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Approaches to consciousness [videorecording]

A series of four interviews conducted by Jeffrey Mishlove on problems of consciousness. In "The evolution of consciousness" Robert Ornstein suggests that the mind is composed of many subroutines that he refers to as a "squadron of simpletons." Self-mastery requires orchestrating these "simpletons" to work as a team. "The nervous system and the soul" deals with the dramatic, musical and mathematical qualities of the soul as they are available even to the mentally retarded and those with other neurological defects. Oliver Sacks maintains that our conventional view of awareness keeps us from appreciating the unique talents of those with Tourette's syndrome and other disorders.(cont.) In "Working with comas" Arnold Mindell discusses the unique methods he has developed for working with individuals in comatose states. Using the techniques of "process psychology" he is able to find channels into the minds of comatose individuals that allow him to establish communication. In "The art of psychotherapy," Irvin D. Yalom discusses his novel When Nietzsche wept, which highlights the existential issues of human consciousness which are the basis of his own therapeutic approach. The soul-searching self-examination of the philosopher Nietzsche is contrasted with the methodical approach of Joseph Breuer, a renowned physician and pioneer psychotherapist.

When Nietzsche wept

When Nietzsche wept