The olfactory system as the gateway to the neural correlates of consciousness
Christina Merrick, Christine A. Godwin, Mark W. Geisler, Ezequiel Morsella
Frontiers in Psychology 2014 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2013.01011 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Consciousness Unconscious mind Cognition Cognitive science Olfactory system Cognitive psychology |
| Citations | 108 |
| Key findings | The olfactory system is uniquely suited to study the contrast between conscious and unconscious processing, and conscious olfactory content requires participation in a large-scale neural network with broad information integration. |
Abstract
How consciousness is generated by the nervous system remains one of the greatest mysteries in science. Investigators from diverse fields have begun to unravel this puzzle by contrasting conscious and unconscious processes. In this way, it has been revealed that the two kinds of processes differ in terms of the underlying neural events and associated cognitive mechanisms. We propose that, for several reasons, the olfactory system provides a unique portal through which to examine this contrast. For this purpose, the olfactory system is beneficial in terms of its (a) neuroanatomical aspects, (b) phenomenological and cognitive/mechanistic properties, and (c) neurodynamic (e.g., brain oscillations) properties. In this review, we discuss how each of these properties and aspects of the olfactory system can illuminate the contrast between conscious and unconscious processing in the brain. We conclude by delineating the most fruitful avenues of research and by entertaining hypotheses that, in order for an olfactory content to be conscious, that content must participate in a network that is large-scale, both in terms of the neural systems involved and the scope of information integration.