Consciousness: mapping the theoretical landscape

Author(s): Thomas, M. S. C., Cleeremans, A.

Journal/Book: Trends Cogn Sci. 2000; 4: 84 Theobalds Rd, London WC1X 8RR, England. Elsevier Science London. 372-382.

Abstract: What makes us conscious? Many theories that attempt to answer this question have appeared recently in the context of widespread interest about consciousness in the cognitive neurosciences. Most of these proposals are formulated in terms of the information processing conducted by the brain. In this overview, we survey and contrast these model. We first delineate several notions of consciousness, addressing what it is that the various models are attempting to explain. Next we describe a conceptual landscape that addresses how the theories attempt to explain consciousness. We then situate each of several representative models in this landscape and indicate which aspect of consciousness they try to explain. We conclude that the search for the neural correlates of consciousness should be usefully complemented by a search for the computational correlates of consciousness.

Note: Review Atkinson AP, King Alfreds Coll, Dept Psychol, Sparkford Rd, Winchester SO22 4NR, Hants, ENGLAND

Keyword(s): VISUAL-CORTEX; NEUROSCIENCE; BLINDSIGHT; EXPERIENCE; PERCEPTION; ATTENTION; MONKEYS; SCIENCE; ACCESS; QUALIA

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