Cfp: "Nature and Human Nature," University of Oxford, September 10-12, 2010.

Consciousness and Experiential Psychology Section, British Psychological Society. Mind is part of Nature, not apart from it. To deny this is to make the mind and consciousness alien intrusions into an otherwise mechanistic universe. Consciousness may be a remarkable phenomenon but we will start from the assumption that it is natural, not supernatural. To approach consciousness thus is to be intellectually consistent, aiming to account for the physical, biological and psychological phenomena we encounter without explanatory gaps that require the invention of special forces or substances. From this perspective - that our mental life emerges from, and hence is continuous with, all other living processes - consciousness inquiry becomes an integral part of our ethical domain, and it is easier to recognize that in acting harmfully towards our world we are acting harmfully towards ourselves. The roots of such actions are complex and attempts to uncover them often cite a sense of alienation or disconnection from the natural world. Whatever the case may be, an inquiry into the nature of mind, the nature of nature, and the nature of their interdependence is timely. This conference aims to promote such an inquiry. With this in mind we propose the following three broad themes for the 2010 CEP conference: (1) the nature of human nature, (2) the nature of nature and (3) the nature of their interdependence. Keynote Speakers:

• David Abram, cultural ecologist, philosopher, and founder and creative director of the Alliance for Wild Ethics.
• Matthijs Cornelissen, physician, psychologist, and founder of the Sri Aurobindo Centre for Consciousness Studies
• Peter Fenwick, neuropsychiatrist, neurophysiologist and Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry, Consultant Neuropsychiatrist at the Radcliffe Infirmary Oxford and Honorary Consultant Clinical Neurophysiologist at Broadmoor Hospital

Further information may be found here: http://www.bps.org.uk/conex/events/cep_2010.cfm.