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The Implications of Shared Mind Theory (SMT)

Björn Wikström

PhilPapers (PhilPapers Foundation) January 8, 2026 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18187197 (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed
Key points Argues that consciousness is fundamentally relational and field-like, with individual minds arising as nodal perspectives within a shared conscious field. Subjectivity is not private by default but emerges from participation in a distributed structure of experience.

Abstract

Shared Mind Theory (SMT) holds that consciousness is fundamentally relational and field-like rather than individually localized. Individual minds arise as nodal perspectives within a shared conscious field, dynamically coordinated through interaction rather than ontologically isolated. Subjectivity is therefore not private by default, but emerges from participation in a distributed structure of experience.