Conscious interpretation: A distinct aspect for the neural markers of the contents of consciousness.

The science of consciousness depends on experimental paradigms that compare conscious and unconscious processing. This review highlights a class of paradigms called "conscious interpretation," in which an object is consciously perceived as a set of features, but the interpretation of that set alternates in consciousness. The authors compare these paradigms with other types and review past and recent studies. They propose that for certain stimuli with a hierarchy of interpretations, conscious experience is drawn toward the higher-level interpretation and cannot revert to the lower level. The paper discusses how theories of consciousness might incorporate constraints arising from conscious interpretation.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Progress in the science of consciousness depends on the experimental paradigms and varieties of contrastive analysis available to researchers. Here we highlight paradigms where the object is represented in consciousness as a set of its features but the interpretation of this set alternates in consciousness. We group experimental paradigms with this property under the label "conscious interpretation". We compare the paradigms studying conscious interpretation of the already consciously perceived objects with other types of experimental paradigms. We review previous and recent studies investigating this interpretative aspect of consciousness and propose future directions. We put forward the hypothesis that there are types of stimuli with a hierarchy of interpretations for which the rule applies: conscious experience is drawn towards higher-level interpretation and reverting back to the lower level of interpretation is impossible. We discuss how theories of consciousness might incorporate knowledge and constraints arising from the characteristics of conscious interpretation.