Conscious interpretation: A distinct aspect for the neural markers of the contents of consciousness

Bachmann, Talis; Aru, Jaan

doi:10.1016/j.concog.2023.103471

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Unconscious processing was not validated in any form in the current research. If, on the other hand, consciousness can be said to have been implicated in the current results (see Bachmann & Aru, 2023), it was implicated via "error" (see Frith, 2021). The participants did not respond in any way to faces that were presented but were imperceptible, they responded to faces that were not presented but were reported as being perceivable (see Pessoa & Adoplhs, 2010).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 80%

“Sentio Ergo Est”: Unmasking the Emotional Realities of Misperception

Tsikandilakis,

Bali,

Karlis

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Signal detection theory (SDT) is a multi-component ratio method for assessing perceptual performance. It can be applied in backward masking, such as the presentation of a brief target image followed by a noise image that can render a target imperceptible. Previously, we implemented a methodology for backward masking that included individualized thresholds to achieve unconscious presentations and involved dedicated SDT-component analyses. We showed that a specific SDT-component, namely, false positives, such as erroneously reporting that an arousing facial stimulus was presented, involved increases in physiological and emotional responses. In this manuscript, we explored this effect outside our individual-thresholds paradigm. For the first time in relevant research, we recruited participants using trial-contour power calculations for false positive responses. We presented emotional faces for 16.67 ms masked with noise images for 116.67 ms. We showed that false-positive responses for emotional faces were characterised by pre-trial arousal, and post-trial arousal increases, and high emotional and confidence ratings. These outcomes were most pronounced for the misperception of fearful faces. Based on these findings, we discussed the possibility of a mechanism for partial self-encapsulated emotional-experiential apperception. We emphasised the possibility of a fear primacy socio-emotional response module during combined visual ambiguity and high psychophysiological arousal.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 80%

“Sentio Ergo Est”: Unmasking the Emotional Realities of Misperception

Tsikandilakis,

Bali,

Karlis

et al. 2024

Preprint

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“…We have already discussed that neither the concept of perceptual representations and their neural correlates nor the concept of destabilization are well established. This becomes obvious, if we compare perceptual reversals of ambiguous figures with perceptual reversals of binocular rivalry stimuli, as recently discussed by Bachmann and Aru (2023) . In the case of ambiguous figures, the stimulus features, e.g., the edges of the Necker cube, stay in consciousness but are interpreted differently.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Spontaneous Necker-cube reversals may not be that spontaneous

Wilson

Hecker

Joos

et al. 2023

Front. Hum. Neurosci.

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IntroductionDuring observation of the ambiguous Necker cube, our perception suddenly reverses between two about equally possible 3D interpretations. During passive observation, perceptual reversals seem to be sudden and spontaneous. A number of theoretical approaches postulate destabilization of neural representations as a pre-condition for reversals of ambiguous figures. In the current study, we focused on possible Electroencephalogram (EEG) correlates of perceptual destabilization, that may allow prediction of an upcoming perceptual reversal.MethodsWe presented ambiguous Necker cube stimuli in an onset-paradigm and investigated the neural processes underlying endogenous reversals as compared to perceptual stability across two consecutive stimulus presentations. In a separate experimental condition, disambiguated cube variants were alternated randomly, to exogenously induce perceptual reversals. We compared the EEG immediately before and during endogenous Necker cube reversals with corresponding time windows during exogenously induced perceptual reversals of disambiguated cube variants.ResultsFor the ambiguous Necker cube stimuli, we found the earliest differences in the EEG between reversal trials and stability trials already 1 s before a reversal occurred, at bilateral parietal electrodes. The traces remained similar until approximately 1100 ms before a perceived reversal, became maximally different at around 890 ms (p = 7.59 × 10–6, Cohen’s d = 1.35) and remained different until shortly before offset of the stimulus preceding the reversal. No such patterns were found in the case of disambiguated cube variants.DiscussionThe identified EEG effects may reflect destabilized states of neural representations, related to destabilized perceptual states preceding a perceptual reversal. They further indicate that spontaneous Necker cube reversals are most probably not as spontaneous as generally thought. Rather, the destabilization may occur over a longer time scale, at least 1 s before a reversal event, despite the reversal event as such being perceived as spontaneous by the viewer.

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