Each member of
the small groups should briefly indicate what they found most striking in the
reading; the group as a whole should ultimately formulate a question for full
seminar.
Q1.In chapter 7 Wegner describes a variety of unusual phenomena. How does he see his “self-induction” theory as providing an explanation of this phenomena that takes a middle position between the trance and faking positions that have been advanced by others.
Q2 Wegner describes cases of DID (dissociative identity disorder, aka multiple personality) What does Wegner conclude (p.263) How does that lead him to discuss virtual agency? What does Wegner mean by “virtual agency” or imaginatry agents in the chapter 7, how does that lead him to the “fabrication” theory of the (virtual) self? (p. 263)
Q3 Chapter 8. discusses the phenomena of
hypnosis. What verifiable aspects of
hypnosis did you find most surprising or unexpected? Discuss the Neukomm case (p. 289) and its relationship to Stanley
Milgram’s Obedience to scientific authority experiment (p. 291-2). What interests Wegner most about these cases
Q4 Wegner presents two types of
theories to explain hypnosis: trance theories and social cognition
theories (p. 300f) What strengths and
weakness does he see in each? How does
he see his theory of “apparent mental causation” (see figure 8.7) (which he acknowledge not to be a
“complete theory”) as providing an alternative (extracting elements from each
of the two types of explanatory theory)? (p. 305 f)? How does it lead to his discussion of “circular influence” and a
“suggested society.” (p. 313). What, if
anything does his approach suggest about cults?
Q5 Why does Wegner characterize his theory as suggesting that conscious will is an “epiphenomenon.” (p. 318). Why does he think that his idea that conscious will is an emotion of authorship—p 325) (or the “somatic marker of personal authorship”, p. 327) provide an intermediate position in the false dichotomy of free will and determinism ( the ”bad scientist” and the “robogeek”)? Do you agree with his (compatiblist) claims on this topic. If so, why? If not, why not?