GSA News

B e i n g C o n s c i o u s n e s s - Call for Papers
- from Knowledge and Knowing to Consciousness -
10th Moving Anthropology Student Network Conference
6th to 10th June 2012 Kautzen, Lower Austria

March 27, 2012

Call for Papers

The aim of the conference will be to experience, train and learn mutually more about
consciousness and to open a space to share new perspectives. The conference program will be
drawn from the creativity of the participants and their theoretical and practical contributions.
Some directions could be given through themes like “Theories of Consciousness”, “The Senses”,
“Altered States of Consciousness”, “Intersubjectivity”, “Consumption”, “Perception”, “Cosmology”,
“Consciousness for the Shared World” and many more.

What is Consciousness? From Knowledge to Consciousness:
In the light of our shared academic backgrounds, can the common practice of our discipline be
brought to bear on the topic of consciousness?
In social and cultural anthropology we deal with differences and similarities between people of
this world. In keeping with the spirit behind the organization of this conference, we would like to
focus on the increasing awareness of the individual and the conditions and relations between
people, groups and our shared world. To realize emancipation from restrictions and harmful
power relations, we want to strengthen our commitment to cooperative and respectful ways of
living together. This may be realized by practice – getting involved and getting active – beyond
theorizing, and by paying attention to different disciplines and incorporating diverse contexts we
are connected with. Production of knowledge can be transformed into more conscious action. To
realize this we can try to become more aware of the many aspects of our lives, about activities,
roles, conflicts, reproductive attitudes, creativity, etc.
At the same time consciousness is an intense adventure of the self. We can explore mind and
spirit, asking questions that go beyond what we can think. There are diverse ways to explore and
experience consciousness, e.g. through intensive mental and physical activities, meditation,
shamanic journeys, energetic spaces or psychoactive plants. Therapeutic aspects are often related
to the work on consciousness that can range from physical training or hypnosis to spiritual and
energetic healing. Some even believe extraordinary skills can be developed through higher states
of consciousness – skills like intuition, telepathy and physical control.
While we are sleeping, dreaming or concentrating we experience changes of perception and
consciousness. Different states of consciousness are fundamental elements of our daily lives. In
our opinion, this needs to be considered in our intellectual and scholarly activities, through
examination and discussion.
We want to devote this conference to the investigation of these issues and questions related, as
well as others we didn't think of. Final or definite answers may not be attained, but at least we can
see more together than anyone alone.
Furthermore, our aim is to collectively explore consciousness from different angles. Theoretical
approaches will be just as interesting as practical ones, as we would like to include practical
workshops to explore our consciousness.
We hope to benefit from different perspectives and open a space for interaction.

Let us explore consciousness!
We invite you to submit an abstract of your paper (no more than 300 words) preferably in English
to beingcounsciousness@gmx.at. You can find the application form on our conference homepage.
Don't limit yourselves to presentations – you can submit an idea for a workshop, round-table
discussion, a fringe event or a practical experience…
We count on your creativity and strongly encourage events that can be realized outside.
Participation fees:
- 20 Euros for presenters
- 40 Euros for participants
Accommodation and food are included.

Deadline:15th of April 2012 for the submission of your proposals.

Location:
The 10th MASN conference will take place in the area of seedcamp in Kautzen, close to the Czech
border in the beautiful Austrian region of the Waldviertel. This site is home to an old mill
surrounded by beautiful nature: trees, grass, birds, a small river… It is a quiet place without many
people, which should contribute to an intensive and shared experience. We encourage attendees
to camp, but beds will be provided for anyone who needs one.

Further information:
Homepage 10th MASN Conference: http://beingconsciousness.tumblr.com/
Homepage MASN: http://movinganthropology.net/
Contact: beingconsciousness@gmx.at