Exploring Inner Space in Outer Space

Shaun Gallagher, the Lillian and Morrie Moss Professor of Excellence in Philosophy at the University of Memphis, will present two upcoming lectures on Nov. 7 and 8 at Linfield College. The talks are part of the annual Walter Powell-Linfield College Philosophy Lectures at Linfield. Gallagher will present "Exploring Inner Space in Outer Space" on Thursday, Nov. 7, at 7:30 p.m. in Jonasson Hall, lower level of Melrose Hall. He will discuss the results of a neurophenomological study in which a research team used simulation to replicate experiences of astronauts during space travel. Many astronauts described deeply aesthetic, spiritual or religious experiences of awe and wonder. He will also discuss how using an approach that incorporated neuroscience, hermeneutics, phenomenology, psychology, heart rate and phenomenological interviews allowed him to replicate the specific experiences in a significant number of subjects. Gallagher will present "Making Enactivism Even More Embodied" on Friday, Nov. 8, at 3:30 p.m. in Jonasson Hall, lower level of Melrose Hall. He will focus on the notion of embodied affect, a conception of low-level affects that engage the world intentionally and modulate perception, action and cognition more generally. Gallagher will show that this bodily affect results in a kind of perceptual interest that significantly contributes to our perceptual contact with the world. Gallagher's areas of research include phenomenology and the cognitive sciences, especially topics related to embodiment, self, agency and intersubjectivity, hermeneutics and the philosophy of time. He is an honorary professor of philosophy at both the University of Copenhagen and Durham University. He has a secondary research appointment at the University of Hertfordshire. He has also held visiting positions at the Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge; the Center for Subjectivity Research, University of Copenhagen; the Centre de Recherche en Epistemologie Appliquee, Paris; the Ecole Normale Superieure, Lyon; and the Humboldt University in Berlin. Gallagher was awarded the Anneliese Maier Research Award and a five-year Humboldt Fellowship. He is principal or co-principal investigator of numerous projects funded by grants awarded by the National Science Foundation, the Templeton Foundation, the Australian Research Council and the British Arts and Humanities Research Council. He has published six highly acclaimed books and more than 100 journal articles. Gallagher is also the co-editor in chief of the journal "Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences." He discussed the nature of the mind and the body with the Dalai Lama as part of the Mind and Life series in 2009. The Walter Powell-Linfield College Annual Philosophy Lectureship is in recognition of a generous gift from Michael Powell in honor of his father. Walter Powell founded Powell's Bookstore in Portland, the largest private bookstore in the United States with over one million volumes. Subject: Walter Powell Philosophy Lectures Run Length: 01:23 Author: Shaun Gallagher Publisher: Linfield College Copyright: 2013