Thesis advisor: Rosemarie Bodenheimer / By focusing on the predominance of semi-conscious and unconscious states in both nineteenth-century British literature and psychology, this dissertation outlines the recognizable and multi-faceted relation existing between literature and psychology. Besides their obvious prevalence in sensation novels later in the period, these states, which I call ecstatic states, appeared in many of the most prominent, canonical novels of the nineteenth century. Prominent Victorian psychologists, such as Robert MacNish, John Abercrombie, James Cowles Prichard, and Forbes Winslow among others, connected ecstatic states, including fiction reading, to insanity, since these states exhibited an underlying component of self-loss in which the boundaries of the conscious self--time, will, and identity--dissolved. They were a troubling, yet common phenomenon of the mind that preoccupied the entire spectrum of middle class Victorian intellectual life--businessmen, novelists, literary critics, and psychologists--and these states are still fascinating neuroscientists today. This study shows how the Victorian medical practice of moral management sought to control these states by calling for the regulation and often the confinement of the imagination. What began as a method used solely in the insane asylum came to undergird much of Victorian life, including the many hostile reactions to the addictive and class-leveling powers of the novel. My dissertation emphasizes how certain Victorian novelists not only took up the role of psychologists themselves but also resisted and revised accepted psychology within their novels. Charlotte Brontë, Charles Dickens, and George Eliot reacted in distinctive ways against the oppressive tenets of moral management. My readings of the novels Jane Eyre, Villette, Hard Times, Our Mutual Friend, The Mill on the Floss, and Romola show how it is the unrelenting regulation of the imagination that creates the various forms of mania and becomes ultimately devastating to the self. For these novelists, the dismantling of conscious thought and will, so alarming to the advocates of moral management, formed the crux of personal growth, moral choice, and ethical responsiveness. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: English.

This is an original work of poetry. There are many forms used in this collection. There are found and cento poems, as well as free verse forms in this collection. Some of the poems are narrative, while others use a dissociative mode. This work represents an extension of postmodernists, like Barth and Pynchon. It also represents an extension of surrealists like Lamantia and Ashbery.

Thesis (M.A.)--Miami University, Dept. of History, 2005. / Title from first page of PDF document. Document formatted into pages; contains [1], iii, 89 p. : ill. Includes bibliographical references (p. 80-89).

This thesis offers the first anthropological description of Movement Medicine, a contemporary movement meditation practice that blends together and is informed by different ingredients such as ecstatic dance, shamanism, voice work, and psychotherapeutic elements. Both the practice and the thesis emphasise movement, relationship with self, others and the world, ritual and ceremony. My argument is that the combination of different traditions that inform the practice, together with its metaphoric language and use of a variety of symbols opens different ways of viewing and managing life processes, so contributing to experiences of expanded consciousness and a sense of reconnection. The dance enables an integration of opposites and the creation of a new frame of meaning or reference. The motivation behind this study is a curiosity about people’s search for meaning and (self-)understanding in western culture at this time. With the decline of traditional religious frameworks, the focus of this search has changed, leading to the remarkable rise of so called alternative spiritualities. Having danced all my life and being a Movement Medicine participant myself, I am particularly intrigued by the role that dance can play in dealing with the increasing demands of a fast and often fragmented world. Through a combination of hermeneutic and ethnographic methodologies, which include over five years of participant observation, 25 qualitative interviews and analysis of 190 articles in three volumes of the ‘School of Movement Medicine’s’ newsletter, I provide an analysis of people’s experiences to elucidate the mechanisms and contributions of this practice to the participants’ wellbeing, their personal growth and their experience of spirituality. In the first part of the thesis (Introduction, and Chapters 1, 2, 3 and 4), I situate the practice within the socio-historic context of growth movements that have emerged since the 1960s, and explore the background of Movement Medicine, its 9 ‘philosophy’ and symbols, aspects regarding the ‘School of Movement Medicine’ as a business, and the relation of the practice to other traditions and world views such as (neo-)shamanism and New Age. This also includes a detailed description of the practice in Chapter 4. After a brief Intermezzo, in the second part of the thesis (Chapters 5-8) I discuss the empirical data, describing how, according to participants, Movement Medicine contributes to personal growth and wellbeing in the areas of body, emotions, mind and spirituality. Through this dance practice, people are able to experience anew their own embodiment and connection to others, and this has an empowering, healing and transformational impact on their sense of self. The insights gleaned through the practice do not remain within the confines of the studio but are integrated into participants’ daily lives in multiple ways, contributing to changes with regard to the body, self, relationships, work, values, actions and spirituality. The thesis contributes to understanding what can constitute meaningful, transformative experiences and therefore has a wider relevance. It presents not just another example of the rise of alternative spiritualities and the continued search for meaning in western culture, but develops this understanding in a way that might also be applied to and implemented in settings such as schools, community centres and social care work, helping people deal with the demands of contemporary culture in a variety of situations.

The ability to understand the complex mechanisms by which species communicate has been the focus of study for many years. The Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) breeds in vocally challenging Antarctic colonies and has evolved a complex system of intra- and intersexual visual and vocal behaviours. Unique to the Adélie penguin, is the presence of two distinct display calls, the Loud Mutual Display (LMD) call and male Ecstatic Display Call (EDC). The EDC is used for both mate choice and territory defence; but apart from general structure and function this call remains basically unstudied. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the EDC with regard to its function (during mate choice) and variability over time, with location and with changing conditions. It is predicted that the EDC will be an individual call that is distinct from the LMD call. Additionally, the effects of an inclement breeding season on factors that affect breeding success will be examined using a logistic regression approach. The study took place over two breeding seasons(2000/1 & 2002/3) on Ross Island, Antarctica, with the majority of research being conducted at Cape Bird. Results of the study indicate that the EDC is an individual call that cannot reliably be described as a male display as females also give an EDC that is acoustically comparable. The similarities between the EDC and the LMD call seem to relate only to syllabic organisation (structure), as almost every call parameter was different between call types. Furthermore, several call parameters differed between Ross Island colonies. These parameters varied with both geographical location and colony size. In conjunction with variation in call parameters, the health and breeding success of the colonies was different. The stability of call parameters (from Cape Bird) indicated that parameters that separate colonies not only alter between breeding years, but also vary during a single breeding season. The function of the EDC as an honest signal during mate choice was supported by spectral analyses. These analyses found heavier males had significantly lower Frequency Modulation (FM) in the short repeated syllables of their calls than lighter males. Furthermore, a male’s breeding success could be predicted during the early breeding season by the FM. Logistic regression models showed that early male arrival, weight and good nest quality were most influential in predicting fledging success. The logistic regression method also showed that the parameters measured varied in their predictive ability as the season progressed. This study has not only enhanced the wealth of knowledge regarding Adélie breeding behaviour and developed our understanding of the vocal repertoire of this species, but also has implications for honest signalling theory, and the evolution and stability of vocal variation at different spatial and temporal scales.

The ability to understand the complex mechanisms by which species communicate has been the focus of study for many years. The Ad��lie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) breeds in vocally challenging Antarctic colonies and has evolved a complex system of intra- and intersexual visual and vocal behaviours. Unique to the Ad��lie penguin, is the presence of two distinct display calls, the Loud Mutual Display (LMD) call and male Ecstatic Display Call (EDC). The EDC is used for both mate choice and territory defence; but apart from general structure and function this call remains basically unstudied. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the EDC with regard to its function (during mate choice) and variability over time, with location and with changing conditions. It is predicted that the EDC will be an individual call that is distinct from the LMD call. Additionally, the effects of an inclement breeding season on factors that affect breeding success will be examined using a logistic regression approach. The study took place over two breeding seasons(2000/1 & 2002/3) on Ross Island, Antarctica, with the majority of research being conducted at Cape Bird. Results of the study indicate that the EDC is an individual call that cannot reliably be described as a male display as females also give an EDC that is acoustically comparable. The similarities between the EDC and the LMD call seem to relate only to syllabic organisation (structure), as almost every call parameter was different between call types. Furthermore, several call parameters differed between Ross Island colonies. These parameters varied with both geographical location and colony size. In conjunction with variation in call parameters, the health and breeding success of the colonies was different. The stability of call parameters (from Cape Bird) indicated that parameters that separate colonies not only alter between breeding years, but also vary during a single breeding season. The function of the EDC as an honest signal during mate choice was supported by spectral analyses. These analyses found heavier males had significantly lower Frequency Modulation (FM) in the short repeated syllables of their calls than lighter males. Furthermore, a male���s breeding success could be predicted during the early breeding season by the FM. Logistic regression models showed that early male arrival, weight and good nest quality were most influential in predicting fledging success. The logistic regression method also showed that the parameters measured varied in their predictive ability as the season progressed. This study has not only enhanced the wealth of knowledge regarding Ad��lie breeding behaviour and developed our understanding of the vocal repertoire of this species, but also has implications for honest signalling theory, and the evolution and stability of vocal variation at different spatial and temporal scales.

This performance-as-research project documents, both through linguistic and non-linguistic texts, an investigation of the materiality of performative knowledges and analyses Music Theatre as an ecstatic and hyper-erotic creator of these knowledges. By actively engaging in a performative translation of an historical Music Theatre work, this research investigates how ecstatic inscription creates materiality within the performative knowledges of Music Theatre, and aims to provide further substance to the discourse surrounding performative knowledges and their relation to the epistemology and methodology of performance-as-research.

The ability to understand the complex mechanisms by which species communicate has been the focus of study for many years. The Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) breeds in vocally challenging Antarctic colonies and has evolved a complex system of intra- and intersexual visual and vocal behaviours. Unique to the Adélie penguin, is the presence of two distinct display calls, the Loud Mutual Display (LMD) call and male Ecstatic Display Call (EDC). The EDC is used for both mate choice and territory defence; but apart from general structure and function this call remains basically unstudied. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the EDC with regard to its function (during mate choice) and variability over time, with location and with changing conditions. It is predicted that the EDC will be an individual call that is distinct from the LMD call. Additionally, the effects of an inclement breeding season on factors that affect breeding success will be examined using a logistic regression approach. The study took place over two breeding seasons(2000/1 & 2002/3) on Ross Island, Antarctica, with the majority of research being conducted at Cape Bird. Results of the study indicate that the EDC is an individual call that cannot reliably be described as a male display as females also give an EDC that is acoustically comparable. The similarities between the EDC and the LMD call seem to relate only to syllabic organisation (structure), as almost every call parameter was different between call types. Furthermore, several call parameters differed between Ross Island colonies. These parameters varied with both geographical location and colony size. In conjunction with variation in call parameters, the health and breeding success of the colonies was different. The stability of call parameters (from Cape Bird) indicated that parameters that separate colonies not only alter between breeding years, but also vary during a single breeding season. The function of the EDC as an honest signal during mate choice was supported by spectral analyses. These analyses found heavier males had significantly lower Frequency Modulation (FM) in the short repeated syllables of their calls than lighter males. Furthermore, a male’s breeding success could be predicted during the early breeding season by the FM. Logistic regression models showed that early male arrival, weight and good nest quality were most influential in predicting fledging success. The logistic regression method also showed that the parameters measured varied in their predictive ability as the season progressed. This study has not only enhanced the wealth of knowledge regarding Adélie breeding behaviour and developed our understanding of the vocal repertoire of this species, but also has implications for honest signalling theory, and the evolution and stability of vocal variation at different spatial and temporal scales.

The ability to understand the complex mechanisms by which species communicate has been the focus of study for many years. The Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) breeds in vocally challenging Antarctic colonies and has evolved a complex system of intra- and intersexual visual and vocal behaviours. Unique to the Adélie penguin, is the presence of two distinct display calls, the Loud Mutual Display (LMD) call and male Ecstatic Display Call (EDC). The EDC is used for both mate choice and territory defence; but apart from general structure and function this call remains basically unstudied. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the EDC with regard to its function (during mate choice) and variability over time, with location and with changing conditions. It is predicted that the EDC will be an individual call that is distinct from the LMD call. Additionally, the effects of an inclement breeding season on factors that affect breeding success will be examined using a logistic regression approach. The study took place over two breeding seasons(2000/1 & 2002/3) on Ross Island, Antarctica, with the majority of research being conducted at Cape Bird. Results of the study indicate that the EDC is an individual call that cannot reliably be described as a male display as females also give an EDC that is acoustically comparable. The similarities between the EDC and the LMD call seem to relate only to syllabic organisation (structure), as almost every call parameter was different between call types. Furthermore, several call parameters differed between Ross Island colonies. These parameters varied with both geographical location and colony size. In conjunction with variation in call parameters, the health and breeding success of the colonies was different. The stability of call parameters (from Cape Bird) indicated that parameters that separate colonies not only alter between breeding years, but also vary during a single breeding season. The function of the EDC as an honest signal during mate choice was supported by spectral analyses. These analyses found heavier males had significantly lower Frequency Modulation (FM) in the short repeated syllables of their calls than lighter males. Furthermore, a male’s breeding success could be predicted during the early breeding season by the FM. Logistic regression models showed that early male arrival, weight and good nest quality were most influential in predicting fledging success. The logistic regression method also showed that the parameters measured varied in their predictive ability as the season progressed. This study has not only enhanced the wealth of knowledge regarding Adélie breeding behaviour and developed our understanding of the vocal repertoire of this species, but also has implications for honest signalling theory, and the evolution and stability of vocal variation at different spatial and temporal scales.

The ability to understand the complex mechanisms by which species communicate has been the focus of study for many years. The Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) breeds in vocally challenging Antarctic colonies and has evolved a complex system of intra- and intersexual visual and vocal behaviours. Unique to the Adélie penguin, is the presence of two distinct display calls, the Loud Mutual Display (LMD) call and male Ecstatic Display Call (EDC). The EDC is used for both mate choice and territory defence; but apart from general structure and function this call remains basically unstudied. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the EDC with regard to its function (during mate choice) and variability over time, with location and with changing conditions. It is predicted that the EDC will be an individual call that is distinct from the LMD call. Additionally, the effects of an inclement breeding season on factors that affect breeding success will be examined using a logistic regression approach. The study took place over two breeding seasons(2000/1 & 2002/3) on Ross Island, Antarctica, with the majority of research being conducted at Cape Bird. Results of the study indicate that the EDC is an individual call that cannot reliably be described as a male display as females also give an EDC that is acoustically comparable. The similarities between the EDC and the LMD call seem to relate only to syllabic organisation (structure), as almost every call parameter was different between call types. Furthermore, several call parameters differed between Ross Island colonies. These parameters varied with both geographical location and colony size. In conjunction with variation in call parameters, the health and breeding success of the colonies was different. The stability of call parameters (from Cape Bird) indicated that parameters that separate colonies not only alter between breeding years, but also vary during a single breeding season. The function of the EDC as an honest signal during mate choice was supported by spectral analyses. These analyses found heavier males had significantly lower Frequency Modulation (FM) in the short repeated syllables of their calls than lighter males. Furthermore, a male’s breeding success could be predicted during the early breeding season by the FM. Logistic regression models showed that early male arrival, weight and good nest quality were most influential in predicting fledging success. The logistic regression method also showed that the parameters measured varied in their predictive ability as the season progressed. This study has not only enhanced the wealth of knowledge regarding Adélie breeding behaviour and developed our understanding of the vocal repertoire of this species, but also has implications for honest signalling theory, and the evolution and stability of vocal variation at different spatial and temporal scales.