OVERVIEW

Explorations in Consciousness: Death, Psychedelics, and Mystical Experience is organized byThe New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS) and will be held on Jun 08, 2023 at The New York Academy of Medicine, , New York City, New York, United States of America.

Description:
Throughout the arc of history, humans have been fascinated with death, as well as mystical or peak experiences and other non-ordinary states of awareness — each with the potential to influence our understanding of the nature of consciousness. With recent advances in neuroscience and resuscitation medicine, millions of people have come close to, or even entered, what is now considered a gray zone of death by cardiopulmonary criteria, before being resuscitated back to life. Near-death experiences (NDEs) have been reported throughout the world, often associated with long-term growth and psychological transformation. Occurring cross-culturally and since antiquity, these phenomena —along with the recent scientific investigation of psychedelic-occasioned mystical-type experience — often include an enhanced sense of personal meaning, purpose, existential and spiritual well-being.

What is consciousness? Why are humans seemingly wired for these transcendent and meaning-making experiences? What happens to consciousness upon physical death? Are there common features in the variety of altered states of consciousness? This special one-day event features a notable group of international experts in consciousness research, neuroscience, psychedelics, mystical and near-death experience research, the history of comparative religion and mythology, along with a first-hand account of a near-death experience.

Additional details will be posted as soon as information is available.