"EVERYMAN'S ONTOLOGICAL ARGUMENT": A DISSIDENT VERSION

We must agree, I think, with Frank Ebersole that there is something preposterous in supposing that the God of religious belief, the God who handed down tablets to Moses on Mt. Sinai, etc., should be proven to exist by the ontological argument. Indeed, when we place the one, the ontological argument, by the side of the other, the God of religious belief, there seems hardly to be any connection between them. But if we agree to this perception of things, what sense can we make of the ontological argument, for example, the “pull” that it sometimes exerts on us?     

Central sources of visual masking: Indexing structures supporting seeing at a single,brief glance

Summary When two briefly exposed, spatially overlapping visual fields are presented dichoptically, the identifiability of the first field is a J-shaped function of the interval separating their onsets. Three distinct sources of central masking are inferred from the selective influence of variables at different onset asynchronies. In integration through common synthesis, two fields presented at or near simultaneous onset yield one iconic representation. The distinctiveness of this source is inferred from the selective influence of eye dominance at and near simultaneous onset. At longer onset asynchronies, the selective influence of variables such as mask contrast and degree of contour overlap imply a second source of masking. This source was identified with the inhibition of sustained channels by transient channels reported elsewhere. Interchannel inhibition is proposed to affect the fidelity of the iconic representation, but here the imprecision is due to loss of form-relevant information on the first field. At yet longer onset asynchronies, where the fields are phenomenally separate, a third set of variables (e.g., words vs. nonwords and left vs. right visual fields) show their influence. These effects are taken as evidence of a replacement principle: the iconic representation of the second field directs attention from that of the first field. Here, first-field identifiability is constrained by time rather than by impoverished data.In a final series of experiments, central three-field interactions are demonstrated. A field, inserted into the temporal gap between two fields, is perceptually impaired even though it is separated from the first and third fields by intervals at which, individually, neither field is an effective mask. This second-field depression is accompanied by a first-field enhancement. The three sources of central masking are hard pressed to account for the three-field effects.     

Counseling Directory and Consumer's Guide: Implementing Professional Disclosure and Consumer Protection

The publication of a “counseling directory” and “consumer's guide” is a new approach that can be used to respond to the current professional issues of professional disclosure and consumer protection. In a recent project in Benton County, Oregon, a directory and guide were published and distributed. This article reviews and evaluates that project. The purposes, format, and content of both the directory and guide are summarized. It is hoped that this article will stimulate interest in this approach and that the information provided will be used for similar projects in other communities.     

The Creative Use of Poetry in the Counseling Process

Poetry is an effective, creative tool in counseling. This article enumerates the advantages of using poetry and poetic methods (e.g., such language makes use of a natural system of communication) and mentions techniques for incorporating either the poem as a whole or in part. Ways of creating poetic awareness in counseling are emphasized. Guidelines for when to use poetry in counseling are suggested along with cautions on the incorporation of this method.     

Neuromuscular circuits in affect-laden information processing

Substantial evidence has accrued indicating the involvement of neuromuscular circuits in covert information processing. The physiological systems impartingemotional tone to covert processing, however, are less well understood. Reviewed here are findings from a variety of methodologies which suggest that somatic patterns, particularly in the face, reflect moment by moment emotional reactions. These findings imply neuromuscular involvement in affect-laden information processing; less conclusive, though suggestive, are data indicating that the proprioceptive feedback from these phasic and specific patterns of response are integrated cortically and influence covert processing and overt responding.