Notis 82, 10-03-2010, 100-årsminnet av William James firas. Medvetandekonferens i Tucson, USA uppmärksammar den store psykologen med ett symposium./GB

”The year 2010 is the centennial of William James’ death. With his passing a whole style of understanding consciousness was soon to fade as well. Research on consciousness at the fin de siècle and during the first decade or so of the 20th century questioned the boundaries of

conscious awareness, as well as exploring the possibility of “subconscious” or “unconscious” mental processes. These ideas played a central role in the thinking of turn-of-the-century theorists such as William James, F.W.H. Myers, Jean-Martin Charcot, and M. Pierre Janet,

all of whom were also interested in dissociative phenomena suggestive of consciousness beyond the margins of awareness. Such phenomena were examined though the study of hypnosis, hysteria, trance states, and motor automatisms, and also sleep related conditions such as dreaming and hypnogogic states.

The workshop will illuminate the study of  consciousness as it existed 100 years ago, while developing comparisons with related ideas that exist today. Topics such as dissociation, the

existence and nature of the unconsciousness, altered states of consciousness (from hypnosis to psychedelic experiences), as well as discussions of the relationship of consciousness to brain processes, and the possibility of conscious experiences beyond the ordinary were all part of turn of the century theory and research, and are part of the study of consciousness today as well.”