Neural Correlates of Contents and Levels of Consciousness
Morten Overgaard, Rikke Overgaard
Frontiers in Psychology 2010 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2010.00164 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 55 |
| Key points | Argues that conscious levels are determined by conscious contents in a specific manner, and that conscious contents are natural kinds whereas conscious levels are not. |
Abstract
Experimental investigations of the neural substrate of consciousness typically take one of two paths, studying (1) contents or (2) levels of consciousness. It seems obvious to most that these two "paths" are interrelated, yet much less obvious how. This paper gives one suggestion to grasp the interrelation, arguing that conscious levels are determined by conscious contents in a very specific way. It follows from the argument that conscious contents are so-called natural kinds, whereas conscious levels are not.