Electromagnetic-field theories of qualia: can they improve upon standard neuroscience?
Front Psychol June 1, 2023 Mostyn W. Jones, Tam Hunt 17 citations
The brain's production of conscious qualities like colors and pains remains unexplained by standard neuroscience, which focuses on synaptic information processing and spike codes. Electromagnetic field theories offer a promising alternative, proposing that brain-generated electromagnetic fields, rather than synaptic firing alone, give rise to qualia. This review evaluates several such theories, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses compared to standard approaches, and concludes that EM-field accounts provide more viable explanations for how qualia arise and unify into complex perceptions.