The Attention Schema Theory (AST) of consciousness attempts to unify Global Workspace Theory, Illusionism, and Higher-Order Thought (HOT) theory. This response argues that AST misrepresents HOT by equating subjective experience with dualism and by presenting HOT as a form of strong illusionism, which it is not. HOT requires awareness of one's mental life through re-representation of lower-order states, but AST denies re-representing visual stimuli. An alternative unification is proposed: Global Workspace Theory and AST explain how lower-order states are assembled and maintained, while HOT accounts for subjective experience.
People's understanding of consciousness may be shaped by an implicit theory of mind, a social cognition approach that helps explain a divide between the physically incoherent consciousness people think they have and the complex, rich, but mechanistic consciousness they may actually have. This approach helps reconcile current cognitive neuroscience theories of consciousness. A single, coherent explanation of consciousness is available and has been for some time, encompassing the views of many researchers, but is not yet recognized. It is obscured partly by terminological differences and because researchers view isolated pieces as rival theories. A deeper, coherent pool of ideas, a kind of standard model, may explain multiple layers of consciousness and how they relate to specific brain networks.
This commentary on a target article about reconciling major theories of consciousness argues that the Attention Schema Theory (AST) offers advantages and is compatible with recent neuroscience findings. The authors call for future models of consciousness to move beyond focusing solely on awareness of external stimuli and instead incorporate internally generated conscious experiences.
Consciousness can be explained by neuroscience, but many people still view it as an immaterial substance. Several recent theories attempt to explain consciousness, including the global workspace theory, attention schema theory, higher-order thought theory, and illusionist theory. These theories range from a neurobiological interpretation (global workspace theory) to a psychological-folk interpretation (illusionist theory).