The P3b brain wave is not a reliable marker of conscious perception, as many experiments have failed to observe it during conscious experience. In contrast, the visual and auditory awareness negativity (VAN and AAN) have not been dissociated from consciousness, and a similar signal correlates with tactile consciousness. These awareness negativities are likely generated in sensory cortices and can be maximal contralateral to the stimulus, suggesting a generalized perceptual awareness negativity (PAN) that marks the onset of sensory consciousness.
A critical review of EEG and MEG markers of the neural correlates of consciousness (NCC) for visual, auditory, and tactile stimuli concludes that two prominent signals—the early, modality-specific visual and auditory awareness negativities (VAN and AAN) and the late, modality-independent P3b—are not equally valid NCC. More than twelve studies found the P3b absent despite conscious perception, ruling it out. No convincing evidence dissociates the awareness negativities from consciousness. Evidence for a tactile equivalent, the somatosensory awareness negativity (SAN), supports a generalized perceptual awareness negativity (PAN) correlated with perceptual consciousness, arising 120–200 ms after stimulus onset from sensory cortices. This PAN points to new research avenues.