Neural correlates of consciousness are not pictorial representations
Behavioral and Brain Sciences October 1, 2001 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x01520117
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractO'Regan and Noë argue that a one-to-one correspondence between awareness and patterns of neural activity in the brain is impossible, making the project of identifying the neural correlates of consciousness doomed to fail. The authors of this response contend that such pessimism may be overstated, as recent empirical data show some convergence in describing consistent patterns of neural activity associated with visual consciousness.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Recent empirical data show some convergence in describing consistent patterns of neural activity associated with visual consciousness, suggesting that O'Regan and Noë's pessimism about discovering neural correlates of consciousness may be overstated. |
Abstract
O'Regan & Noë (O&N) are pessimistic about the prospects for discovering the neural correlates of consciousness. They argue that there can be no one-to-one correspondence between awareness and patterns of neural activity in the brain, so a project attempting to identify the neural correlates of consciousness is doomed to failure. We believe that this degree of pessimism may be overstated; recent empirical data show some convergence in describing consistent patterns of neural activity associated with visual consciousness.