Consciousness and the structuring property of typical data
arXiv Preprint Archive March 14, 2012 via arXiv
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA proposed partial theory defines consciousness as relations among brain states that arise from typical brain activity patterns. A single brain state is nearly meaningless, but when placed within the context of the brain's inherent structure and typical states, it becomes highly structured by these relations. The theory can be tested theoretically and experimentally, and discrete mathematics fully specifies how typical data determines these relations.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Q-bio.nc 92b20, 91e30 Consciousness definition Theory of consciousness Conscious experience |
| Key finding | Proposes that consciousness arises from relations defined by typical brain states, where a brain state is meaningful only in the context of the brain's structural typicality. |
Abstract
The theoretical base for consciousness, in particular an explanation of how consciousness is defined by the brain, has long been sought by science. We propose a partial theory of consciousness as relations defined by typical data. The theory is based on the idea that a brain state on its own is almost meaningless but in the context of the typical brain states, defined by the brain's structure, a particular brain state is highly structured by relations. The proposed theory can be applied and tested both theoretically and experimentally. Precisely how typical data determines relations is fully established using discrete mathematics.