INTD 208 - Yoga, Mind, and Consciousness

2020-2021 Catalog Year

Credit(s): 3
Lecture: 2
Non-Lecture: 2
This course will investigate the Yoga system of philosophy, which also forms the core of Buddhist thought. Yoga attempts to understand mind and human consciousness as aspects of a larger, universal consciousness. The approach of yoga is both empirical and subjective, in contrast to the objective, analytical approach of most Western philosophy. Our course will explore these ideas, along with the yogic system of ethical precepts and the practice of meditation that is intended to expand ordinary consciousness toward direct apprehension of higher consciousness. Another aspect of the course is to explore the relationship between meditation and neuroscience. Scientists in the field of cognitive neuroscience have recently taken active interest in the effects of meditation on brain activity, mood, and cognition. Our readings and discussion will examine these relationships.