Can we prove that there are computational correlates of consciousness in the brain
June 3, 2014 D. Gamez
Scientific research on consciousness typically measures first-person reports and physical brain activity to find correlations, often focusing on neural correlates. Some theories propose that consciousness is linked to the brain's computations, which would require a method to measure those computations. This paper examines whether Chalmers' method for identifying computations could be applied in experiments on consciousness. It argues that Chalmers' account fails even for a desktop computer, making it unlikely to identify computational correlates of consciousness in the brain. The problems raised suggest that developing a reliable method to measure computations for testing computational theories of consciousness will be difficult.