The Sense of Consciousness

Tannenbaum, Arnold S.

doi:10.1006/jtbi.2001.2355

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Relevant to this postulated evolutionary process is how conscious awareness appears to transpire in animal species varying in cognitive capacity and not just humans with enhanced cognitive ability [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. It then is not the presence of conscious awareness that varies but the quality based on cognitive capacity.…”

Section: Evolution Of Conscious Awarenessmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Conscious awareness includes both sensory-perceptual (visual, auditory, olfactory, touch, pain, balance, acceleration, and positioning) and thought forms (focused thoughts, mind wandering, retrieved memories, emotions, problem solving, and self-awareness), plus various combinations, leading Dennett [ 4 ] to indicate that consciousness can involve anything and everything. Conscious awareness appears to transpire in animal species varying in cognitive capacity and not just humans with enhanced cognitive ability [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. According to Fabbro et al [ 10 ], there are 5 lines of evidence supporting the presence of consciousness in vertebrate species: first, a pattern of EEG activity in the range of 20–70 Hz, typically linked to wakefulness and REM sleep; second, thalamo-cortical activity; third, widespread brain activity during processing of sensory stimuli; fourth, selective synchronization at cortical and brainstem levels of dynamically formed neural networks involved in binding sensory stimuli; fifth, the presence of egocentric maps for localizing an individual in a given space.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to Fabbro et al [ 10 ], there are 5 lines of evidence supporting the presence of consciousness in vertebrate species: first, a pattern of EEG activity in the range of 20–70 Hz, typically linked to wakefulness and REM sleep; second, thalamo-cortical activity; third, widespread brain activity during processing of sensory stimuli; fourth, selective synchronization at cortical and brainstem levels of dynamically formed neural networks involved in binding sensory stimuli; fifth, the presence of egocentric maps for localizing an individual in a given space. Fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, and primates, demonstrate some form of consciousness based on these and other indicators of consciousness [ 6 , 7 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. Furthermore, beyond vertebrates it appears that consciousness occurs in at least more cognitively advanced invertebrates, such as cephalopods including, octopus, squid, and cuttlefish, that rely on decentralized nervous systems in their tentacles to achieve remarkable problem solving feats [ 12 , 13 ], and possibly also arthropods [ 8 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sliding Scale Theory of Attention and Consciousness/Unconsciousness

Bowins¹

2022

Behavioral Sciences

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Attention defined as focusing on a unit of information plays a prominent role in both consciousness and the cognitive unconscious, due to its essential role in information processing. Existing theories of consciousness invariably address the relationship between attention and conscious awareness, ranging from attention is not required to crucial. However, these theories do not adequately or even remotely consider the contribution of attention to the cognitive unconscious. A valid theory of consciousness must also be a robust theory of the cognitive unconscious, a point rarely if ever considered. Current theories also emphasize human perceptual consciousness, primarily visual, despite evidence that consciousness occurs in diverse animal species varying in cognitive capacity, and across many forms of perceptual and thought consciousness. A comprehensive and parsimonious perspective applicable to the diversity of species demonstrating consciousness and the various forms—sliding scale theory of attention and consciousness/unconsciousness—is proposed with relevant research reviewed. Consistent with the continuous organization of natural events, attention occupies a sliding scale in regards to time and space compression. Unconscious attention in the form of the “cognitive unconscious” is time and spaced diffused, whereas conscious attention is tightly time and space compressed to the present moment. Due to the special clarity derived from brief and concentrated signals, the tight time and space compression yields conscious awareness as an emergent property. The present moment enhances the time and space compression of conscious attention, and contributes to an evolutionary explanation of conscious awareness.

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