What explains the "hard" problem of consciousness?

Attention Schema Theory (AST) proposes that consciousness arises from the brain's model of its own attention, treating subjective awareness as a simplified, useful description of the control of attention. The theory aims to dissolve the "hard" problem of consciousness by arguing that the feeling of consciousness is a perceptual attribution, not a metaphysical mystery. AST suggests that the brain constructs a schematic representation of attention, much like it constructs a body schema, allowing it to predict and control its own cognitive processes. This account frames consciousness as a type of information, specifically a model of attention, which enables flexible, adaptive behavior.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Graziano and colleagues (this volume) have proposed a new theory of consciousness, called Attention Schema Theory (AST), both in an attempt to dissolve the “hard” problem of consciousness and as a ...