Sensory horizons, reality monitoring, and the higher-order nature of consciousness: A critical look.
Axel Cleeremans, Krzysztof Dołęga
Behavioral and Brain Sciences June 25, 2026 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x25103415 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Animals Humans Reality testing Consciousness Biological evolution |
| Key points | Argues that consciousness evolved to attribute subjective value, enabling organisms to care about and act upon what they sense. |
Abstract
Abstract Fleming and Michel’s hypothesis about the origins of consciousness not only faces multiple challenges but also overlooks phenomenal experience—the very phenomenon that needs explaining. Although we are in broad agreement with the authors’ overall perspective, we highlight challenges and suggest that consciousness evolved to attribute subjective value, enabling organisms to care about and act upon what they sense.
Citations in the library
Cites 3
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- REM sleep and dreaming: towards a theory of protoconsciousness. Nature Reviews Neuroscience November 2009