Alexander Moreira-Almeida, M.D., Ph.D.,was trained in psychiatry and cognitive-behavioral therapy at Institute of Psychiatry of the University of São Paulo, Brazil, where he also obtained his Ph.D. in Health Sciences investigating the mental health of Spiritist mediums. Formerly a postdoctoral fellow in religion and health at Duke University, he is now Professor of Psychiatry at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora School of Medicine and Founder and Director of the Research Center in Spirituality and Health, Brazil ([...] His main research interest involves empirical studies of spiritual experiences as well as the methodology and epistemology of this research field. His publications are available at [...]

Franklin Santana Santos, M.D., Ph.D., was trained in geriatrics at Clinical Hospital of the University of São Paulo, Brazil, where he also obtained his PhD in Health Sciences investigating delirium in elderly patients. Formerly a postdoctoral fellow in cognitive disturbances at Karolinska Institute (Sweden), he is now Professor of post-graduate program of University of São Paulo School of Medicine and collaborator researcher of Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM-27) at Institute of Psychiatry of the University of São Paulo, Brazil. He is a leader in the studies in issues related to death, dying and Palliative Care in Brazil. His main research interest involves cognitive disturbances, thanatology, palliative care and medical education, topics about he has published several articles and books.

Reviews recent research findings from neuroscience and neurotechnology

Examines the relationship between mind and brain through both scientific and philosophical perspectives

Provides a unique window through which researchers can glimpse the intricate workings of the human brain

Explores the scientific advances - and limitations - that currently exist in understanding the human mind

Addresses controversial and challenging topics about the mind-brain problem often neglected in academic debates

Provides an excellent opportunity to gain a more precise and comprehensive understanding of the human mind

Includes supplementary material: [...]

Foreword; R. Cloninger.- Preface; A. Moreira-Almeida,F. Santana Santos.- Part I. Philosophy and History.- Materialism's eternal return: recurrent patterns of materialistic explanations of mental phenomena; S. de Freitas Araujo.- The major objections from reductive materialism against belief in the existence of cartesian mind-body dualism; R. Almeder.- Psychic Phenomena and the Mind-Body Problem: Historical Notes on a Neglected Conceptual Tradition; C. S. Alvarado.- Part II - Physics.- No-collapse Physics and Consciousness; C. J. S. Clarke.- The 'Quantum Soul' - A Scientific Hypothesis; S. Hameroff and D. Chopra.- Part III - Functional Neuroimaging.- The Neurobiological Correlates of Meditation and Mindfulness; J. Edwards, J. Peres, D. A. Monti, and A. Newberg.- Functional Neuroimaging Studies of Emotional Self-Regulation and Spiritual Experiences; M. Beauregard.- Part IV - Human Experiences as Promising lines of investigation of Mind-brain relationship.- Near-Death Experiences and the Mind-Brain Relationship; P. Fenwick.- Death, end of life experiences and their theoretical and clinical implications for the mind-brain relationship; P. Fenwick and F. Santana Santos.- Research on Mediumistic and the Mind-Brain Relationship; A. Moreira-Almeida.- Cases of the Reincarnation Type and the Mind-Brain Relationship; E. Haraldsson.- Conclusion; A. Moreira-Almeida, F. Santana Santos.