## Tags - Part of: [[Neuroscience]] [[Cognitive science]] - Related: - Includes: - Additional: ## Main resources - <iframe src="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consciousness" allow="fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" style="height:100%;width:100%; aspect-ratio: 16 / 5; "></iframe> ## Landscapes - [A landscape of consciousness: Toward a taxonomy of explanations and implications](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0079610723001128?via%3Dihub) [[Images/ec48207422510bed4c7df940f6806506_MD5.jpeg|Open: Pasted image 20240919000936.png]] ![[Images/ec48207422510bed4c7df940f6806506_MD5.jpeg]] - [Theories of consciousness | Nature Reviews Neuroscience](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41583-022-00587-4) - [Models of consciousness - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Models_of_consciousness) - [Models of consciousness - Scholarpedia](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Models_of_consciousness) - [Consciousness (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/consciousness/) - Joscha Bach: Consciousness as a self organizing, coherence optimizing learning algorithm [x.com/Plinz/status/1810902687585903033](https://x.com/Plinz/status/1810902687585903033) - [Frontiers | Integrated world modeling theory expanded: Implications for the future of consciousness](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/computational-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fncom.2022.642397/full) [Frontiers | An Integrated World Modeling Theory (IWMT) of Consciousness: Combining Integrated Information and Global Neuronal Workspace Theories With the Free Energy Principle and Active Inference Framework; Toward Solving the Hard Problem and Characterizing Agentic Causation](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/artificial-intelligence/articles/10.3389/frai.2020.00030/full) - [Frontiers | A Relativistic Theory of Consciousness](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.704270/full) - [Electromagnetic Field Topology as a Solution to the Boundary Problem of Consciousness - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tX8b3ng37Nw&t=3411s&pp=ygUyYW5kcmVzIGdvbWV6IGVtbWlsc29uIHRvcG9sb2dpY2FsIGJvdW5kYXJ5IHByb2JsZW0%3D) - [[Omnidisciplinarity|Omnidisciplionary]] ## Brainstorming - I wonder often how close to the brain do we actually have to get to create machines that can be merged with our biological neural network or to create machines that can be considered as conscious. Do we need to match "hardware architecture" architecture deeply, or just "software architecture" lightly. ([Theories of consciousness | Nature Reviews Neuroscience](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41583-022-00587-4) , [Consciousness - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consciousness#Models) , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Models_of_consciousness) Qualia research institute ([On Connectome and Geometric Eigenmodes of Brain Activity: The Eigenbasis of the Mind?](https://qri.org/blog/eigenbasis-of-the-mind) , https://philarchive.org/rec/GMEDFT) and some neuromophic computing groups ([Joscha Bach, Yulia Sandamirskaya: "The Third Age of AI: Understanding Machines that Understand" - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xHVtgwNBcY)) are on this spectrum very close to the "we need to replicate hardware deeply". IIT, GWT ([What a Contest of Consciousness Theories Really Proved | Quanta Magazine](https://www.quantamagazine.org/what-a-contest-of-consciousness-theories-really-proved-20230824/) , https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9916582/ ), Active Inference (https://direct.mit.edu/books/oa-monograph/5299/Active-InferenceThe-Free-Energy-Principle-in-Mind) and Joscha Bach ([Joscha Bach - Consciousness as a coherence-inducing operator - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoHCQ1ozswA)) is more on the functional level. (https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frai.2020.00030/full), free energy principle tries to merge these levels? ([Karl Friston on Unifying The Cognitive Sciences - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9hOPiSHbwo) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S037015732300203X [Inner screen model of consciousness: applying free energy principle to study of conscious experience - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZWjjDT5rGU) [Physics as Information Processing ~ Chris Fields ~ AII 2023](https://coda.io/@active-inference-institute/fields-physics-2023) [#67 Prof. KARL FRISTON 2.0 [Unplugged] - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKQ-F2-o8uM) ) But I'm open to anything on this spectrum really. - I'm giving high probability that carrier of consciousness is some algorithm in neuroscience from {global neuronal workspace theory, integrated information theory, recurrent processing theory, predictive processing theory, neurorepresentationalism, dendritic integration theory} or their combination (An integrative, multiscale view on neural theories of consciousness https://www.cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-6273(24)00088-6 ) or low-level electromagnetic field [Electromagnetic theories of consciousness - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_theories_of_consciousness) alternatively from {Attention schema theory, Dynamic core hypothesis, Damasio's theory of consciousness, Higher-order theories of consciousness, Holonomic brain theory, Multiple drafts model, Orchestrated objective reduction} (all have a wiki page) [Models of consciousness - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Models_of_consciousness) [Models of consciousness - Scholarpedia](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Models_of_consciousness) but now just... which model is empirically correct, or which combination, or if it's a completely different structure we haven't found yet there have been some attempts at empirical measurements [What a Contest of Consciousness Theories Really Proved | Quanta Magazine](https://www.quantamagazine.org/what-a-contest-of-consciousness-theories-really-proved-20230824/) but so far not much results if at all reductive physicalism and closed individualism are true 😄 [A new theory of Open Individualism - Opentheory.net](https://opentheory.net/2018/09/a-new-theory-of-open-individualism/) I'm betting it does with a high probability - I feel like nobody actually knows anything about consciousness (as in existence of subjective experience) and everyone is just guessing and following intuition (i havent seen satisfying enough idea how to actually empirically test sentience of a system) There are so many diverse different definitions and models of consciousness Plus there are many different possible ontologies Consciousness science feels like the most divided field out there (IIT vs GWT vs biology vs physics models vs selfreference,...) Different definitions: https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/KpD2fJa6zo8o2MBxg/consciousness-as-a-conflationary-alliance-term Different models: [Models of consciousness - Scholarpedia](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Models_of_consciousness) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/360364308_Theories_of_consciousness [Models of consciousness - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Models_of_consciousness?wprov=sfla1) Meta hard problem of consciousness: [The Meta-Problem of Consciousness with David Chalmers - YouTube](https://youtu.be/yHTiQrrUhUA?si=3sohcjdXYVX4EiH1) Different ontologies: [Bayesian Brain and the Ultimate Nature of Reality - YouTube](https://youtu.be/kw5Q5h8s6FI?si=82iVFEKfmOe6nd_J) - Does consciousness equation fundamentally reside on substrate independent emergent layer like software or on fundamental ontological layer like fields of physics or both are different lenses on the same conscious system on different levels? - [[Ontology]] ## Deep dives - “Figure 2. Depiction of the human brain in terms of phenomenological correspondences, as well as computational (or functional), algorithmic, and implementational levels of analysis (Reprinted from Safron, 2021b). Depiction of the human brain in terms of entailed aspects of experience (i.e., phenomenology), as well as computational (or functional), algorithmic, and implementational levels of analysis (Marr, 1983; Safron, 2020b). A phenomenological level is specified to provide mappings between consciousness and these complementary/supervenient levels of analysis. Modal depictions connotate the radically embodied nature of mind, but not all images are meant to indicate conscious experiences. Phenomenal consciousness may solely be generated by hierarchies centered on posterior medial cortex, supramarginal gyrus, and angular gyrus as respective visuospatial (cf. consciousness as projective geometric modeling) (Rudrauf et al., 2017; Williford et al., 2018), somatic (cf. grounded cognition and intermediate level theory) (Varela et al., 1992; Barsalou, 2010; Prinz, 2017), and intentional/attentional phenomenology (cf. Attention Schema Theory) (Graziano, 2019). Computationally, various brain functions are identified according to particular modal aspects, either with respect to generating perception (both unconscious and conscious) or action (both unconscious and potentially conscious, via posterior generative models). (Note: Action selection can also occur via affordance competition in posterior cortices (Cisek, 2007), and frontal generative models could be interpreted as a kind of forward-looking (unconscious) perception, made conscious as imaginings via parameterizing the inversion of posterior generative models). On the algorithmic level, these functions are mapped onto variants of machine learning architectures—e.g., autoencoders and generative adversarial networks, graph neural networks (GNNs), recurrent reservoirs and liquid state machines—organized according to potential realization by neural systems. GNN-structured latent spaces are suggested as a potentially important architectural principle (Zhou et al., 2019), largely due to efficiency for emulating physical processes (Battaglia et al., 2018; Bapst et al., 2020; Cranmer et al., 2020). Hexagonally organized grid graph GNNs are depicted in posterior medial cortices as contributing to quasi-Cartesian spatial modeling (and potentially experience) (Haun and Tononi, 2019; Haun, 2020), as well as in dorsomedial, and ventromedial PFCs for agentic control. With respect to AI systems, such representations could be used to implement not just modeling of external spaces, but of consciousness as internal space (or blackboard), which could potentially be leveraged for reasoning processes with correspondences to category theory, analogy making via structured representations, and possibly causal inference. Neuroimaging evidence suggests these grids may be dynamically coupled in various ways (Faul et al., 2020), contributing to higher-order cognition as a kind of navigation/search process through generalized space (Hills et al., 2010; Kaplan and Friston, 2018; Çatal et al., 2021). A further GNN is speculatively adduced to reside in supramarginal gyrus as a mesh grid placed on top of a transformed representation of the primary sensorimotor homunculus (cf. body image/schema for the sake of efficient motor control/inference). This quasi-homuncular GNN may have some scaled correspondence to embodiment as felt from within, potentially morphed/re-represented to better correspond with externally viewed embodiments (potentially both resulting from and enabling “mirroring” with other agents for coordination and inference) (Rochat, 2010). Speculatively, this partial translation into a quasi-Cartesian reference frame may provide more effective couplings (or information-sharing) with semi-topographically organized representations in posterior medial cortices. Angular gyrus is depicted as containing a ring-shaped GNN to reflect a further level of abstraction and hierarchical control over action-oriented body schemas—which may potentially mediate coherent functional couplings between the “lived body” and the “mind’s eye”—functionally entailing vectors/tensors over attentional (and potentially intentional) processes (Graziano, 2018). Frontal homologs to posterior GNNs are also depicted, which may provide a variety of higher-order modeling abilities, including epistemic access for extended/distributed self-processes and intentional control mechanisms. These higher-order functionalities may be achieved via frontal cortices being more capable of temporally extended generative modeling (Parr et al., 2019c), and potentially also by virtue of being located further from primary sensory cortices, so affording (“counterfactually rich”) dynamics that are more decoupled from immediate sensorimotor contingencies. Further, these frontal control hierarchies afford multi-scale goal-oriented behavior via bidirectional effective connectivity with the basal ganglia (i.e., winner-take-all dynamics and facilitation of sequential operations) and canalization via diffuse neuro-modulator nuclei of the brainstem (i.e., implicit policies and value signals) (Houk et al., 2007; Humphries and Prescott, 2010; Stephenson-Jones et al., 2011; Dabney et al., 2020; Morrens et al., 2020). Finally, the frontal pole is described as a highly non-linear recurrent system capable of shaping overall activity via bifurcating capacities (Tani, 2016; Wang et al., 2018)—with potentially astronomical combinatorics—providing sources of novelty and rapid adaptation via situation-specific attractor dynamics. While the modal character of prefrontal computation is depicted at the phenomenological level of analysis, IWMT proposes frontal cortices might only indirectly contribute to consciousness via influencing dynamics in posterior cortices. Speculatively, functional analogs for ring-shaped GNN salience/relevance maps may potentially be found in the central complexes of insects and the tectums of all vertebrates (Honkanen et al., 2019), although it is unclear whether those structures would be associated with any kind of subjective experience. Even more speculatively, if these functional mappings were realized in a human-mimetic, neuromorphic AI, then it may have both flexible general intelligence and consciousness. In this way, this figure is a sort of pseudocode for (partially human-interpretable) AGI with “System 2” capacities (Bengio, 2017; Thomas et al., 2018), and possibly also phenomenal consciousness. (Note: The language of predictive processing provides bridges between implementational and computational (and also phenomenological) levels, but descriptions such as vector fields and attracting manifolds could have alternatively been used to remain agnostic as to which implicit algorithms might be entailed by physical dynamics). On the implementational level, biological realizations of algorithmic processes are depicted as corresponding to flows of activity and interactions between neuronal populations, canalized by the formation of metastable synchronous complexes (i.e., “self-organizing harmonic modes”; Safron, 2020a). (Note: The other models discussed in this manuscript do not depend on the accuracy of these putative mappings, nor the hypothesized mechanisms of centralized homunculi and “Cartesian theaters” with semi-topographic correspondences with phenomenology).” [[Images/e6daefd3b6a96fb3b8a0704f8db287a6_MD5.jpeg|Open: Pasted image 20240920043523.png]] ![[Images/e6daefd3b6a96fb3b8a0704f8db287a6_MD5.jpeg]] - An integrative, multiscale view on neural theories of consciousness Combination of global neuronal workspace theory + integrated information theory + recurrent processing theory + predictive processing theory + neurorepresentationalism + dendritic integration theory [An integrative, multiscale view on neural theories of consciousness: Neuron](https://www.cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-6273(24)00088-6) ![[Pasted image 20240920043334.png]] - [\[2305.02205\] The inner screen model of consciousness: applying the free energy principle directly to the study of conscious experience](https://arxiv.org/abs/2305.02205) - [Frontiers | Don’t forget the boundary problem! How EM field topology can address the overlooked cousin to the binding problem for consciousness](https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2023.1233119/full) - [[Philosophy of mind]] - [[Ontology]] - [[Artificial consciousness]] ## Brain storming All the ontologies! All the philosophies of mind! All the models of consciousness! All the interacting scales! As long as it gives some empirical predictions of data! Landscape of possible theories of consciousness has too many degrees of freedom in possible models, that are hard to test empirically, and in possible philosophical assumptions Polyconsciousness: Actual physical implementation of consciousness differs among individuals and philosophers of consciousness reverse engineered their own consciousness implementation (their own Matrix) Under my most used definitions, consciousness (having an experience) is completely unrelated to the ability to reason and intelligence (narrow and general, ability to solve problems in diverse environments, compression, adapt, generalize, agency etc.) "I" "identify" as whatever the neural correlate of consciousness is. We need a proper theory of consciousness [[Images/1328316b13fde824bfb8959dcd98d2b6_MD5.jpeg|Open: Pasted image 20240917205839.png]] ![[Images/1328316b13fde824bfb8959dcd98d2b6_MD5.jpeg]] ## Deep dive written by AI (may include factually incorrect information) Based on the search results, several brain regions and networks have been theorized as potential sources or key components of consciousness: 1. Cerebral cortex The cerebral cortex, particularly certain areas, is widely considered to play a major role in consciousness[2][7]. 2. Thalamus The thalamus, especially its interaction with cortical regions (the thalamocortical loop), is thought to be important for consciousness[3][5]. 3. Brainstem Structures in the brainstem are believed to regulate arousal and wakefulness, which are key aspects of consciousness[1][5]. 4. Default mode network This network of brain regions appears to be involved in consciousness, particularly when combined with thalamic activity[6]. 5. Intralaminar nucleus of the thalamus Damage to this area can produce coma, suggesting its importance for consciousness[7]. 6. Specific brainstem-cortex network A Harvard study identified a network involving the rostral dorsolateral pontine tegmentum in the brainstem, the left ventral anterior insula, and the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex as crucial for consciousness[8]. 7. Frontal lobe Neurons in parts of the frontal lobe have been found to be active during conscious perception[4]. 8. Lateral prefrontal cortex This region has been associated with representing the content of consciousness[4]. 9. Posterior "hot zone" Areas towards the rear of the cortex, including parietal, temporal, and occipital regions, have been implicated in consciousness[2]. It's important to note that consciousness is likely an emergent property arising from the complex interactions of multiple brain regions and networks, rather than being localized to a single area. Research in this field is ongoing, and our understanding continues to evolve. Citations: [1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35505255/ [2] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41583-022-00587-4 [3] https://scitechdaily.com/where-does-consciousness-reside-in-the-brain-new-discovery-helps-pinpoint-its-location/ [4] https://www.mpg.de/8425992/seat-of-consciousness [5] https://academic.oup.com/brain/article/124/7/1263/285461?login=false [6] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/how-does-the-human-brain-create-consciousness-and-why [7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1312236/ [8] https://www.sciencealert.com/harvard-scientists-think-they-ve-pinpointed-the-neural-source-of-consciousness ## Landscapes written by AI (may include factually incorrect information) Creating a comprehensive map of consciousness is a complex task that involves integrating various theories, approaches, and perspectives. Here's an attempt to create a broad, multifaceted map of consciousness based on the available information: ## Levels of Consciousness ### Creature Consciousness - Wakefulness vs. Sleep - Alertness vs. Drowsiness - Coma vs. Vegetative State ### Phenomenal Consciousness - Qualia (subjective experiences) - Sensory modalities (sight, sound, touch, taste, smell) - Emotional states - Body sensations ### Access Consciousness - Working memory - Cognitive accessibility - Global Neuronal Workspace ### State Consciousness - Awareness of mental states - Meta-cognition ### Transitive Consciousness - Awareness of external objects/events - Perceptual consciousness ### Introspective Consciousness - Self-reflection - Deliberate attention to inner states ### Self-Consciousness - Self-awareness - Identity - Autobiographical memory ## Dimensions of Consciousness ### Cognitive Dimensions - Intelligence (IQ) - Attention - Memory - Executive functions - Language processing ### Personality Dimensions - Big Five traits (Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism) - Other personality models (e.g., HEXACO) ### Perceptual Dimensions - Perceptual richness - Perceptual inhibition/discrimination ### Emotional Dimensions - Emotional intelligence - Emotional regulation - Mood states ### Spiritual/Transpersonal Dimensions - Altered states of consciousness - Mystical experiences - Transcendence ## Neurobiological Correlates ### Brain Regions - Prefrontal cortex - Thalamus - Brainstem - Default mode network ### Neurotransmitter Systems - Dopamine - Serotonin - Norepinephrine - GABA ### Brain Waves - Delta, Theta, Alpha, Beta, Gamma ## Theoretical Approaches ### Integrated Information Theory (IIT) - Intrinsic existence - Composition - Information - Integration - Exclusion ### Global Workspace Theory (GWT) - Global availability of information - Broadcast of conscious contents ### Higher-Order Thought Theory - Consciousness as meta-representation ### Predictive Processing - Consciousness as prediction error minimization ## States of Consciousness ### Normal Waking Consciousness ### Altered States - Meditation - Hypnosis - Psychedelic experiences - Flow states - Dreams ### Pathological States - Disorders of consciousness (e.g., coma, vegetative state) - Psychiatric conditions (e.g., schizophrenia, dissociative disorders) ## Developmental Aspects ### Ontogenetic Development - Infant consciousness - Child development of self-awareness - Adolescent consciousness ### Phylogenetic Development - Evolutionary perspectives on consciousness - Comparative consciousness across species ## Cultural and Social Dimensions ### Cultural Variations in Consciousness - Collectivist vs. individualist cultures - Indigenous perspectives on consciousness ### Social Consciousness - Collective consciousness - Intersubjectivity ## Philosophical Perspectives ### Dualism vs. Materialism ### Panpsychism ### Emergentism ## Measurement and Assessment ### Behavioral Measures - Report-based methods - Forced-choice paradigms ### Neuroimaging Techniques - fMRI, EEG, MEG ### Psychometric Approaches - Consciousness scales and questionnaires ## Ethical and Practical Implications ### Consciousness in AI and Machine Ethics ### Neuroethics and Consciousness ### Clinical Applications in Disorders of Consciousness This map attempts to integrate various aspects of consciousness studies, including levels, dimensions, neurobiological correlates, theoretical approaches, states, developmental aspects, cultural dimensions, philosophical perspectives, measurement techniques, and ethical implications. It's important to note that this is a simplified representation of an incredibly complex and multifaceted field, and there are ongoing debates and research in many of these areas[1][3][5][6]. Citations: [1] https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.530152/full [2] https://blog.scottbritton.me/p/ascending-the-map-of-consciousness [3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7578362/ [4] https://veritaspub.com/product/a-map-of-consciousness/ [5] https://philarchive.org/archive/BERKOC [6] https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1161132/full [7] https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/theory-knowledge/202010/the-map-mind-1-2-3