Consciousness lacks a single agreed definition, but recent neuroscience has removed earlier conceptual obstacles. By integrating brain-function findings with philosophical theories, a more comprehensive understanding has emerged. This narrative review covers cultural and historical views of consciousness from ancient to medieval times, introduces key philosophical debates on mind and body, and examines how brain function and connectivity—including neural correlates of consciousness, loop connectivity, and lateralization—correlate with conscious states. The review argues that merging neuroscientific data with philosophical perspectives, such as higher-order, reflexive, and representationalist theories, yields a more unified picture of consciousness.
People who are highly prone to dissociation show different brain activity patterns during hypnosis compared to those with low dissociative tendencies, even when both groups are equally hypnotizable. The study recorded electroencephalography (EEG) from 20 participants, all scoring 6 or higher on the Stanford hypnotic susceptibility scale, divided into 10 high-dissociative and 10 low-dissociative individuals. After hypnotic induction, both groups exhibited changes in absolute power across delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma bands, and differences in functional connectivity in four bands (delta, theta, alpha, and beta). These results suggest that hypnotic induction engages distinct neural networks depending on dissociative tendency, supporting the dissociation theory of hypnosis.