The field of consciousness science has grown exponentially over the past five years, following three decades of foundational work by a small group of researchers. In June 2023, a three-day workshop funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation convened experts to assess the current state of the field and identify promising future research directions. The resulting Special Focus includes empirical and theoretical contributions from invited speakers. The author advocates for stronger connections between consciousness science and other cognitive neuroscience subdisciplines, arguing that modern neuroscience must address the challenge of studying subjective experiences.
The field of consciousness science has matured over the past three decades and is poised for explosive growth that could transform medicine and technology. The global community recently convened to synthesize current knowledge and identify the most promising approaches for advancing the field.
The assumption that a single neurobiological account will explain all types of conscious awareness is challenged by evidence that neural activity related to conscious visual perception varies in location, timing, and information flow depending on external and internal factors. This suggests the search for generic neural correlates of consciousness may not be fruitful. A more pluralistic approach is needed, and a new framework called joint determinant theory (JDT) is proposed. JDT may accommodate different brain circuit mechanisms for varied conscious contents such as percepts, wills, memories, emotions, and thoughts, as well as their integrated experience.
Advancing scientific research on consciousness is important for addressing clinical and ethical issues in neurology and mental health. To support this field, funding priorities must be set carefully, and challenges such as job creation and media misrepresentation need to be addressed.
A neurophysiological hypothesis proposes that the slow cortical potential (SCP) recorded from the brain's surface reflects the activity of superficial-layer pyramidal neurons, which directly contribute to conscious awareness. Existing data from manipulations of conscious awareness in normal subjects, as well as from altered states like general anesthesia and recovery from vegetative states, support this idea. The hypothesis also makes experimentally testable predictions. Because a relationship between the SCP and fMRI signals has been identified, this hypothesis may bridge neuroimaging and electrophysiological studies of consciousness.