Panpsychism – Viewpoints which Matter

God, Space and Nature

Key Terms

Cambridge Platonists
Henry More
Isaac Newton
Space
God
Extended Object
Space and Time
Absolute Space
Absolute Time
Ralph Cudworth
Holenmerism
Force
Panentheistic panpsychism
Vitalism
Pantheism
Panentheism
Panpsychism
Voluntarism
Henry More; Isaac Newton; Spirit of Nature; aether; pneuma; gravitation
Ralph Cudworth, Henry More, John Smith and George Rust
Francis Glisson
Baruch de Spinoza
Hylozoism
Descartes
Cartesian Dualism
Spinozist Monism
Consciousness
Vedic Philosophy
Advait Vedanta Philosophy
Sankara’s Vedanta
Trika Philosophy
Ralph Abraham
Sisir Roy
Christian Hengstermann
Jonathan Duquette
Paul Schweizer
Prof. K. Ramasubramanian

God, space and the Spirit of Nature: Morean trialism revisited

Source: God, space and the Spirit of Nature: Morean trialism revisited

God or Space and Nature? Henry More’s Panentheism of Space and Panpsychism of Life and Nature

Source: God or Space and Nature? Henry More’s Panentheism of Space and Panpsychism of Life and Nature

Is Space Created? Reflections on Sankara’s Philosophy and Philosophy of Physics

Source: Is Space Created? Reflections on Sankara’s Philosophy and Philosophy of Physics (Philosophy East and West, 2010)

Space in relation to God or Absolute in the Thought of Henry More and Śaṅkara: An Exercise in Comparative Philosophy

Source: Space in relation to God or Absolute in the Thought of Henry More and Śaṅkara: An Exercise in Comparative Philosophy (Numen: International Review for the History of Religions, 2013)

Absolute Space and the Structure of Consciousness in Advaita Vedānta Philosophy

Source: Absolute Space and the Structure of Consciousness in Advaita Vedānta Philosophy

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Key Sources of Research

Henry More

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/henry-more

“A Cambridge Platonist’s Materialism: Henry More and the Concept of Soul.”

Henry, John.

Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes 49 (1986): 172–95. https://doi.org/10.2307/751295.

Publication History of Henry More’s Works,

https://www.cambridge-platonism.divinity.cam.ac.uk/view/texts/normalised/about-the-cambridge-platonists/publication-history/more-henry, accessed 2024-03-09.

God or Space and Nature? Henry More’s Panentheism of Space and Panpsychism of Life and Nature

In: Panentheism and Panpsychism

Author: Christian Hengstermann

Type: Chapter

Pages: 157–189

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30965/9783957437303_010

https://brill.com/display/book/9783957437303/BP000016.xml?language=enu0026amp;body=fullhtml-60832

Henry More: The Immortality of The Soul

Thomas Jaretz

https://www.academia.edu/7071418/Henry_More_The_Immortality_of_The_Soul

Imagination between Physick and Philosophy: On the Central Role of the Imagination in the Work of Henry More

Koen Vermeir

2008, Intellectual History Review

https://www.academia.edu/2024476/Imagination_between_Physick_and_Philosophy_On_the_Central_Role_of_the_Imagination_in_the_Work_of_Henry_More?uc-g-sw=7071418

Henry More’s space and the spirit of nature

Michael Boylan

2008, Journal of the History of Philosophy

https://www.academia.edu/72506764/Henry_Mores_space_and_the_spirit_of_nature?uc-g-sw=2024476

Space in relation to God or Absolute in the Thought of Henry More and Śaṅkara: An Exercise in Comparative Philosophy (Numen: International Review for the History of Religions, 2013)

Jonathan Duquette

https://www.academia.edu/1245997/Space_in_relation_to_God_or_Absolute_in_the_Thought_of_Henry_More_and_Śaṅkara_An_Exercise_in_Comparative_Philosophy_Numen_International_Review_for_the_History_of_Religions_2013_?uc-g-sw=72506764

Is Space Created? Reflections on Sankara’s Philosophy and Philosophy of Physics (Philosophy East and West, 2010)

Jonathan Duquette

More Info: Co-authored with Prof. K. Ramasubramanian (IIT Bombay, India). Published in Philosophy East and West, Vol.60, No.4, 2010, pp. 517-533

https://www.academia.edu/834162/Is_Space_Created_Reflections_on_Sankaras_Philosophy_and_Philosophy_of_Physics_Philosophy_East_and_West_2010_?uc-g-sw=1245997

The Emergence of Spacetime from the Akasha

Sisir Roy

https://www.academia.edu/15540494/The_Emergence_of_Spacetime_from_the_Akasha?uc-g-sw=834162

DEMYSTIFYING THE AKASHA Consciousness and the Quantum Vacuum

Sisir Roy

https://www.academia.edu/2294233/DEMYSTIFYING_THE_AKASHA_Consciousness_and_the_Quantum_Vacuum?hb-g-sw=15540494

Towards reconstruction of the dialogue between Modern Physics and Buddhist Philosophy: an inquiry into the concepts of Quantum Vacuum and Ālayavijñāna

Sisir Roy

https://www.academia.edu/11560744/Towards_reconstruction_of_the_dialogue_between_Modern_Physics_and_Buddhist_Philosophy_an_inquiry_into_the_concepts_of_Quantum_Vacuum_and_Ālayavijñāna

Quantum Theory and Consciousness: Insights from Advaita Philosophy

sisir Roy

https://www.academia.edu/111476054/Quantum_Theory_and_Consciousness_Insights_from_Advaita_Philosophy

Mind Within Matter: Science, the Occult, and the (Meta)Physics of Ether and Akasha

Anya Foxen

2016, Zygon®

https://www.academia.edu/26285878/Mind_Within_Matter_Science_the_Occult_and_the_Meta_Physics_of_Ether_and_Akasha?uc-g-sw=2294233

The evolution of Henry more’s theory of divine absolute space.

Reid, Jasper William (2007).

Journal of the History of Philosophy 45 (1):79-102.

https://philpapers.org/rec/REITEO

Space Before God? A Problem in Newton’s Metaphysics.

Connolly, Patrick J. (2015).

Philosophy 90 (1):83-106.

https://philpapers.org/rec/CONSBG

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/philosophy/article/abs/space-before-god-a-problem-in-newtons-metaphysics/711456908D600172345093E302F258DE

Henry More on Spirits, Light, and Immaterial Extension.

Blank, Andreas (2013).

British Journal for the History of Philosophy 21 (5):857 – 878.

https://philpapers.org/rec/BLAHMO

The Metaphysics of Henry More.

Reid, Jasper (2012).

Springer.

https://philpapers.org/rec/REITMO-7

A cambridge platonist’s materialism: Henry more and the concept of soul.

Henry, John (1986).

Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes 49 (1):172-195.

https://philpapers.org/rec/HENACP

Henry More on Material and Spiritual Extension.

Reid, Jasper (2003).

Dialogue 42 (3):531-.

https://philpapers.org/rec/REIHMO-2

Henry More: The Rational Theology of a Cambridge Platonist.

Lichtenstein, Aharon (2013).

Harvard University Press.

https://philpapers.org/rec/LICHMT

Fortunio Liceti on Mind, Light, and Immaterial Extension.

Blank, Andreas (2013).

Perspectives on Science 21 (3):358-378.

https://philpapers.org/rec/BLAFLO

The spatial presence of spirits among the cartesians.

Reid, Jasper William (2008).

Journal of the History of Philosophy 46 (1):91-117.

https://philpapers.org/rec/REITSP

More, Henry.

Strazzoni, Andrea (2016).

In Marco Sgarbi (ed.), Encyclopedia of Renaissance Philosophy. Cham: Springer. pp. 2242-2245.

https://philpapers.org/rec/STRMHB

A Philosophical Reappraisal of Henry More’s Theory of Divine Space

This dissertation is submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

JONATHAN DAVID LYONHART

SIDNEY SUSSEX COLLEGE

UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE CAMBRIDGE, UK September 2020

https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/items/5d679a22-daf6-4257-8175-ec901e79bcad

Essay Review: Henry More and Newton’s Gravity,

Henry, J. (1993).

Henry More: Magic, Religion and Experiment. A. RUPERT HALL (Basil
Blackwell, Oxford, 1990).

History of Science, 31(1), 83-97. https://doi.org/10.1177/007327539303100104

“Miraculous and supernaturall effects” in the works of Henry More

Thesis submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy: 2019

Clare Fitzpatrick
Department of History, Classics and Archaeology Birkbeck College, University of London

https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/40434

Click to access Fitzpatrick%20Thesis%202019-07-31.pdf

‘9 Newton’s Ontology of Omnipresence and Infinite Space’,

Mcguire, J. E., and Edward Slowik,

in Daniel Garber, and Donald Rutherford (eds), Oxford Studies in Early Modern Philosophy Volume VI, Oxford Studies in Early Modern Philosophy (Oxford, 2012; online edn, Oxford Academic, 24 Jan. 2013), https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199659593.003.0009, accessed 22 Mar. 2024

https://academic.oup.com/book/6434/chapter-abstract/150260392?redirectedFrom=fulltext

“Newton on God’s Relation to Space and Time: The Cartesian Framework”

Gorham, Geoffrey.

Archiv für Geschichte der Philosophie 93, no. 3 (2011): 281-320. https://doi.org/10.1515/agph.2011.013

https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/agph.2011.013/html#Chicago

Henry More and the development of absolute time

Emily Thomas

University of Groningen, Faculty of Theology & Religious Studies, Oude Boteringestraat 38, 9712 GK Groningen, Netherlands

Studies in History and Philosophy of Science 54 (2015) 11e19

‘Henry More and the Development of Absolute Time’,

Thomas, Emily,

Absolute Time: Rifts in Early Modern British Metaphysics (Oxford, 2018; online edn, Oxford Academic, 24 May 2018), https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198807933.003.0003, accessed 23 Mar. 2024.

https://academic.oup.com/book/11493/chapter-abstract/160215961?redirectedFrom=fulltext

This chapter explores the first British account of absolute time or duration, developed in the mid-seventeenth century by the Cambridge Platonist Henry More. It explores the evolution of More’s views on time; the relationship More perceives between time, duration, and God; and the motivations underlying More’s views. It argues that, as More’s views developed across the course of his career, an asymmetry emerged in his mature work with regard to divine presence: God is extendedly present in space, yet holenmerically present in time. The chapter concludes with a note on the influence More may have wielded over later British thinkers.

‘Newton’s De Gravitatione on God and his Emanative Effects’,

Thomas, Emily,

Absolute Time: Rifts in Early Modern British Metaphysics (Oxford, 2018; online edn, Oxford Academic, 24 May 2018), https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198807933.003.0007, accessed 23 Mar. 2024.

https://academic.oup.com/book/11493/chapter-abstract/160220273

Isaac Newton’s space and time absolutism is infamous, and would prove hugely influential. This chapter explores Newton’s early manuscript De Gravitatione, and asks two questions of it. First, what are time and space? In answer, it builds on John Carriero’s 1990 ‘Causation’ reading, arguing that Newton was drawing on Henry More’s account of emanative causation. It goes on to read Newton as holding that time and space are real but not really distinct from God, and they should be understood as incorporeal dimensions. Second, how is God present in time and space? It answers that Newton’s God is holenmeric, not extended.

Locke on Space, Time and God

GEOFFREY GORHAM

Macalester College

Ergo: An Open Journal of Philosophy

https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/p/pod/dod-idx/locke-on-space-time-and-god.pdf?c=ergo;idno=12405314.0007.007;format=pdf

“Cudworth and More on Immaterial Extension: A New Text with Analysis”,

Leisinger, M., (2023)

Journal of Modern Philosophy 5: 5. doi: https://doi.org/10.25894/jmp.1909

https://jmphil.org/article/id/1909

Newton on God’s Relation to Space and Time: The Cartesian Framework.

Gorham, Geoffrey. (2011).

Archiv für Geschichte der Philosophie. 93. 10.1515/agph.2011.013.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/270398554_Newton_on_God’s_Relation_to_Space_and_Time_The_Cartesian_Framework

https://www.academia.edu/10054664/Newton_on_Gods_Relation_to_Space_and_Time

HENRY MORE: BIBLIOGRAPHY

(Written by David Leech, 28 October 2013; revised 2017)

Henry More: Bibliography

“Environmental Ethics and the Cambridge Platonist Henry More”

Lyonhart, Jonathan David. 2024.

Religions 15, no. 2: 157. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15020157

https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/2/157

God, space and the Spirit of Nature: Morean trialism revisited,

Jacques Joseph (2024)

Intellectual History Review, 34:1, 165-184, DOI: 10.1080/17496977.2023.2287121

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17496977.2023.2287121

Space God: Rejudging a Debate between More, Newton, and Einstein

(Studies in the Doctrine of God) Paperback – October 19, 2023

by JD Lyonhart (Author), Douglas Hedley (Contributor)

Book Details

Henry More had an odd idea. Thinking about space, he realized it was invisible, for we see things in space but not space itself. It’s also immaterial, for matter exists in space but space is not itself material–try to grab it and it slips through your fingers. Space was also infinite and transcendent yet nonetheless omnipresent, for we cannot go anywhere except in and through space. But this was exactly how More saw God; God is invisible, immaterial, infinite, and transcendent, yet also omnipresent above, beyond, and within us. If God was somehow linked to space, he could be truly present while remaining immaterial, upholding the creator-creature distinction. He’d be near to us but would not be identical with us, just as space is distinct from the objects occupying it while remaining intimately close to those objects. What if space was, in some sense, divine? Odder still, Newton soon erected his new physics upon More’s idea. Indeed, there’s real evidence that the modern scientific world was unwittingly grounded upon this theistic metaphysic. Of course, modern physics shed these underpinnings in the nineteenth century, and was itself relativized by Einstein in the twentieth. Yet this book seeks to reappraise More’s odd idea. Is divine space theologically orthodox? Can it provide a new argument for the existence of God? And does it have any philosophical merit for us post-Einstein–a Space God for a Space Age?

Boundaries, Extents and Circulations: An Introduction to Spatiality and the Early Modern Concept of Space.

Jonathan Regier, Koen Vermeir.

Vermeir, Koen and Regier, Jonathan. Boundaries, Extents and Circulations. Space and Spatiality in Early Modern Natural Philosophy,

Springer, pp.1–32, 2016, 978-3-319-41074-6. 10.1007/978-3-319-41075-3 . halshs-01422144

https://shs.hal.science/halshs-01422144/document

Evolution of the Concept of Absolute Space

James (Jim) E Beichler

Published 1982

https://www.academia.edu/9459058/Evolution_of_the_Concept_of_Absolute_Space

American Transcendentalism

IEP

American Transcendentalism

On Divine Space

Nov 8

Written By JD Lyonhart

https://genealogiesofmodernity.org/journal/2022/11/7/on-divine-space

HENRY MORE’S “SPIRIT OF NATURE” AND NEWTON’S AETHER

TEORIE VĚDY / THEORY OF SCIENCE / XXXVIII / 2016 / 3

https://philarchive.org/archive/JOSHMS

Abstract: The paper presents the notion of “Spirit of Nature” in Henry More and describes its position within More’s philosophical system. Through a thorough analysis, it tries to show in what respects it can be considered a scientific object (especially taking into account the goals of More’s natural philosophy) and in what respects it cannot. In the second part of this paper, More’s “Spirit of Nature” is compared to Newton’s various attempts at presenting a metaphysical cause of the force of gravity, using the similarities between the two to see this notorious problem of Newton scholarship in a new light. One thus sees that if Newton drew from Stoic and Neo-Platonic theories of aether or soul of the world, we need to fully acknowledge the fact that these substances were traditionally of a non-dualistic, half-corporeal, half-spiritual nature. Both More’s “Spirit of Nature” and Newton’s aether can thus be understood as different attempts at incorporating such a pneumatic theory into the framework of modern physics, as it was then being formed.

Henry More on Space and the Divine

JD Lyonhart

JD Lyonhart / Henry More on Space and the Divine

MonoThreeism

An Absurdly Arrogant Attempt to Answer All the Problems of the Last 2000 Years in One Night at a Pub

by JD Lyonhart

Imprint: Cascade Books

Book Details

Time and Eternity: Exploring God’s Relationship to Time.

Craig, William Lane (2001).

Crossway Books.

https://philpapers.org/rec/CRATAE

Voluntarism and panentheism: the sensorium of God and Isaac Newton’s theology

John Henry

2018, The Seventeenth Century, vol. 33

https://www.academia.edu/44226176/Voluntarism_and_panentheism_the_sensorium_of_God_and_Isaac_Newtons_theology

God and the Natural World in the Seventeenth Century: Space, Time, and Causality

Geoffrey Gorham

2009, Philosophy Compass

https://www.academia.edu/25840360/God_and_the_Natural_World_in_the_Seventeenth_Century_Space_Time_and_Causality

2007, Early Science and Medicine

https://www.academia.edu/4430875/Descartes_on_Time_and_Duration&nav_from=62fe8420-652c-4896-b076-c2e746cf03a4&rw_pos=0

Absolute Space and the Structure of Consciousness in Advaita Vedānta Philosophy

Paul Schweizer
Institute for Language, Cognition and Computation
School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh

paul@inf.ed.ac.uk

Published in Kumar Sarma, S. (ed.), Dynamics of Culture, pp. 32-46. New Delhi: Param Mitra Prakashan (2016). ISBN 818597070-X.

Abstract: The paper examines the analysis of the fundamental structure of consciousness as developed in Śaṅkara’s Advaita Vedānta philosophy, and compares this highly influential Indian view with a predominant analysis in the Western tradition, viz., the Phenomenological theory of consciousness developed by Brentano and Husserl. According to the Phenomenological account, all mental states are intentional, and hence consciousness must always be directed towardsome object. In sharp contrast, Śaṅkara holds pure, undirected consciousness to be fundamental, while consciousness of a particular object is a secondary mode. In expositing the contrast between these two accounts, I draw on deep structural parallels that characterize the Newtonian versus Leibnizean theories of physical space. Śaṅkara’s notion of pure consciousness is highly analogous to the classical Newtonian conception of absolute space, and this conception provides a powerful and illuminating model of the Indian view. In contrast, Husserl’s notion of intentional consciousness closely parallels the Leibnizean relational account of physical space.

Theories of Consciousness

Key Terms

Consciousness
Neuroscience
Phenomenology
Mind and Brain
Hard Problem of Consciousness
Theory of Self
Theory of Consciousness
Atman = Brahman
Jivatma = Paramatma
Chetna
Universal Consciousness
Integrated Information Theory
Higher Order Theories (HOT)
Higher Order Thought
Higher Order Perception (HOP)
Biological Naturalism
Panpsychism
Quantum Consciousness Theory
Superposition
Entanglement
Wave Particle Duality
Orchestrated Objective Reduction Theory (Orch-OR)
Neural Darwinism
Global Workspace Theory (GWT)

Key Researchers

Anil Seth
Ned Block
Thomas Nagel
David Chalmers
Christof Koch
Patricia Churchland
Galen Strawson
John Searle
Swami Sarvapriyananda
Giulio Tononi
David Rosenthal
William Lycan
Roger Penrose
Stuart Hameroff
Gerald Edelman
Bernard Baars

Source: Mystery of the Mind: 7 Leading Theories of Consciousness Explained

Mystery of the Mind: 7 Leading Theories of Consciousness Explained

Streamlife staff writer 6 months ago

The nature of consciousness has mystified and intrigued humanity for centuries. As we progress in our understanding of the physical world, the question of what it means to be conscious remains one of the most complex and challenging inquiries in modern science. Despite this challenge, many leading theorists have developed compelling explanations for the phenomenon of consciousness. These theories seek to answer questions about the origins of our inner lives, the relationship between the mind and the brain, and the seemingly impenetrable problem of subjective experience. In this article, we’ll explore seven leading theories of consciousness, delving into their strengths, weaknesses, and historical roots.

Table of Contents

Integrated Information Theory: Consciousness as a Web of Information

Higher-Order Theories: Consciousness as Self-Reflection

Biological Naturalism: Consciousness as a Biological Phenomenon

Panpsychism: The Universal Consciousness

Quantum Consciousness Theory: The Microscopic World Meets the Mind

Neural Darwinism: The Evolution of Consciousness

Global Workspace Theory: Consciousness as a Central Information Hub

In conclusion

Integrated Information Theory: Consciousness as a Web of Information

Developed by neuroscientist Giulio Tononi in the early 2000s, Integrated Information Theory (IIT) proposes that consciousness arises from the integration of information within a system. The more interconnected and differentiated the information in a system, the higher the degree of consciousness. In other words, conscious experience is not simply a byproduct of brain activity but is fundamentally tied to the way information is structured, processed, and integrated within the brain.

IIT proposes that consciousness is quantifiable and can be measured using a mathematical value called “phi.” Phi is a measure of the degree of information integration within a system, considering both the amount of information and the complexity of its connections. According to IIT, systems with higher phi values possess a greater degree of consciousness.

A central concept in IIT is the idea of “causal power,” which refers to the ability of a system to affect its own future states. Consciousness, in this view, emerges from the causal interactions within a system, with greater causal power leading to richer conscious experiences. This approach allows IIT to provide a unified framework for understanding various aspects of consciousness, including its degrees, quality, and dynamics.

One of the most intriguing implications of IIT is its potential to extend the concept of consciousness beyond biological systems. If consciousness arises from the integration of information, then non-biological systems, such as advanced artificial intelligence, could also possess consciousness if they meet the necessary criteria.

Strengths:

IIT offers a quantifiable measure of consciousness called “phi,” which allows for comparisons between different systems and states.

The theory has provided a foundation for understanding the neural correlates of consciousness and the potential for artificial consciousness.

Weaknesses:

Critics argue that IIT’s reliance on a single metric oversimplifies the complexity of consciousness.

Some have questioned whether IIT can account for the subjective nature of conscious experience.

Higher-Order Theories: Consciousness as Self-Reflection

Higher-Order Theories (HOT) of consciousness, which originated in the 1990s with philosophers like David Rosenthal and William Lycan, propose that consciousness arises when the brain represents its own mental states. In other words, conscious experience is the result of thoughts about thoughts, or metacognition. According to HOT, unconscious mental states become conscious when they are accompanied by higher-order mental states that represent or are aware of them.

There are two main variants of HOT: Higher-Order Thought (HOT) theories, which focus on the cognitive aspect of higher-order representation, and Higher-Order Perception (HOP) theories, which emphasize the perceptual aspect. Both variants share the core idea that consciousness is a matter of self-representation, but they differ in how they conceive of the nature and role of higher-order mental states.

To further elucidate the HOT framework, it is helpful to consider an example. Imagine you are looking at a red apple. According to HOT, the perceptual experience of the red apple is an unconscious mental state. This experience becomes conscious when you have a higher-order thought that represents your experience of the apple, such as “I am perceiving a red apple.” The higher-order thought effectively “lights up” the unconscious mental state, transforming it into a conscious experience.

HOT theorists argue that this self-representational account of consciousness can explain various features of conscious experience, such as its subjective nature, introspection, and the distinction between conscious and unconscious mental states. For instance, the difference between conscious pain and unconscious pain can be understood in terms of the presence or absence of a higher-order mental state representing the pain.

Strengths:

HOT offers a clear distinction between conscious and unconscious mental states.

The theory provides a plausible explanation for introspection and self-awareness.

HOT is compatible with empirical findings in cognitive neuroscience, particularly the role of the prefrontal cortex in metacognition and self-representation.

Weaknesses:

Critics argue that HOT is circular, as it requires conscious awareness to be conscious.

The subjective nature of conscious experience remains unexplained within the HOT framework.

Some have questioned whether higher-order mental states are sufficient to account for the rich phenomenology of conscious experience.

Biological Naturalism: Consciousness as a Biological Phenomenon

Biological Naturalism, a theory proposed by the American philosopher John Searle, posits that consciousness is an emergent biological phenomenon resulting from specific neural mechanisms in the brain. Unlike some other theories of consciousness, Biological Naturalism maintains that conscious experience is a purely physical process, deeply rooted in the biological functioning of the brain.

At the core of Biological Naturalism is the idea that subjective conscious experiences, or qualia, are not separate from the physical world but are instead the product of the brain’s biological processes. This theory asserts that consciousness emerges from the complex interactions between neurons and other brain structures, forming a higher-level property of the brain’s activity, much like the properties of wetness in water molecules or the solidity of a table.

According to Searle, one of the key challenges in understanding consciousness from a biological perspective is to determine the specific neural correlates of consciousness (NCCs). NCCs are the minimal set of brain mechanisms or events responsible for producing a particular conscious experience. Identifying these correlates would help to bridge the gap between neuroscientific research and the subjective nature of conscious experience, ultimately contributing to a deeper understanding of how consciousness arises from the brain’s activity.

Strengths:

Biological Naturalism grounds consciousness in the physical, biological world, which aligns well with empirical scientific research and the naturalistic view of the universe.

The theory provides a solid foundation for investigating the neural mechanisms of consciousness, encouraging neuroscientific studies to reveal the specific brain processes that give rise to conscious experience.

Weaknesses:

Biological Naturalism has been criticized for not adequately addressing the “hard problem” of consciousness, which is the question of how and why specific neural processes give rise to subjective conscious experiences.

Some critics argue that the theory’s focus on neural correlates may not fully capture the complexity of consciousness, as it might overlook the potential contributions of other factors, such as the brain’s global neural dynamics or the interactions between different brain regions.

Panpsychism: The Universal Consciousness

Panpsychism is a philosophical theory tracing back to ancient Greece and India, which has recently been revived by contemporary philosophers like David Chalmers and Galen Strawson. Panpsychism posits that consciousness is a fundamental property of the universe, akin to mass or charge. According to this view, all physical entities, from electrons to galaxies, possess some form of consciousness or proto-consciousness, even if in a highly rudimentary form.

The core idea of panpsychism is that consciousness is not exclusive to complex biological systems, but rather is an intrinsic aspect of the fabric of reality. By attributing consciousness to all matter, panpsychism offers a unique solution to the “hard problem” of consciousness – the question of why and how certain physical processes give rise to subjective experience.

To gain a deeper understanding of panpsychism, it is important to clarify that the theory does not imply that all objects have thoughts, emotions, or self-awareness. Instead, panpsychism posits that even the most basic constituents of reality possess some form of experiential quality or “proto-consciousness.” This fundamental consciousness is thought to be combined and integrated in complex systems, such as the human brain, to give rise to the rich and varied conscious experiences we are familiar with.

One of the main challenges facing panpsychism is the so-called “combination problem.” This problem arises from the question of how individual conscious entities, such as the proto-consciousness of elementary particles, can combine to form a unified conscious experience, like the experience of a human being. Various panpsychist theorists have proposed different solutions to the combination problem, including the idea of “constitutive panpsychism,” in which higher-level conscious experiences are composed of more basic forms of consciousness.

Strengths:

Panpsychism offers a unique solution to the “hard problem” of consciousness by positing that subjective experience is inherent to all matter.

The theory provides a potential explanation for the emergence of consciousness in complex systems and avoids the difficulties associated with explaining how consciousness arises from non-conscious matter.

Weaknesses:

Critics argue that panpsychism is untestable and lacks empirical support.

The theory struggles to address the “combination problem,” which questions how individual conscious entities combine to form a unified conscious experience.

Some have criticized panpsychism as a form of “panprotopsychism,” arguing that attributing proto-consciousness to all matter does not necessarily explain the nature of full-fledged conscious experience.

Quantum Consciousness Theory: The Microscopic World Meets the Mind

Quantum Consciousness Theory, also known as Quantum Mind Theory, posits that the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics play a significant role in the emergence and functioning of consciousness. Developed in the late 20th century by physicists and mathematicians such as Roger Penrose and Stuart Hameroff, this theory suggests that the microtubules within the brain’s neurons are responsible for consciousness through quantum processes.

Quantum Consciousness Theory is based on the idea that microtubules, which are tiny protein structures found within neurons, can facilitate quantum computations. These quantum computations are thought to be responsible for the emergence of consciousness. According to proponents of this theory, the unique properties of quantum mechanics—such as superposition, entanglement, and wave-particle duality—allow for the generation of conscious experience in ways that classical physics cannot explain.

To delve deeper into Quantum Consciousness Theory, it’s essential to understand the concepts of quantum superposition and entanglement. Quantum superposition refers to the ability of a quantum system to exist in multiple states simultaneously until a measurement or observation is made, at which point the system collapses into one definite state. Quantum entanglement occurs when particles become interconnected in such a way that the state of one particle directly influences the state of another, even when they are separated by vast distances. Proponents of Quantum Consciousness Theory believe that these quantum phenomena can occur within the brain’s microtubules, leading to the emergence of conscious experience.

One of the most well-known models within Quantum Consciousness Theory is the Orchestrated Objective Reduction (Orch-OR) model, proposed by Roger Penrose and Stuart Hameroff. In the Orch-OR model, consciousness arises from quantum computations that occur within microtubules. These quantum computations are thought to be orchestrated by molecular structures called tubulins, which can switch between different quantum states. When a certain threshold of tubulin activity is reached, a collapse of the quantum superposition occurs, and this collapse is hypothesized to produce a moment of conscious experience.

Strengths:

Quantum Consciousness Theory offers an intriguing explanation for the emergence of consciousness that incorporates the exotic principles of quantum mechanics.

The theory has inspired interdisciplinary research, bridging the gap between neuroscience, physics, and philosophy.

Weaknesses:

Many scientists and philosophers remain skeptical of the role of quantum mechanics in consciousness, arguing that the brain’s warm, wet environment is not conducive to maintaining quantum states.

Critics also argue that Quantum Consciousness Theory does not directly address the subjective nature of conscious experience or the “hard problem” of consciousness.

Empirical evidence supporting the involvement of quantum processes in consciousness is limited and controversial.

Neural Darwinism: The Evolution of Consciousness

Neural Darwinism, also known as the Theory of Neuronal Group Selection, is a theory proposed by neuroscientist Gerald Edelman in the 1980s. It suggests that consciousness emerges through a process of selection among groups of neurons, akin to the principles of natural selection in biological evolution. According to Neural Darwinism, the brain’s structure and function are shaped by a competitive process in which neural circuits compete for resources and connectivity.

At the foundation of Neural Darwinism is the idea that the brain is composed of neuronal groups that are functionally interconnected. These neuronal groups, or assemblies, are constantly interacting and reconfiguring themselves based on their activity and the input they receive. Through this dynamic process, the brain’s neural networks are refined and optimized, resulting in the emergence of consciousness.

To gain a deeper understanding of Neural Darwinism, it is crucial to recognize the three main processes that drive the theory: (1) developmental selection, (2) experiential selection, and (3) reentrant signaling. Developmental selection refers to the formation of neuronal groups during development, with some groups being strengthened and others eliminated based on genetic and environmental factors. Experiential selection occurs as the brain encounters new experiences, leading to the strengthening of some neuronal groups and the weakening or elimination of others. Reentrant signaling involves the constant exchange of information between neuronal groups, which allows for the integration of information across different brain areas and the emergence of conscious experience.

Neural Darwinism posits that through these processes, the brain continually adapts and reorganizes its neural networks, giving rise to the dynamic and ever-changing nature of conscious experience. This theory emphasizes the importance of both genetic and experiential factors in shaping the structure and function of the brain and provides a compelling account of how consciousness might arise from the brain’s evolutionary processes.

Strengths:

Neural Darwinism offers a biologically plausible account of consciousness based on the principles of evolution and natural selection.

The theory provides a potential explanation for the individual variability of conscious experience, as each person’s brain develops and adapts differently based on their unique genetic and environmental influences.

Neural Darwinism has been supported by various empirical findings in neuroscience, such as the observation of competitive processes in neural development and plasticity.

Weaknesses:

Critics argue that Neural Darwinism does not directly address the subjective nature of conscious experience or the “hard problem” of consciousness.

Some have questioned whether the principles of natural selection can be adequately applied to neural networks and their development.

Global Workspace Theory: Consciousness as a Central Information Hub

Global Workspace Theory (GWT), proposed by psychologist Bernard Baars in the 1980s, postulates that consciousness arises from the integration and sharing of information across different brain regions. According to GWT, the brain contains a “global workspace” that functions as a central information hub, allowing various cognitive processes to communicate and cooperate with each other.

At the core of GWT is the idea that conscious experience is the result of the brain’s capacity to broadcast information to a wide array of specialized cognitive processes. In this view, consciousness is not localized to a specific brain area but is a product of the dynamic interplay between different brain regions and systems.

To better understand GWT, it is useful to consider the “theater metaphor” often used to describe the theory. In this metaphor, the global workspace is likened to a theater stage, with various cognitive processes represented as actors performing on the stage. As information is processed and integrated within the global workspace, it becomes “conscious” and is broadcast to the entire “audience” of specialized cognitive processes. This broadcast allows for the integration of information across different domains and the generation of a unified conscious experience.

GWT posits that this information integration and broadcasting process is essential for consciousness, as it enables the brain to efficiently allocate resources, make decisions, and adapt to new situations. The theory suggests that conscious experience arises when information is accessible and available to multiple cognitive processes, allowing for the flexible and adaptive behavior that characterizes conscious beings.

Strengths:

GWT provides a plausible account of the brain’s capacity to integrate and share information across different cognitive domains.

The theory has been supported by empirical evidence from neuroscience, including findings related to the role of the prefrontal cortex and other brain areas in information integration and broadcasting.

GWT offers a potential explanation for the functional role of consciousness in decision-making and resource allocation.

Weaknesses:

Critics argue that GWT does not directly address the subjective nature of conscious experience or the “hard problem” of consciousness.

Some have questioned whether the global workspace concept is sufficient to account for the rich phenomenology of conscious experience.

In conclusion

The quest to understand the enigma of consciousness has been a driving force for researchers and philosophers alike for centuries. The seven leading theories presented in this article offer a glimpse into the remarkable diversity of perspectives attempting to unravel the mysteries of the conscious mind. Each theory brings its unique insights, strengths, and weaknesses to the table, and together they paint a rich, multifaceted picture of the complex phenomenon we call consciousness.

As our scientific knowledge continues to advance, it becomes increasingly clear that the path to understanding consciousness is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. It is likely that a comprehensive understanding of this enigmatic aspect of human experience will require the integration of ideas from multiple disciplines, including neuroscience, psychology, physics, and philosophy. By exploring the intersections between these theories and fostering collaboration across fields, we may gradually unravel the secrets of the conscious mind.

In the pursuit of understanding consciousness, we are not only striving to make sense of our own experiences but also to gain insight into the very essence of what it means to be human. Ultimately, the journey to comprehend consciousness is not merely an intellectual pursuit; it has profound implications for how we perceive ourselves, our place in the world, and our connections with others. The quest to decipher the mind’s mysteries is one of the most thrilling and significant adventures of human inquiry, and it is our collective curiosity, determination, and ingenuity that will propel us forward on this exciting journey.

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Key Sources of Research

An Overview of the Leading Theories of Consciousness

Organizing and comparing the major candidate theories in the field.

Ralph Lewis, M.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto, a psychiatrist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and a consultant at the Odette Cancer Centre in Toronto.

Updated October 7, 2023

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/finding-purpose/202308/an-overview-of-the-leading-theories-of-consciousness

Understanding Higher-Order Theories of Consciousness

HOTs posit a possible way for the brain to render mental states conscious

Updated October 7, 2023

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/finding-purpose/202309/understanding-higher-order-theories-of-consciousness

Fame in the Brain—Global Workspace Theories of Consciousness

GWT is a strong but incomplete theory of consciousness.

Updated October 8, 2023

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/finding-purpose/202310/fame-in-the-brain-global-workspace-theories-of-consciousness

An Intriguing and Controversial Theory of Consciousness: IIT

Let’s dissect the appeal and criticism of integrated information theory (IIT).

Updated October 28, 2023 |

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/finding-purpose/202310/an-intriguing-and-controversial-theory-of-consciousness-iit

Mind-Body Problem: How Consciousness Emerges from Matter

Subjective experience is built from physically encoded internal representations.

Posted January 20, 2023

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/finding-purpose/202301/mind-body-problem-how-consciousness-emerges-from-matter

Learning May Be the Key to the Evolution of Consciousness

Capacity to learn by flexible association may define and drive consciousness.

Posted November 3, 2022

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/finding-purpose/202211/learning-may-be-the-key-the-evolution-consciousness

Are We Ditching the Most Popular Theory of Consciousness?

Why scientists are reevaluating the most popular definition of consciousness.

Updated October 11, 2023 |

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/social-instincts/202310/are-we-ditching-the-most-popular-theory-of-consciousness

Comparing theories of consciousness: why it matters and how to do it,

Simon Hviid Del Pin, Zuzanna Skóra, Kristian Sandberg, Morten Overgaard, Michał Wierzchoń,

Neuroscience of Consciousness, Volume 2021, Issue 2, 2021, niab019, https://doi.org/10.1093/nc/niab019

https://academic.oup.com/nc/article/2021/2/niab019/6354404

What if consciousness is not an emergent property of the brain? Observational and empirical challenges to materialistic models.

Wahbeh H, Radin D, Cannard C and Delorme A (2022)

Front. Psychol. 13:955594. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.955594

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.955594/full

Explanatory profiles of models of consciousness – towards a systematic classification,

Camilo Miguel Signorelli, Joanna Szczotka, Robert Prentner,

Neuroscience of Consciousness, Volume 2021, Issue 2, 2021, niab021, https://doi.org/10.1093/nc/niab021

https://academic.oup.com/nc/article/2021/2/niab021/6358634?itm_medium=sidebar&itm_source=trendmd-widget&itm_campaign=Neuroscience_of_Consciousness&itm_content=Neuroscience_of_Consciousness_0

Consciousness in active inference: Deep self-models, other minds, and the challenge of psychedelic-induced ego-dissolution,

George Deane,

Neuroscience of Consciousness, Volume 2021, Issue 2, 2021, niab024, https://doi.org/10.1093/nc/niab024

https://academic.oup.com/nc/article/2021/2/niab024/6360857

Local neuronal relational structures underlying the contents of human conscious experience,

Rafael Malach,

Neuroscience of Consciousness, Volume 2021, Issue 2, 2021, niab028, https://doi.org/10.1093/nc/niab028

https://academic.oup.com/nc/article/2021/2/niab028/6363668

Neuroscience of the yogic theory of consciousness,

Vaibhav Tripathi, Pallavi Bharadwaj,

Neuroscience of Consciousness, Volume 2021, Issue 2, 2021, niab030, https://doi.org/10.1093/nc/niab030

https://academic.oup.com/nc/article/2021/2/niab030/6382467

A relational approach to consciousness: categories of level and contents of consciousness,

Naotsugu Tsuchiya, Hayato Saigo,

Neuroscience of Consciousness, Volume 2021, Issue 2, 2021, niab034, https://doi.org/10.1093/nc/niab034

https://academic.oup.com/nc/article/2021/2/niab034/6397521

Time consciousness: the missing link in theories of consciousness,

Lachlan Kent, Marc Wittmann,

Neuroscience of Consciousness, Volume 2021, Issue 2, 2021, niab011, https://doi.org/10.1093/nc/niab011

https://academic.oup.com/nc/article/2021/2/niab011/6224347

https://academic.oup.com/nc/article/2021/2/niab015/6283925

Time and time again: a multi-scale hierarchical framework for time-consciousness and timing of cognition,

Ishan Singhal, Narayanan Srinivasan,

Neuroscience of Consciousness, Volume 2021, Issue 2, 2021, niab020, https://doi.org/10.1093/nc/niab020

https://academic.oup.com/nc/article/2021/2/niab020/6348789

Theories of Consciousness: An Introduction and Assessment / Edition 2

by William Seager

ISBN-10: 0415834090
ISBN-13: 9780415834094
Pub. Date: 02/10/2016
Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Despite recent strides in neuroscience and psychology that have deepened understanding of the brain, consciousness remains one of the greatest philosophical and scientific puzzles. The second edition of Theories of Consciousness: An Introduction and Assessment provides a fresh and up-to-date introduction to a variety of approaches to consciousness, and contributes to the current lively debate about the nature of consciousness and whether a scientific understanding of it is possible.

After an initial overview of the status and prospects of physicalism in the face of the problem of consciousness, William Seager explores key themes from Descartes – the founder of the modern problem of consciousness. He then turns to the most important theories of consciousness:

identity theories and the generation problem

higher-order thought theories of consciousness

self-representational theories of consciousness

Daniel Dennett’s theory of consciousness

attention-based theories of consciousness

representational theories of consciousness

conscious intentionality

panpsychism

neutral monism.

Thoroughly revised and expanded throughout, this second edition includes new chapters on animal consciousness, reflexive consciousness, combinatorial forms of panpsychism and neutral monism, as well as a significant new chapter on physicalism, emergence and consciousness.

The book’s broad scope, depth of coverage and focus on key philosophical positions and arguments make it an indispensable text for those teaching or studying philosophy of mind and psychology. It is also an excellent resource for those working in related fields such as cognitive science and the neuroscience of consciousness.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1. Consciousness & Physicalism 2. Themes from Descartes 3. Identity Theories & the Generation Problem 4. HOT Theory I: The Mentalistic Reduction of Consciousness 5. HOT Theory II: Animals, Mental Sophistication & Dispositions 6. Self-Representational Theories7. Dennett I: Qualia Eliminated 8. Dennett II: Consciousness Fictionalized 9. Consciousness & Attention10. Representational Theories of Consciousness I 11. Representational Theories of Consciousness II 12. Conscious Intentionality & the Anti-Cartesian Catastrophe 13. Consciousness, Information & Panpsychism 14. Panpsychism, Aggregation & Combinatorial Infusion 15. Monism & Models. Index

Higher-order Theories of Consciousness: An Anthology

edited by Rocco J. Gennaro

Unifying matter, energy and consciousness,

Mahendra Samarawickrama,

11th International Conference on Mathematical Modeling in Physical Sciences (2023). DOI: 10.1063/5.0162815

https://phys.org/news/2023-10-energy-consciousness-physics-thorny-topic.html

Panpsychism: The Trippy Theory That Everything From Bananas to Bicycles Are Conscious

Do inanimate objects have a mental life? Probably not, but the question isn’t quite as absurd as it sounds.

By Avery Hurt

Feb 16, 2021

https://www.discovermagazine.com/mind/panpsychism-the-trippy-theory-that-everything-from-bananas-to-bicycles-are

A (Very) Brief History of Consciousness

If we understand the mechanism of subjective experience, we could choose, or not, to put it into AI.

A (Very) Brief History of Consciousness

Consciousness in Artificial Intelligence: Insights from the Science of Consciousness

https://arxiv.org/abs/2308.08708

Consciousness: The last 50 years (and the next).

Seth AK.

Brain and Neuroscience Advances. 2018;2. doi:10.1177/2398212818816019

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2398212818816019

The Real Problem of Consciousness

What is it like to be you?

Posted October 21, 2021

Anil Seth, D.Phil., a professor of cognitive and computational neuroscience at the University of Sussex, is the author of Being You.

Adapted from Being You: A New Science of Consciousness by Anil Seth with permission from Dutton, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Copyright © 2021 by Anil Seth.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/consciousness-deep-dive/202110/the-real-problem-consciousness

“What Is Consciousness? Integrated Information vs. Inference”

Cooke, James E. 2021.

Entropy 23, no. 8: 1032. https://doi.org/10.3390/e23081032

https://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/23/8/1032

An Informal Internet Survey on the Current State of Consciousness Science.

Michel M, Fleming SM, Lau H, Lee ALF, Martinez-Conde S, Passingham RE, Peters MAK, Rahnev D, Sergent C and Liu K (2018)

Front. Psychol. 9:2134. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02134

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02134/full

Models of the Mind: How Physics, Engineering and Mathematics Have Shaped Our Understanding of the Brain

by Grace Lindsay

(Bloomsbury Sigma)

https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/models-of-the-mind-9781472966421/

The Consciousness Paradox: Consciousness, Concepts, and Higher-Order Thoughts

Rocco J. Gennaro

The MIT Press

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/9780262016605.001.0001

ISBN electronic: 9780262298582

In Special Collection: CogNet

Publication date: 2011

Theories of Consciousness and the Evolutionary Origins of Consciousness

Departmental Honors in Philosophy
by Morgan R. Clouser
Lycoming College May 5, 2023

Click to access clouser-morgan_2023.pdf

Consciousness

Theories in Neuroscience and Philosophy of Mind

Andrea Eugenio Cavanna, Andrea Nani

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-44088-9

Springer Berlin, Heidelberg

This book reviews some of the most important scientific and philosophical theories concerning the nature of mind and consciousness. Current theories on the mind-body problem and the neural correlates of consciousness are presented through a series of biographical sketches of the most influential thinkers across the fields of philosophy of mind, psychology and neuroscience. The book is divided into two parts: the first is dedicated to philosophers of mind and the second, to neuroscientists/experimental psychologists. Each part comprises twenty short chapters, with each chapter being dedicated to one author. A brief introduction is given on his or her life and most important works and influences. The most influential theory/ies developed by each author are then carefully explained and examined with the aim of scrutinizing the strengths and weaknesses of the different approaches to the nature of consciousness.

David Chalmers
Andrea Eugenio Cavanna, Andrea Nani
Pages 3-7

Paul and Patricia Churchland
Andrea Eugenio Cavanna, Andrea Nani
Pages 9-13

Tim Crane
Andrea Eugenio Cavanna, Andrea Nani
Pages 15-18

Donald Davidson
Andrea Eugenio Cavanna, Andrea Nani
Pages 19-24

Daniel Dennett
Andrea Eugenio Cavanna, Andrea Nani
Pages 25-28

René Descartes
Andrea Eugenio Cavanna, Andrea Nani
Pages 29-36

Jerry Fodor
Andrea Eugenio Cavanna, Andrea Nani
Pages 37-41

Jaegwon Kim
Andrea Eugenio Cavanna, Andrea Nani
Pages 43-47

William Lycan
Andrea Eugenio Cavanna, Andrea Nani
Pages 49-53

Colin McGinn
Andrea Eugenio Cavanna, Andrea Nani
Pages 55-59

Thomas Nagel
Andrea Eugenio Cavanna, Andrea Nani
Pages 61-65

Alva Noë
Andrea Eugenio Cavanna, Andrea Nani
Pages 67-71

Hilary Putnam
Andrea Eugenio Cavanna, Andrea Nani
Pages 73-78

David Rosenthal
Andrea Eugenio Cavanna, Andrea Nani
Pages 79-83

John Searle
Andrea Eugenio Cavanna, Andrea Nani
Pages 85-89

Bernard Baars
Andrea Eugenio Cavanna, Andrea Nani
Pages 93-97

Francis Crick and Christof Koch
Andrea Eugenio Cavanna, Andrea Nani
Pages 99-103

Theories of consciousness.

Seth, Anil & Bayne, Tim. (2022).

Nature Reviews Neuroscience. 23. 10.1038/s41583-022-00587-4.

Mystery of the Mind: 7 Leading Theories of Consciousness Explained

Mystery of the Mind: 7 Leading Theories of Consciousness Explained

An Introduction to Current Theories of Consciousness

by hohenheim

https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/8FuFepryeWbSYgqyN/an-introduction-to-current-theories-of-consciousness

Challenges for theories of consciousness: seeing or knowing, the missing ingredient and how to deal with panpsychism

Lamme Victor A. F.

2018

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B373: 2017034420170344

http://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2017.0344

https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rstb.2017.0344

Facing upto the hard question of consciousness.

Dennett DC. 2018

Phil.Trans. R. Soc. B373: 20170342.http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2017.0342

Why and how access consciousness can account forphenomenal consciousness.

Naccache L. 2018

Phil. Trans. R. Soc.B373: 20170357.http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2017.0357

One Hour of Mind-Blowing Scientific Theories on Conscious Universe

Theories and measures of consciousness: An extended framework

Anil K. Seth, Eugene Izhikevich, George N. Reeke, and Gerald M. Edelman edelman@nsi.edu

July 11, 2006

103 (28) 10799-10804

https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0604347103

https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.0604347103

Comparing the major theories of consciousness.

Block, N. (2009).

In M. S. Gazzaniga, E. Bizzi, L. M. Chalupa, S. T. Grafton, T. F. Heatherton, C. Koch, J. E. LeDoux, S. J. Luck, G. R. Mangan, J. A. Movshon, H. Neville, E. A. Phelps, P. Rakic, D. L. Schacter, M. Sur, & B. A. Wandell (Eds.), The cognitive neurosciences (pp. 1111–1122). Massachusetts Institute of Technology. https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/8029.003.0099

https://direct.mit.edu/books/edited-volume/5453/chapter-abstract/3965030/Comparing-the-Major-Theories-of-Consciousness?redirectedFrom=fulltext

Reconciling Current Theories of Consciousness

Sébastien Maillé and Michael Lynn

Journal of Neuroscience 4 March 2020, 40 (10) 1994-1996; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2740-19.2020

https://www.jneurosci.org/content/40/10/1994

Theories of Consciousness

https://philpapers.org/browse/theories-of-consciousness

Models of consciousness

Anil Seth (2007),

Scholarpedia, 2(1):1328.

doi:10.4249/scholarpedia.1328

http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Models_of_consciousness

The fundamental challenge of a future theory of consciousness.

Ruan Z.

Front Psychol. 2023 Jan 12;13:1029105. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1029105. PMID: 36710768; PMCID: PMC9878380.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9878380/

Higher-Order Theories of Consciousness

Higher-Order Theories of Consciousness

Theories of consciousness.

Seth, Anil; Bayne, Tim (2022).

University of Sussex. Journal contribution. https://hdl.handle.net/10779/uos.23488103.v1

https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Theories_of_consciousness/23488103

Theory of Consciousness

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/theory-of-consciousness

What a Contest of Consciousness Theories Really Proved

A five-year “adversarial collaboration” of consciousness theorists led to a stagy showdown in front of an audience. It crowned no winners — but it can still claim progress.

https://www.quantamagazine.org/what-a-contest-of-consciousness-theories-really-proved-20230824/

Higher-Order Theories of Consciousness

SEP

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/consciousness-higher/

What are the four main theories of consciousness?

By Anil Seth

https://www.newscientist.com/question/four-main-theories-consciousness/

Consciousness

SEP

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/consciousness/

Theories of consciousness.

Seth, A.K., Bayne, T.

Nat Rev Neurosci 23, 439–452 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41583-022-00587-4

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41583-022-00587-4#citeas

Abstract

Recent years have seen a blossoming of theories about the biological and physical basis of consciousness. Good theories guide empirical research, allowing us to interpret data, develop new experimental techniques and expand our capacity to manipulate the phenomenon of interest. Indeed, it is only when couched in terms of a theory that empirical discoveries can ultimately deliver a satisfying understanding of a phenomenon. However, in the case of consciousness, it is unclear how current theories relate to each other, or whether they can be empirically distinguished. To clarify this complicated landscape, we review four prominent theoretical approaches to consciousness: higher-order theories, global workspace theories, re-entry and predictive processing theories and integrated information theory. We describe the key characteristics of each approach by identifying which aspects of consciousness they propose to explain, what their neurobiological commitments are and what empirical data are adduced in their support. We consider how some prominent empirical debates might distinguish among these theories, and we outline three ways in which theories need to be developed to deliver a mature regimen of theory-testing in the neuroscience of consciousness. There are good reasons to think that the iterative development, testing and comparison of theories of consciousness will lead to a deeper understanding of this most profound of mysteries.

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God, Space and Nature

Key Terms

God, space and the Spirit of Nature: Morean trialism revisited

God or Space and Nature? Henry More’s Panentheism of Space and Panpsychism of Life and Nature

Is Space Created? Reflections on Sankara’s Philosophy and Philosophy of Physics

Space in relation to God or Absolute in the Thought of Henry More and Śaṅkara: An Exercise in Comparative Philosophy

Absolute Space and the Structure of Consciousness in Advaita Vedānta Philosophy

My Related Posts

Key Sources of Research

Henry More

“A Cambridge Platonist’s Materialism: Henry More and the Concept of Soul.”

Publication History of Henry More’s Works,

God or Space and Nature? Henry More’s Panentheism of Space and Panpsychism of Life and Nature

Henry More: The Immortality of The Soul

Imagination between Physick and Philosophy: On the Central Role of the Imagination in the Work of Henry More

Henry More’s space and the spirit of nature

Space in relation to God or Absolute in the Thought of Henry More and Śaṅkara: An Exercise in Comparative Philosophy (Numen: International Review for the History of Religions, 2013)

Is Space Created? Reflections on Sankara’s Philosophy and Philosophy of Physics (Philosophy East and West, 2010)

The Emergence of Spacetime from the Akasha

DEMYSTIFYING THE AKASHA Consciousness and the Quantum Vacuum

Towards reconstruction of the dialogue between Modern Physics and Buddhist Philosophy: an inquiry into the concepts of Quantum Vacuum and Ālayavijñāna

Quantum Theory and Consciousness: Insights from Advaita Philosophy

Mind Within Matter: Science, the Occult, and the (Meta)Physics of Ether and Akasha

The evolution of Henry more’s theory of divine absolute space.

Space Before God? A Problem in Newton’s Metaphysics.

Henry More on Spirits, Light, and Immaterial Extension.

The Metaphysics of Henry More.

A cambridge platonist’s materialism: Henry more and the concept of soul.

Henry More on Material and Spiritual Extension.

Henry More: The Rational Theology of a Cambridge Platonist.

Fortunio Liceti on Mind, Light, and Immaterial Extension.

The spatial presence of spirits among the cartesians.

More, Henry.

A Philosophical Reappraisal of Henry More’s Theory of Divine Space

Essay Review: Henry More and Newton’s Gravity,

“Miraculous and supernaturall effects” in the works of Henry More

‘9 Newton’s Ontology of Omnipresence and Infinite Space’,

“Newton on God’s Relation to Space and Time: The Cartesian Framework”

Henry More and the development of absolute time

‘Henry More and the Development of Absolute Time’,

‘Newton’s De Gravitatione on God and his Emanative Effects’,

Locke on Space, Time and God

“Cudworth and More on Immaterial Extension: A New Text with Analysis”,

Newton on God’s Relation to Space and Time: The Cartesian Framework.

HENRY MORE: BIBLIOGRAPHY

“Environmental Ethics and the Cambridge Platonist Henry More”

God, space and the Spirit of Nature: Morean trialism revisited,

Space God: Rejudging a Debate between More, Newton, and Einstein

Boundaries, Extents and Circulations: An Introduction to Spatiality and the Early Modern Concept of Space.

Evolution of the Concept of Absolute Space

American Transcendentalism

On Divine Space

HENRY MORE’S “SPIRIT OF NATURE” AND NEWTON’S AETHER

Henry More on Space and the Divine

MonoThreeism

An Absurdly Arrogant Attempt to Answer All the Problems of the Last 2000 Years in One Night at a Pub

Time and Eternity: Exploring God’s Relationship to Time.

Voluntarism and panentheism: the sensorium of God and Isaac Newton’s theology

God and the Natural World in the Seventeenth Century: Space, Time, and Causality

Newton, the sensorium of God, and the cause of gravity

Newton’s Anti-Cartesian Considerations Regarding Space

Descartes on God’s relation to time

Descartes on Time and Duration

Absolute Space and the Structure of Consciousness in Advaita Vedānta Philosophy

Theories of Consciousness

Key Terms

Key Researchers

Mystery of the Mind: 7 Leading Theories of Consciousness Explained

Table of Contents

Integrated Information Theory: Consciousness as a Web of Information

Higher-Order Theories: Consciousness as Self-Reflection

Biological Naturalism: Consciousness as a Biological Phenomenon

Panpsychism: The Universal Consciousness

Quantum Consciousness Theory: The Microscopic World Meets the Mind

Neural Darwinism: The Evolution of Consciousness

Global Workspace Theory: Consciousness as a Central Information Hub

In conclusion

My Related Posts

Key Sources of Research

An Overview of the Leading Theories of Consciousness