Goal(s) in the NOM
To contribute to the development of neurophenomenological models of perception and consciousness, with particular emphasis on meditation and forms of experience that challenge conventional distinctions between self and other. Through this work, Austin aims to help clarify how contemplative practice reshapes lived experience and reorganizes large-scale brain dynamics.
Education
PhD, Integrated Program in Neuroscience (IPN), McGill University
Experience
Austin Cooper is a neuroscientist whose work investigates how body, brain, and environment interact across the spectrum of human experience. His research is particularly focused on meditation, conscious experience, and the development of neurophenomenological models that can account for perceptual and experiential states that loosen or transcend ordinary self–world boundaries. He has experience working with both fMRI and MEG/EEG data, reflecting proficiency across multiple neuroimaging domains and an interest in understanding consciousness across complementary spatial and temporal scales.
Select Publications
- Cooper, A. C., Ventura, B., & Northoff, G. (2022). Beyond the veil of duality—topographic reorganization model of meditation. Neuroscience of Consciousness, 2022(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1093/NC/NIAC013
- Ventura, B., Çatal, Y., Wolman, A., Buccellato, A., Cooper, A. C., & Northoff, G. (2024). Intrinsic neural timescales exhibit different lengths in distinct meditation techniques. NeuroImage, 297. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120745