MATURE CONTEMPLATION

Abstract. This chapter extends biogenetic structural theory to a consideration of the biopsychological principles underlying higher phases of consciousness, particularly those attained by the systematic exploration of consciousness called contemplation. The concepts of psychic energy, flow, centeredness, energy circulation, and dreambody are explored as presented in various mystical traditions, and a model of the underlying neurophysiology is presented in terms of ergotropic-trophotropic tuning. The psychophysiology of various forms of meditation together with emergent peak experiences is examined and integrated into the ergotropic-trophotropic tuning model. Structural invariance of ergotropic-trophotropic tuning as well as invariant aspects of contemplation across different cultures and associated with different symbol systems is considered. Finally the nature and implications of Void Consciousness, God Consciousness, or Abssolute Unitary Being are examined.     

Enhancement of conditioned autonomic responses in monkey when preshock signals occasion operant suppression.

Classical pairings of a sound stilulus with shock elicited larger magnitude and more rapidly conditioned autonomic responses when subjects were responding on variable-interval schedules for food than when they were eating freely available food. The difference was not attributable to changes in control values of heart rate and blood pressure, or to alterations in motor activity, but appeared related to operant suppression.     

遮挡范式下对碰撞时间的估计

本文研究视觉信息对碰撞时间估计的影响。实验采用遮挡范式（ｏｃｃｌｕｓｉｏｎ ｐａｒａｄｉｇｍ）,遮挡一段固定的距离,让被试估计该段距离所用的时间。自变量为移动速度与挡板的宽度。过程：让被试看速度知觉仪上移动的红灯,估计碰撞发生时按下电键。结果表明,移动速度对时间估计的准确性影响显著,速度越大,估计准确性越高;移动速度还与挡板宽度存在交互作用,即速度快、挡板宽度时碰撞时间的估计更准确,而速度慢、挡板     

Regional brain activity during face and word discrimination: simultaneous recording of event-related potentials and positron emission tomography

In order to clarify the brain mechanisms involved in the recognition of faces, words, and figures, spatiotemporal analyses were carried out with event-related potentials (ERPs) and positron emission tomography (PET) in normal subjects. In the first experiment, we analyzed the ERPs of eight normal subjects under a passive habituation paradigm using pictures of faces and letters. In the second experiment, regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) measured using PET was obtained simultaneously with the ERP recordings during a continuous performance task (CPT) in 12 normal subjects. This required the active discrimination of famous people's faces, meaningful words consisting of two Japanese hiragana characters, and simple geometric figures. There were similar deflections in the global field power (GFP) in the first 200 ms of the passive and active tasks, regardless of type of stimuli. This suggests a common time course in the visual information processing mechanisms during the preattentive stage. Mesiotemporal activity, dominant on the right, was seen during the face discrimination task in both the PET results and the ERP topographies. In the word task, activity that was clearly dominant on the left was observed at around a 160 ms latency in the posteriotemporal region of the ERP topography and this again coincided well with the PET data. The spatiotemporal resolution of the analyses was improved by combining PET and topographic ERP studies, and this provided additional neurophysiological information concerning cognitive processing.     

Rapid cerebral hemodynamic modulation during set shifting: Evidence of time-locked associations with cognitive control in females

Set shifting provokes specific alterations of cerebral hemodynamics in basal cerebral arteries. However, no gender differences have been reported. In the following functional transcranial Doppler study, we introduced cerebral hemodynamic modulation to the aspects of set shifting during Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). Twenty-one subjects underwent the WCST during insonation of the middle cerebral arteries. We examined gender effects on task performance and cerebral hemodynamic modulation. Further, we investigated the linkage between performance and cerebral hemodynamic modulation. In females, maximum positive modulation was restricted to the behaviorally relevant time point of set shifting, and there were time-locked associations between mental slowing during set shifting and rapid cerebral hemodynamic modulation exclusively in females. This study provides evidence of gender-related cerebral hemodynamic modulation during set shifting, and we detected time-locked brain–behavior relationship during cognitive control in females.     

学困儿童和学优儿童的手书特点比较

取小学生55名,其中25名为学困生,30名为学优生,使用数码写字板测试二者在横线自然手书状态下的速度、加速度、压力、波动和断续5个指标的变化特点。研究结果表明,学困生横线手书的速度超过学优生,特别是中间速度,差异显著。学困生的加速度增长比较快,在短期内维持在高速状态,然后快速下降,学优生增长速度比较慢,但是在很长的时间内保持在高速状态,最后加速度的递减明显比学困生慢,差异显著。学困生的加速度曲线形态趋势类似于一个倒U形,而学优生的曲线形态类似于梯形。学困生和学优生的压力变化呈现开始递增、然后保持在较高的压力状态的态势,但是二者之间没有显著差异。二者的波动都出现于书写的开始阶段,但是波动次数没有显著差异。在书写过程,二者都没有出现断续。     

Multi-objective combinatorial optimization problems: A survey

In the last 20 years many multi-objective linear programming (MOLP) methods with continuous variables have been developed. However, in many real-world applications discrete variables must be introduced. It is well known that MOLP problems with discrete variables can have special difficulties and so cannot be solved by simply combining discrete programming methods and multi-objective programming methods. The present paper is intended to review the existing literature on multi-objective combinatorial optimization (MOCO) problems. Various classical combinatorial problems are examined in a multi-criteria framework. Some conclusions are drawn and directions for future research are suggested.     

Theobiology: An Analysis of Spirituality, Cardiovascular Responses, Stress, Mood, and Physical Health

The relationships of spirituality and religion to acute cardiovascular responses, physical symptoms of illness, stress and psychological mood were assessed in a community sample of adults. Nineteen men and 61 women participated in a betrayal interview, while their blood pressure and heart rate were monitored. Religious affiliation, frequency of attendance at worship and religiousness were associated with resting diastolic and mean arterial pressure. Spirituality, especially as assessed by the existential scale of the Spiritual Well-being Scale, was related to symptoms of illness, medication use, stress and negative mood states. Spirituality and involvement in organized religion may represent a means to increase the sense of purpose and meaning in life, which is related to greater resiliency and resistance to stress-related illness.