Consciousness and Complexity
Anil K. Seth, Gerald M. Edelman
Encyclopedia of Complexity and Systems Science December 4, 1998 DOI: 10.1007/978-0-387-30440-3_94 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Proposes that the neural substrate of consciousness is a dynamic core of neurons whose activity is both highly integrated and complex, as measured by neural integration and complexity indices, and that this core can be identified and tested empirically. |
Abstract
Conventional approaches to understanding consciousness are generally concerned with the contribution of specific brain areas or groups of neurons. By contrast, it is considered here what kinds of neural processes can account for key properties of conscious experience. Applying measures of neural integration and complexity, together with an analysis of extensive neurological data, leads to a testable proposal-the dynamic core hypothesis-about the properties of the neural substrate of consciousness.