Charles Laughlin's Home Page

Charlie Laughlin & Toby

[Updated: 29 May 2008]

Welcome to Charlie Laughlin's homepage. It is designed to provide information for  people who are interested in the theory of biogenetic structuralism - a perspective in anthropology having to do with the brain, consciousness (including alternative states of consciousness) and culture. In other words, biogenetic structuralism is a kind of neuroanthropology with touches of neurophenomenology about it.  The perspective was developed by Charlie and his late friends Eugene G. d'Aquili and John McManus during the 1970s and 1980s.  A special application of biogenetic structural theory has been added covering the joint work of Charlie and C. Jason Throop in developing a cultural neurophenomenology .

Charlie would like to hear any criticisms or suggestions you might have to offer that would make future versions of the homepage better. You can send Charlie an e-mail message from here.

What's New
Check out Charlie's blog in which he spells out the main points of biogenetic structuralism, and applies it to an analysis of the human condition in crisis.

What's of Special Interest on Charlie's Homepage?

	The entire four year run of the Neuroanthropology Network Newsletter that Charlie founded and edited between 1988 and 1992, along with a useful neuroanthropology bibliography.  These were very rare and hard to get hold of.  Now you can download them for your own library.
	Cultural Neurophenomenology   This is a page dedicated to the work that Charlie and his friend and fellow anthropologist, Jason Throop, have done in developing a new approach to an anthropology of experience.  A sampling of their joint papers is offered.
	Pictures of, and ethnographic information about the So peoples (a.k.a. Tepes or Tepeth) of Northeastern Uganda in East Africa.  Charlie and Elizabeth Allgeier carried out ethnographic fieldwork among the So people during 1969-70.  This is the first time these pictures have been available.
	A comprehensive bibliography of resources available in the research area of pre- and perinatal anthropology -- that is, the cross-cultural study of sex, reproduction, pregnancy, and the unborn, newborn and infant child.
	An Ibis in the Tree: A Biogenetic Structural Prologue to the Study of Freedom A short book based upon a series of lectures Charlie gave during two graduate seminars on biogenetic structuralism during 1986 at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada. The seminar lectures and discussions were taped and transcribed, and only a handful of copies of this photocopied document have heretofore been in existence.  This is a reflection back at a decade and a half of the development of biogenetic structural theory.  Each chapter will be uploaded as soon as it has been scanned from the original and edited.
	Transpersonal Anthropology, Then and Now An essay tracing the history of transpersonal anthropology and the range of research available in contemporary times.  This is a link to the published version in the J ournal of Transpersonal Studies online.

A Bit About Charlie

Charlie's professional career, as well as a list of all his publications, most of which are in the area of the anthropology of consciousness, ritual, religious symbolism, and the brain. You may also wish to explore the home page of Carleton University's Department of Sociology & Anthropology where Charlie taught for 26-plus years.  He is now an emeritus professor in that department.

Biogenetic Structuralism

Biogenetic structuralism is a body of theory and research projects that integrates anthropology with the neurosciences, phenomenology and quantum physics. This interdisciplinary perspective attempts to account for the structure of consciousness and culture by reference to the neurobiology of cognition. This section will be of interest to anyone seriously interested in the science of consciousness, transpersonal experience, religion, human universals and the relations between consciousness and reality . A "Self-Guided Tutorial" in biogenetic structuralism has been added for those wishing to study biogenetic structuralism in more depth.

Selected Writings

This link takes you to a page where various articles, chapters and books written by Charlie may be found organized by topic area.  Most pieces have to do with biogenetic structural theory, neurophenomenology, neuroanthropology, pre- and perinatal anthropology, and transpersonal anthropology.

E-mail Charlie

Please feel free to leave Charlie an e-mail message.