From unconscious to conscious
Alice Barra, Manon Carrière, Steven Laureys, Charlotte Martial
Routledge eBooks July 15, 2020 DOI: 10.4324/9781315205267-3 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 2 |
| Key findings | Argues that studying altered states of consciousness, such as disorders of consciousness, hypnosis, anaesthesia, and near-death experiences, through functional neuroimaging and electrophysiology can reveal neurophysiological signatures of consciousness even when behavioural signs of awareness are absent, and that such work can enrich understanding of how the conscious mind emerges. |
Abstract
In clinical setting, consciousness can be described by two components: wakefulness and awareness. It is now established that a wide range of states or experiences characterized by dissociation between these two components exists. This chapter discusses certain of those most intriguing instances, such as disorders of consciousness, hypnosis, anaesthesia and near-death experiences. We here provide an updated overview of the contribution of functional neuroimaging and electrophysiological approaches to explore these altered states of consciousness. Identifying the neurophysiological signatures of consciousness in individuals who lack behavioural expressions of self- or environmental awareness offers unique insights into the nature of consciousness. This chapter illustrates how, from a neuroscientific perspective, studies on altered states of consciousness may enrich our current understanding of the emergence of the conscious mind.
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- Methodological issues in consciousness research: theory comparison, the role of empirical evidence, and a replication crisis. Frontiers in Psychology September 23, 2025
- Naturalizing perceptual experience: the explanatory power of probabilistic computation and the holographic solution. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2026