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Consciousness Studies/Table Of Theories

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Theories of Consciousness

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Some recent scientific theories of consciousness are tabulated below. The extent to which they account for the phenomenon of consciousness is shown.

It is remarkable that many of the theories are consistent with one another. As in the tale of the 'blind men and the elephant' some of the theories seem to describe the trunk, some the tail etc. but they all seem to be part of the same elephant! The convergence of the theories is shown in the illustration below:

 

Table of theories

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A = Model of observer's view

<PB = Model of Anaesthetic Action in thalamus

C = Explanation of Libet's data

D = Explanation of unconscious but active cerebral cortex

E = Explanation of knowing you know

F = Explanation of non-computability

G = Binding (simultaneous processing of relevant data)

H = Extended present

I = Quantum state vector reduction


Name

Author/Ref

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

Microconsciousness

Zeki, S., & Bartel, A. (1999)

Toward a Theory of Visual Consciousness. Consciousness & Cognition, 8, 225-259.

N

N

N

N

N

N

Y

N

N

Geometrical Phenomenalism

Green, A. (2003)

Geometrical phenomenalism

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

?

Y

Y

Y

ORCH-R

Hameroff, S & Penrose, R. 1989

N

N

N

N

N

Y

Y

N

Y

Quantum Brain Model

Ricciardi, L. M. and H. Umezawa, 1967. Brain physics and many-body problems, Kibernetik 4, 44-48.

http://arXiv.org/abs/q-bio/0309009

N

 N

N

N

N

?

Y

N

Y

Many Minds

Donald, M. 1990. Quantum Theory and the Brain. Proc R Soc Lond. A427 43-93.

Y

 N

N

N

?

?

Y

Y

Y


A = Model of observer's view

B = Model of Anaesthetic Action in thalamus

C = Explanation of Libet's data

D = Explanation of unconscious but active cerebral cortex

E = Explanation of knowing you know

F = Explanation of non-computability

G = Binding (simultaneous processing of relevant data)

H = Extended present

I = Quantum state vector reduction

 

Name

Author/Ref

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

Dual-Time Supercausality

King, C.C. 1989. Physics Essays 2/2 128-151.

http://www.math.auckland.ac.nz/~king/Preprints/Transup.htm

N

/TD>

N

N

N

Y

Y

Y

?

Y

Spin Mediated Consciousness

Hu, H. & Wu, M. 2002. Spin-Mediated Consciousness Theory: An Approach Based On Pan-Protopsychism.

http://cogprints.ecs.soton.ac.uk/archive/00002579/

N

N

N

N

N

?

Y

N

Y

Quantum Theory of Consciousness (synaptic cleft)

Walker, E.W. 1998. the Noetic Journal, 1, 100-107, 1998

http://users.erols.com/wcri/CONSCIOUSNESS.html

N

N

N

N

N

N

Y

N

Y

 

A = Model of observer's view

B = Model of Anaesthetic Action in thalamus

C = Explanation of Libet's data

D = Explanation of unconscious but active cerebral cortex

E = Explanation of knowing you know

F = Explanation of non-computability

G = Binding (simultaneous processing of relevant data)

H = Extended present

I = Quantum state vector reduction

 

Name

Author/Ref

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

Global Workspace Theory

Baars, B. 1988. A cognitive theory of consciousness. Cambridge University Press, New York

http://www.ceptualinstitute.com/genre/baars/baarsBrain.htm

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

N

Y

N

N

Topological Geometrodynamics (TGD) Inspired Theory of Consciousness

Pitkänen, M. 199?. Topological Geometrodynamics

http://www.physics.helsinki.fi/~matpitka/mainpage.html

Y

?

N

N

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

The Conscious Electromagnetic Field Theory

McFadden, J.J. 2002

http://www.surrey.ac.uk/qe/cemi.htm

Y

?

N

N

N

N

Y

N

?

 

A = Model of observer's view

B = Model of Anaesthetic Action in thalamus

C = Explanation of Libet's data

D = Explanation of unconscious but active cerebral cortex

E = Explanation of knowing you know

F = Explanation of non-computability

G = Binding (simultaneous processing of relevant data)

H = Extended present

I = Quantum state vector reduction

 

Name

Author/Ref

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

Real Time Consciousness

Smythies, J. 2003. Journal of Consciousness Studies 10:3 47-56

http://www.imprint.co.uk/pdf/smythies.pdf

 Y

N

N

N

Y

?

Y

Y

?

Consciousness as memory

Gerald Edelman's theory

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003 April 29; 100(9): 5520–5524

 N

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

Single neuron theories of consciousness

Edwards, J. (2006)

How Many Pople Are There In My Head, And In Hers, Imprint Academic. http://www.ucl.ac.uk/~regfjxe/aw.htm

Sevush, S. (2006)

SINGLE-NEURON THEORY OF CONSCIOUSNESS. Journal of Theoretical Biology. 238(3), 704-725. http://cogprints.org/4432/01

/single%5Fneuron%5Ftheory.htm

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N
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