Front Syst Neurosci
October 19, 2022
Louis N. Irwin, Lars Chittka, Eva Jablonka et al.
11 citations
This collection of reviews, essays, and theories examines comparative animal consciousness from a biological and evolutionary perspective. Consciousness is defined as the process by which an animal has perceptual and affective experiences or feelings, arising from the material substrate of a nervous system. The work draws on a tradition of neuroscientific materialism, suggesting that consciousness is a biological phenomenon rooted in neural activity. It explores various aspects of how different animals may experience consciousness, taking an evolutionary approach to understand the origins and variations of conscious experience across species.
Front Syst Neurosci
November 22, 2021
Carlos Montemayor
6 citations
Consciousness research faces a cognitive-diversity problem because attention is understood as a diverse set of functions and capacities, yet consciousness is typically treated as a single, unified phenomenon. This inconsistency undermines claims that attention is necessary for consciousness or precedes conscious awareness. The article argues that consistency demands consciousness also be considered a diverse set of capacities, reflecting the multiplicity of kinds of attention. This implies diverse conscious capacities and types of awareness beyond standard distinctions like being awake, dreaming, or minimally conscious.
Front Syst Neurosci
July 29, 2024
Jose Luis Perez Velazquez, Diego Martin Mateos, Ramón Guevara et al.
4 citations
A new biophysical theory of consciousness, MaxCon, integrates aspects of several existing neuroscientific theories to find convergence points and simplify understanding of how cellular collective activity organizes to fulfill dynamic requirements. It highlights the association of consciousness with maximization of the number of configurations of neural network connections, constrained by neuroanatomy, biophysics, and the environment. A computable index indicating consciousness level is presented. The theory aims to provide a comprehensive view on consciousness and how normal nervous system dynamics can develop into pathological states, addressing the current discordance in consciousness research.