Conscious States: where are they in the brain and what are their necessary ingredients?
William Hirstein
Mens Sana Monographs 2013 DOI: 10.4103/0973-1229.109343 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Access consciousness Phenomenal consciousness Prefrontal lobes Thalamo-cortical oscillations |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key points | Argues that certain types of conscious states may exist in posterior brain regions without active connections to the prefrontal lobes, potentially resolving issues about knowledge of conscious states. |
Abstract
One of the final obstacles to understanding consciousness in physical terms concerns the question of whether conscious states can exist in posterior regions of the brain without active connections to the brain's prefrontal lobes. If they can, difficult issues concerning our knowledge of our conscious states can be resolved. This paper contains a list of types of conscious states that may meet this criterion, including states of coma, states in which subjects are absorbed in a perceptual task, states in brains with damaged prefrontal lobes, states of meditation and conscious states of some infants and animals. Recent evidence also suggests that conscious states of some autistic people may meet this criterion.
Citations in the library
Cites 4
- Consciousness, accessibility, and the mesh between psychology and neuroscience. Behavioral and Brain Sciences December 1, 2007
- Towards an integrative theory of consciousness: part 2 (an anthology of various other models). Mens Sana Monographs 2013
- The contribution of prefrontal executive processes to creating a sense of self. Mens Sana Monographs January 2011
- The mental self. Progress in Brain Research 2005