Phenomenology and Connectionism
Frontiers in Psychology 2011 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00288 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Citations | 23 |
| Key points | Proposes that consciousness dynamics can be formally derived from neural activity's open dynamics via a supervenience function, enabling bidirectional mapping between phenomenological and neuro-computational structures. |
Abstract
I show how the dynamics of consciousness can be formally derived from the "open dynamics" of neural activity, and develop a mathematical framework for neuro-phenomenological investigation. I describe the space of possible brain states, the space of possible conscious states, and a "supervenience function" linking them. I show how this framework can be used to associate phenomenological structures with neuro-computational structures, and vice-versa. I pay special attention to the relationship between (1) the relatively fast dynamics of consciousness and neural activity, and (2) the slower dynamics of knowledge update and brain development.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on philosophy of mind, most cited first.
| 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
Cited by 14
- Consciousness and topologically structured phenomenal spaces. Consciousness and Cognition February 26, 2019
- Toward a Mature Science of Consciousness. Frontiers in Psychology 2018
- An Alternative to Cognitivism: Computational Phenomenology for Deep Learning Minds and Machines June 29, 2023
- Pluralist neurophenomenology: a reply to Lopes Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences September 1, 2025
- An integrative pluralistic approach to phenomenal consciousness Advances in Consciousness Research July 11, 2012
and 9 more in the library
Cites 4
- Consciousness as Integrated Information: a Provisional Manifesto Biological Bulletin December 1, 2008
- Qualia: The Geometry of Integrated Information PLoS Computational Biology August 13, 2009
- A connectionist theory of phenomenal experience. Behavioral and Brain Sciences February 1, 1999
- Mathematizing phenomenology Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences July 1, 2007