Emergence of qualia from brain activity or from an interaction of proto-consciousness with the brain: which one is the weirder? Available evidence and a research agenda
ScienceOpen Research February 26, 2020 Patrizio Tressoldi, Enrico Facco, Daniela Lucangeli
Two theories of consciousness are compared for their ability to explain various qualia experiences, including meta-awareness, meta-cognition, the placebo effect, out-of-body experiences, cognitive therapy, and meditation-induced brain changes. One theory holds that qualia arise from specific neural patterns; the other posits that qualia result from the interaction of a proto-consciousness with brain activity. The comparison aims to determine which theory better accounts for these phenomena and offers a more promising research agenda.