Month: June 2019

Nano-intentionality: a defense of intrinsic intentionality

I suggest that most discussions of intentional systems have overlooked an important aspect of living organisms: the intrinsic goal-directedness inherent in the behaviour of living eukaryotic cells. This goal directedness is nicely displayed by a normal cell’s ability to rearrange its own local material structure in response to damage, nutrient distribution or other aspects of its individual experience. While at a vastly simpler level than intentionality at the human cognitive level, I propose that this basic capacity of living things provides a necessary building block for cognition and high-order intentionality, because the neurons that make up vertebrate brains, like most cells in our body, embody such capacities. I provisionally dub the capacities in question “nano-intentionality”: a microscopic form of “aboutness”. The form of intrinsic intentionality I propose is thoroughly materialistic, fully compatible with known biological facts, and derived non-mysteriously through evolution. Crucially, these capacities are not shared by any existing computers or computer components, and thus provide a clear, empirically-based distinction between brains and currently existing artificial information processing systems. I suggest that an appreciation of this aspect of living matter provides a potential route out of what may otherwise appear to be a hopeless philosophical quagmire confronting information-processing models of the mind.

W. Tecumseh Fitch

Body of Knowledge

The Body of Knowledge Matrix emerged as members of ADEC’s Credentialing Council, Body of Knowledge Committee, and Test Committee reflected on efforts to put into operation a valid exam measuring knowledge considered foundational to thanatology. The six categories (Y-axis) and ten indicators (X-axis) appearing below are considered fundamental to the understanding of thanatology. The examples in the various cells below are illustrative of topics considered probable when categories and indicators intersect.

Indicators/
Categories Cultural/Socialization Religious/Spiritual Professional Issues Historical Perspectives Contemporary Perspectives
DYING perspectives on dying, health care interactions, family roles facing death, rituals, meaning, suffering, impact on treatment decisions, afterlife, legacies self care, boundaries, compassion fatigue, burnout, attitudes toward dying hospice, causes and patterns of death in Western societies, influential theories global causes and patterns of death and lifestyle choices, gender issues, impact of technology, influential theories, death attitudes, role of complementary/alternative therapies
END-OF-LIFE DECISION- MAKING advance care planning, ethnic issues, values and attitudes, gender advance care planning, values and attitudes, beliefs and doctrines, suffering, sanctity of life, quality of life communication, understanding patient’s rights landmark legal cases, attitudes toward final disposition, evolution of advance care planning options and choices, impact of medical technology, impact of media and internet
LOSS, GRIEF, & MOURNING factors affecting experience of and expression of grief, impact on mourning practices meaning making, impact on mourning practices burnout, compassion fatigue, awareness of personal loss history, coping strategies, self assessment, self care, boundaries, clinical competency influential theories, post-death activities influential theories and models, post-death practices, media and internet, intervention strategies
ASSESSMENT & INTERVENTION advance care planning, cultural competence, communication, meaning of death components of spiritual assessment, interventions, facilitating integration of meaning and value of one’s life appropriate components of assessments, communication, professional liability and limitations, determining appropriate interventions in concert with evidence and client characteristics, professional responsibilities changes in determination of death, intervention theories prior to 1990 current assessment models, current therapeutic strategies, controversy about efficacy of interventions, complicated grief, gender considerations, pathologizing of grief
TRAUMATIC DEATH cause of death, meaning making, advance care planning, ethnic issues, values and attitudes, gender meaning-making, rituals, impact of religion appropriate training, professional response, commemorative activities, vicarious traumatization previous major traumatic occurrences recent/anticipated future traumatic occurrences, impact of communication systems, organ and tissue donation, current approaches
DEATH EDUCATION different death systems, diverse views about death diversity of religious beliefs, diversity of meaning making, diversity of spirituality evaluation of knowledge, criteria for an effective educator, methods, training specific to parameters of practice, media and internet attitudes towards death, history of thanatology as a discipline, historical eras advance care planning, influence of media and the internet, social concerns, components of death education

Indicators/ Categories Life Span Institutional/Societal Family & Individual Resources & Research Ethical/Legal
DYING
normative developmental tasks, developmental concepts of death, special populations hospice, palliative care, impact of politics, interacting with the healthcare system, special populations gender roles, communication, cultural impact on family roles, family history, coping strategies current significant research findings, organizations and journals, media and internet allocation of resources, ethical principles, legislation/medical practice
END-OF-LIFE DECISION- MAKING impact of age on decision-making, determining competency to make decisions advance care planning, health care legislation, public/mass media and political impact on decision-making advance care planning, treatment decisions, communication, family systems media and internet, professional organizations, current significant research findings principles of medical ethics, advance directives, landmark cases, legal planning, decision-making processes
LOSS, GRIEF,
& MOURNING impact of developmental stage on loss experience, specific types of loss and impact on grief and mourning media and internet, school/workplace grief, public deaths, political systems family life cycle, communication, impact of illness trajectory, grief styles, normative grief responses, impact of type of loss empirical research on current theories, research on effectiveness of intervention ethics and working with the bereaved, legal aspects of death
ASSESSMENT & INTERVENTION developmental considerations impact of death system, impact of societal infrastructure, contributions of grief support services family systems theory, gender issues, assessment of risk factors for complicated/prolonged grief, determining appropriateness of specific interventions evidence of effectiveness of assessment and intervention, community programs determination of death, informed consent, ethical principles, legal parameters around death, professional responsibilities
TRAUMATIC DEATH death patterns, issues specific to each developmental phase meaning making, role of the media and internet, infrastructure, types of traumatic deaths, impact on specific populations impact on experience of grief, types of traumatic deaths, coping strategies, individual differences, vicarious traumatization, social support major national organizations, current significant research findings criminal justice system, impact on larger society, ethical intervention issues
DEATH EDUCATION teaching across the life cycle, issues specific to each developmental phase, impact of life transitions influence of media and internet, varied educational settings, impact of larger systems, military formal, informal types of resources, understanding the research, importance of evidence-based practice, certification, professional organizations impact of legal system on death, understanding a professional code of ethics, applying principles of ethic
Association for Death Education and Counseling
400 S. 4th Street, Ste. 754E
Minneapolis, MN 55415 USA
Phone: 612-337-1808
adec@adec.orgMonday – Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Join Membership Earn Certification

Body of Knowledge Matrix

Body of Knowledge Matrix

The Body of Knowledge Matrix emerged as members of ADEC’s Credentialing Council, Body of Knowledge Committee, and Test Committee reflected on efforts to put into operation a valid exam measuring knowledge considered foundational to thanatology. The six categories (Y-axis) and ten indicators (X-axis) appearing below are considered fundamental to the understanding of thanatology. The examples in the various cells below are illustrative of topics considered probable when categories and indicators intersect.Indicators/
CategoriesCultural/SocializationReligious/SpiritualProfessional IssuesHistorical PerspectivesContemporary PerspectivesDYINGperspectives on dying, health care interactions, family rolesfacing death, rituals, meaning, suffering, impact on treatment decisions, afterlife, legaciesself care, boundaries, compassion fatigue, burnout, attitudes toward dyinghospice, causes and patterns of death in Western societies, influential theoriesglobal causes and patterns of death and lifestyle choices, gender issues, impact of technology, influential theories, death attitudes, role of complementary/alternative therapiesEND-OF-LIFE DECISION- MAKINGadvance care planning, ethnic issues, values and attitudes, genderadvance care planning, values and attitudes, beliefs and doctrines, suffering, sanctity of life, quality of lifecommunication, understanding patient’s rightslandmark legal cases, attitudes toward final disposition, evolution of advance care planningoptions and choices, impact of medical technology, impact of media and internetLOSS, GRIEF, & MOURNINGfactors affecting experience of and expression of grief, impact on mourning practicesmeaning making, impact on mourning practicesburnout, compassion fatigue, awareness of personal loss history, coping strategies, self assessment, self care, boundaries, clinical competencyinfluential theories, post-death activitiesinfluential theories and models, post-death practices, media and internet, intervention strategiesASSESSMENT & INTERVENTIONadvance care planning, cultural competence, communication, meaning of deathcomponents of spiritual assessment, interventions, facilitating integration of meaning and value of one’s lifeappropriate components of assessments, communication, professional liability and limitations, determining appropriate interventions in concert with evidence and client characteristics, professional responsibilitieschanges in determination of death, intervention theories prior to 1990current assessment models, current therapeutic strategies, controversy about efficacy of interventions, complicated grief, gender considerations, pathologizing of griefTRAUMATIC DEATHcause of death, meaning making, advance care planning, ethnic issues, values and attitudes, gendermeaning-making, rituals, impact of religionappropriate training, professional response, commemorative activities, vicarious traumatizationprevious major traumatic occurrencesrecent/anticipated future traumatic occurrences, impact of communication systems, organ and tissue donation, current approachesDEATH EDUCATIONdifferent death systems, diverse views about deathdiversity of religious beliefs, diversity of meaning making, diversity of spiritualityevaluation of knowledge, criteria for an effective educator, methods, training specific to parameters of practice, media and internetattitudes towards death, history of thanatology as a discipline, historical erasadvance care planning, influence of media and the internet, social concerns, components of death education

Indicators/ CategoriesLife SpanInstitutional/SocietalFamily & IndividualResources & ResearchEthical/LegalDYING
normative developmental tasks, developmental concepts of death, special populationshospice, palliative care, impact of politics, interacting with the healthcare system, special populationsgender roles, communication, cultural impact on family roles, family history, coping strategiescurrent significant research findings, organizations and journals, media and internetallocation of resources, ethical principles, legislation/medical practiceEND-OF-LIFE DECISION- MAKINGimpact of age on decision-making, determining competency to make decisionsadvance care planning, health care legislation, public/mass media and political impact on decision-makingadvance care planning, treatment decisions, communication, family systemsmedia and internet, professional organizations, current significant research findingsprinciples of medical ethics, advance directives, landmark cases, legal planning, decision-making processesLOSS, GRIEF,
& MOURNINGimpact of developmental stage on loss experience, specific types of loss and impact on grief and mourningmedia and internet, school/workplace grief, public deaths, political systemsfamily life cycle, communication, impact of illness trajectory, grief styles, normative grief responses, impact of type of lossempirical research on current theories, research on effectiveness of interventionethics and working with the bereaved, legal aspects of deathASSESSMENT & INTERVENTIONdevelopmental considerationsimpact of death system, impact of societal infrastructure, contributions of grief support servicesfamily systems theory, gender issues, assessment of risk factors for complicated/prolonged grief, determining appropriateness of specific interventionsevidence of effectiveness of assessment and intervention, community programsdetermination of death, informed consent, ethical principles, legal parameters around death, professional responsibilitiesTRAUMATIC DEATHdeath patterns, issues specific to each developmental phasemeaning making, role of the media and internet, infrastructure, types of traumatic deaths, impact on specific populationsimpact on experience of grief, types of traumatic deaths, coping strategies, individual differences, vicarious traumatization, social supportmajor national organizations, current significant research findingscriminal justice system, impact on larger society, ethical intervention issuesDEATH EDUCATIONteaching across the life cycle, issues specific to each developmental phase, impact of life transitionsinfluence of media and internet, varied educational settings, impact of larger systems, militaryformal, informaltypes of resources, understanding the research, importance of evidence-based practice, certification, professional organizationsimpact of legal system on death, understanding a professional code of ethics, applying principles of ethic

Association for Death Education and Counseling

400 S. 4th Street, Ste. 754E

Minneapolis, MN 55415 USA

Phone: 612-337-1808adec@adec.org

Monday – Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Tristan Tzara, The Death of Guillaume Apollinaire

“We know nothing
We know nothing of grief
The bitter season of cold
Ploughs long furrows in our muscles
He would have rather enjoyed delight in victory
We wise beneath calm sorrows caged
Unable to do a thing
If the snow fell upwards
If the sun rose among us during the night
To warm us
And the trees hung there in a wreath
– The only tear –
If the birds were among us to be mirrored
In the tranquil lake above our heads
WE MIGHT UNDERSTAND
Death would be a long and beautiful voyage
And an endless holiday for the flesh for structure for bone.”

Jack London, The White Silence

“Nature has many tricks wherewith she convinces man of his finity, – the ceaseless flow of the tides, the fury of storm, the shock of the earthquake, the long roll of heavens artillery. But the most tremendous, the most stupefying of all, is the passive phase of the White Silence. All movement ceases, the sky clears, the heavens are as brass; the slightest whisper seems sacrilege, and man becomes timid, affrighted at the sound of his own voice. Sole speck of life
journeying across the ghostly wastes of a dead world, he trembles at his audacity, realizes that his is a maggots life, nothing more. Strange thoughts arise unsummoned, and the mystery of all things strives for utterance. And the fear of death, of God, of the universe, comes over him, – the hope of the Resurrection and the life, the yearning for immortality, the vain striving of the imprisoned essence, – it is then, if ever, man walks alone with God.”

The Animals Came Dancing – Native American Sacred Ecology And Animal Kinship – Howard L. Harrod

Experiences of the actual slaughter of domestic animals for food are available only to a minority and the generation that has memories of such experiences becomes smaller and smaller over each year. Television and advertising supply our experience with typifications of these animals but they are so cartoon like that they obscure from view the systematic and massive slaughter that occurs daily.

It is probably impossible for persons even to imagine the amount of blood, feathers, hair, and entrails that are by-products of this killing process. Equally unimaginable is the scale upon which individual animal sentience is confined under “factory farms” and then is efficiently extinguished without thought about the deeper meaning of such acts. For these reasons, food animals have a mostly shadowy relation to us. The connection between neatly packaged meat in the supermarkets and a once living animal is further obscure by a food culture that has shaped our tastes in a manner that is largely disconnected from a sense of primary relation with the natural world. That further diminish the possibility that animals will be understood to possess qualities that constitute them as sentience beings with relative autonomy and internal dimensions that are not fully known. Notions of their “spirit”, their internal complexity, and their religious or moral standing in relation to the human world become increasingly difficult to sustain.

Finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. -Henry Beston

The Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness

“In humans, the effect of certain hallucinogens appears to be associated with a disruption in cortical feedforward and feedback processing. Pharmacological interventions in non-human animals with compounds known to affect conscious behavior in humans can lead to similar perturbations in behavior in non-human animals. In humans, there is evidence to suggest that awareness is correlated with cortical activity, which does not exclude possible contributions by subcortical or early cortical processing, as in visual awareness. Evidence that human and non- human animal emotional feelings arise from homologous subcortical brain networks provide compelling evidence for evolutionarily shared primal affective qualia.”

“Muito Paz e harmonia para com toda a obra da criacao. Esteja ela onde estiver. O mistério sagrado da existencia, so hoje eu o advinho. Ao ver que a alma tem a mesma essência. Quer guarde um berço, quer guarde um ninho.” Guerra Junqueira, O Melro (original in Portuguese)

Jens Peter Jacobsen, Niels Lyhne

He was seized with that lust of conquest and thirst for the power of knowledge which every worker in the realm of thought, no matter how humble a drvidge he may later become, has surely felt once in his life, though for only one brief hour. Which one of us all, whom a kind fate has given the opportunity to care for the development of our own minds, has not gazed rapturously out over the boundless sea of knowledge, and which of us has not gone down to its clear, cool waters and begun, in the light-hearted arrogance of youth, to dip it out in our hollow hand as the child in the legend? Do you remember how the sun could laugh over the fair summer land, yet you saw neither flower nor sky nor rippling brook? The feasts of life swept past and woke not even a dream in your young blood; even your home seemed far away—do you remember? And do you also remember how a structure rose in your thoughts from the yellowing leaves of books, complete and whole, reposing in itself as a work of art, and it was yours in every detail, and your spirit dwelt in it? When the pillars rose slender and with conscious strength in their bold curves, it was of you that brave aspiring and of you the bold sustaining. And when the vaulted roof seemed to be suspended in air, because it had gathered all its weight, stone upon stone, in mighty drops, and let it down on the neck of the pillars, it was of you that dream of weightless floating, that confident bearing down of the arches; it was you planting your foot on your own.

In this wise your personality grows with your knowledge and is clarified and unified through it. To learn is as beautiful as to live. Do not be afraid to lose yourself in minds greater than your own! Do not sit brooding anxiously over your own individuality or shut yourself out from influences that draw you powerfully for fear that they may sweep you along and submerge your innermost pet peculiarities in their mighty surge! Never fear! The individuality that can be lost in the sifting and reshaping of a healthy development is only a flaw; it is a branch grown in the dark, which is distinctive only so long as it retains its sickly pallor. And it is by the sound growth in yourself that you must live. Only the sound can grow great.