Open seminarsResearch Track

Noosphere Outside In: A Workshop Invitation

By July 2, 2022 September 4th, 2022 No Comments

Mirrors should reflect a little before throwing back images
-Jean Cocteau

Members of the SoT community, CLEA research community, and other interested scholars are invited to participate in an online (Zoom) workshop dedicated to an understanding of the noosphere as conscious layer of our planet, which accumulates and evolves by the means of events of cognitive interiorisation.

 

Online Workshop (5 days)

Noosphere Outside In

Where: Zoom | When: Tuesdays from Sept. 6 to Oct. 4 (5 afternoons), 2pm – 6pm | Registration: please register here

 

Context: gathering voices for a polyphonic book

The explanation of the generative mechanism of the noosphere in terms of events of cognitive interiorisation (reflective, conscious inclusion of one cognitive process into another) was proposed here by Marta Lenartowicz and is currently being elaborated into a larger book publication. The book is written in a (quite experimental) format of a ‘polyphonic’ narrative’, in which the entire volume is a long conversation, with various voices coming and going, making comments, taking stances, and responding to one another. Some of the voices belong to the people who have already participated in several informal seminars dedicated to the topic, which took place in the past academic year. Some of the other voices come in as excerpts from other authors. The current workshop, to which you are warmly invited, is aimed to bring more people into play. By participating in the event and expressing your thoughts, you will be adding to the ‘material’ of which the book is made. The process of composing the book, however, is by necessity selective and interpretative, which means that not everything said in our meetings will fit into the edited text (the proportion is typically 1:10 or even less, meaning that the raw transcriptions contain about 10 times more text than it can be fitted in a volume) and perhaps not every exchange will be presented in a sequence and dramaturgy in which it has actually happened. Naturally, everyone whose voice will become incorporated, will be informed about this and asked to revise and authorise their contributions.

Rules of participation

Participation in the workshop is free of charge, but bound by two commitments:

  • to be present in at least 5 out of 10 segments of the workshop (one segment = 1h45)
  • and to have carefully read/watched all preparatory materials designated to a segment, before joining it.

The reading materials will contain several pieces written by the SoT students as a part of the ‘portfolio’ (dialogue/play and self-observation). For that reason, because of privacy, the access to the preparatory materials will be enabled only for the registered participants.

Please register here.

 

Workflow

Tuesday, September 6, segment 1 (2pm – 3:45pm)

Cognitive interiorisation explained: From reflexive (bio-) to reflective (noo-) cognition

Marta Lenartowicz

 

Tuesday, September 6, segment 2 (4:15pm – 6pm)

Reflective coiling

Discussion of excerpts from Michael C. Corballis and Thomas Metzinger

 

Tuesday, September 13, segment 3 (2pm – 3:45pm)

Holding in mind

Discussion of excerpts from Ezequiel A. Di Paolo, Elena Clare Cuffari & Hanne De Jaegher, Christopher Bollas, and Gemma Corradi Fiumara

 

Tuesday, September 13, segment 4 (4:15pm – 6pm)

The inner theatre

Discussion of creative writings (portfolio ‘play’) contributed by SoT alumni: Julie Casaer and Gunther van Lany

 

Tuesday, September 20, segment 5 (2pm – 3:45pm)

Can receptivity make you free?

Discussion of two chapter contributions by Weaver D.R. Weinbaum

 

Tuesday, September 20, segment 6 (4:15pm – 6pm)

The audience of thought

Discussion of illeist diary logs contributed by SoT alumni: Luc De Proost, Joris De Kelver, Herwig Nulens, Sacha Moens, and Jessie Eggers

 

Tuesday, September 27, segment 7 (2pm – 3:45pm)

The inner workings of sharing a goal

A social experiment

 

Tuesday, September 27, segment 8 (4:15pm – 6pm)

Goal and strategy interiorisation in social systems

Discussion of the experiment

 

Tuesday, October 4, segment 9 (2pm – 3:45pm)

Extended mind and intended reality

Discussion of excerpts from Andy Clark, David Chalmers, Bruno Latour, Iain McGilchrist, and Weaver D.R. Weinbaum

 

Tuesday, October 4, segment 10 (4:15pm – 6pm)

The future of the noosphere: integration of worlds/worldviews in the lens of cognitive interiorisation

Discussion of  excerpts from Teilhard de Chardin, Gerard de Zeeuw, Christopher Bollas, and David Sloan Wilson et al.

 

Where: Zoom | When: Tuesdays from Sept. 6 to Oct. 4 (5 afternoons), 2pm – 6pm | Registration: please register here

 

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Kacyra Family Foundation as part of the Human Energy Project and by the John Templeton Foundation through the grant ID61733 The Origins of Goal-Directedness.