Consciousness Multiplied
James H. McIntyre
Philosophy and Phenomenological Research July 13, 2026 DOI: 10.1111/phpr.70146 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Consciousness Argument complex analysis Rest music Multiplicity mathematics Human being Epistemology Free will Contemporary philosophy |
| Key points | Argues that under normal conditions, a single human brain is home to numerous conscious minds at once, because many of its proper parts fulfill the neural correlates of consciousness. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT It is generally assumed that an ordinary human brain is associated with a single mind. Indeed, this assumption is so deeply rooted that it is rarely articulated explicitly, let alone questioned. However, as philosophers of mind have increasingly noticed, it turns out to rest on alarmingly shaky ground. In this article, I argue for the multiplicity hypothesis : under normal conditions, a single human brain is home to not just one, but numerous conscious minds at once, each as vivid and real as our own. Specifically, this argument holds that many of a human brain's proper parts themselves fulfill the neural correlates of consciousness. Although this conclusion is deeply counterintuitive, it follows from principles that any scientifically minded person, who thinks there is an intimate tie between human consciousness and neural activity, has good reasons to accept. I consider several objections, but the case for multiplicity proves resilient.
Comparable studies
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| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychosis as a state of aberrant salience: a framework linking biology, phenomenology, and pharmacology in schizophrenia. | 2003 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From dopamine to salience to psychosis--linking biology, pharmacology and phenomenology of psychosis. | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How do the brain's time and space mediate consciousness and its different dimensions? Temporo-spatial theory of consciousness (TTC). | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The phenomenology of deep brain stimulation-induced changes in OCD: an enactive affordance-based model. | 2013 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Looking for the Self: Phenomenology, Neurophysiology and Philosophical Significance of Drug-induced Ego Dissolution | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cites 7
- On a confusion about a function of consciousness Behavioral and Brain Sciences June 1, 1995
- An information integration theory of consciousness BMC Neuroscience November 2, 2004
- Experience and Time: A Metaphysical Approach Analytic Philosophy February 11, 2026
- Integrated Information Theory, Intrinsicality, and Overlapping Conscious Systems Journal of Consciousness Studies November 20, 2021
- Out-of-body experience in the anterior insular cortex during the intracranial electrodes stimulation in an epileptic child. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience August 1, 2018
and 2 more in the library