Neuroscience of Sexuality and Consciousness Symposium for ICP 2021

Symposium on the Neuroscience of Sexuality and Consciousness for the 32nd International Congress of Psychology 18-23 July 2021 Participants: Barry R. Komisaruk, PhD Department of Psychology; Rutgers University-Newark Nan Wise, Ph.D Licensed Psychotherapist; Certified Sex Therapist, AASECT; Certified Relationship Specialist, The American Psychotherapy Association; Cognitive Neuroscience Researcher, Psychology, Rutgers-Newark; Fellow, The American Psychotherapy Association; Fellow, The National Board for Clinical Hypnotherapists; Board Certified Diplomate, The American Board of Examiners in Social Work Adam Safron, PhD Research fellow: Kinsey Institute, Indiana University Postdoctoral research fellow: Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, Johns Hopkins University Medical School Abstract In this symposium, we will discuss models of sexuality emphasizing both biophysical mechanisms and phenomenology, exploring evolutionary, mechanistic, and computational principles underlying the nature of sexual experience and hedonic states more generally. Dr. Nan Wise will discuss the nature of sexuality in terms of affective neuroscience and ethology. Dr. Barry Komisaruk will discuss the neurophysiological systems linking pleasure and pain and their implications for sexual functioning and experience. Dr. Adam Safron will explore models in which rhythmic neural entrainment plays a fundamental role in sexuality, bonding, and perhaps all emotions. Across these three talks, we aim to show how the study of sexuality could benefit from a “neurophenomenological” approach that takes the nature of subjective experience seriously as both a converging line of evidence and the main thing we want to explain in trying to understand minds. We hope to show that not only might sexology benefit from engaging more deeply with the science of consciousness, but sexual phenomena might also reveal important details of the nature of subjectivity. Extended panel discussion:    • Extended panel discussion on Neuroscience ...