Sleep, Consciousness and Lucid Dreaming

Department of Humanities in Medicine

Health Science Center College of Medicine 

Texas A&M 

&

Schusterman Center for Jewish Studies

University of Texas at Austin   

Our symposium explores realms of human life accessible to all of us every day including – as well as apart from – the default mode of “here and now.”

We are all conscious beings. We sleep every day – and, apart from our often longing for sleep, we hardly think about it except when it goes wrong. And nowadays, sleep “goes wrong” so often.  Our symposium will start by taking a more profound look at human sleep. We will examine how it goes right, why it goes wrong, and what may be done about this.

We will then open the door to a presentation on consciousness, including some of the latest research on this obscure, often taken-for-granted phenomena. Yes, we are conscious, but what does that mean. Our “consciousness” … is it always a consciousness of something? Is it our mode of access? A neurophysiological phenomena? An impenetrable mystery?  And, looking at all of this, where does investigating the relationship of mind to brain take us?

And what of the remarkable phenomena of lucid dreaming? Lucid dreams are dreams in which the dreamer is aware that they are dreaming. And furthermore, lucid dreamers can exert a degree of control over the characters, narrative, and environment of these dreams.  Can all of us experience such lucid dreams?  And furthermore, can we all learn to have these dreams regularly, and even master the actions associated with influencing our own dreams in the directions we desire?

In this symposium, three outstanding world-class guest authorities will come together in Austin to address these issues: Wallace Mendelson will address the topic of sleep, Stephen LaBerge lucid dreaming, and David Presti consciousness.

Come and join us! Sign up below – seating is limited and there is no charge for this symposium.

Time and place

May 14th (Saturday) 12.45 – 6 pm.  

Glickman Conference Center, College of Liberal Arts Building, CLA 1.302 B Univeristy of Texas at Austin Campus

Closest parking is at either Brazos Street, San Jacinto garage, or near campus streets

Program:

12.45 Welcome and opening

1 – 2 Wallace Mendelson, M.D.  Introduction to Sleep studies and selected sleep disorders

2 – 3 David E. Presti, Ph.D. Neuroscience and conscious: present and future directions

3 – 3.30 Break

3.30 – 4.30 Stephen LaBerge, Ph.D. Lucid dreaming

4.30-5.00 Break

5.00-6.00 Joint discussion:

Robert Abzug, Ph.D., Stephen LaBerge, Ph.D., David Presti, Ph.D., Wallace Mendelson, Ph.D.,          Marcin Moskalewicz, Ph.D., Michael A. Schwartz, M.D.

Organizers:

Robert Abzug, Ph.D. (UT Texas at Austin)

Robert J. Barnhart (MAPS/Heffter Research Institute)

Marcin Moskalewicz, Ph.D. (Texas A&M/Poznan University of Med. Sciences)

Michael A. Schwartz, M.D. (Texas A&M)

This Symposium is organized thanks to generous grant from Robert J. Barnhart 

Source: www.humanitiesinmedicine.org