The inner screen model of consciousness: applying the free energy principle directly to the study of conscious experience
Maxwell J D Ramstead, Mahault Albarracin, Alex Kiefer, Brennan Klein, Chris Fields, Karl Friston, Adam Safron
April 20, 2023 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/6afs3 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Citations | 15 |
| Key points | Proposes that a model of consciousness follows directly from the free-energy principle, drawing on classical and quantum formulations and the "inner screen hypothesis," and argues that the brain's sparse, nested, hierarchical, and holographic structure supports both overt and covert action. |
Abstract
This paper presents a model of consciousness that follows directly from the free- energy principle (FEP). We first rehearse the classical and quantum formulations of the FEP. In particular, we consider the “inner screen hypothesis” that follows from the quantum information theoretic version of the FEP. We then review applications of the FEP to the known sparse (nested and hierarchical) neuro-anatomy of the brain. We focus on the holographic structure of the brain, and how this structure supports (overt and covert) action.