The neuroscience of consciousness is a field of study that explores the complex relationship between brain activity and conscious experience. Investigating the nature of consciousness and its origins from brain processes remains one of the greatest challenges of modern science. A critical aspect of this investigation is the identification of the neural correlates of consciousness (CNC), which are specific patterns of brain activity associated with conscious experience. According to Maciejewicz (2022), disorders of consciousness, such as coma and persistent vegetative state, illustrate the difficulties in fully understanding the brain networks involved in states of consciousness. These disorders highlight the need for advanced diagnostic methods to understand the neurobiological basis of these altered states.
Furthermore, neurobiological theories, such as Global Workspace Theory, propose that consciousness arises when information is widely disseminated and integrated between different brain areas (Mylopoulos, 2022). This theory suggests that integrating information into a global workspace enables conscious experience by making that information accessible to different cognitive systems.
Other approaches consider the relationship between consciousness and cognitive functions such as working memory and attention. According to Maciejewicz (2022), the relationship between consciousness and attention, as well as the distinction between conscious and unconscious perception, are crucial to understanding how consciousness emerges from neuronal activity. The exploration of structural methodologies, which analyze the phenomenological properties of conscious experience and their neural correspondences, offers a new perspective on measuring and understanding states of consciousness (Kob, 2023).
Finally, the possibility of artificial consciousness is an emerging area that asks whether artificial intelligence systems can achieve a human-like state of consciousness. Studies indicate that the current architecture of artificial language models lacks fundamental characteristics of the thalamocortical system, essential for consciousness, in addition to lacking the sensory interaction and intrinsic motivation present in living organisms (Maciejewicz, 2023).
Thus, the neuroscience of consciousness continues to advance the understanding of how complex brain processes give rise to conscious experience, with profound implications for cognitive science, philosophy, and artificial intelligence.
References:
- MACIEJEWICZ, Berenika. Clinical Neurophysiology in the Prognostic and Diagnostic Evaluation of Disorders of Consciousness. Journal of Regenerative Biology and Medicine, 2022. DOI: 10.37191/mapsci-2582-385x-4(4)-117.
- MYLOPOULOS, Myrto. Neurobiological Theories of Consciousness. In: [Book], 2022. DOI: 10.4324/9781003241898-21.
- MACIEJEWICZ, Berenika. Neuroscience of consciousness: cognition, physics and philosophy of decoding the human brain. Journal of Applied Cognitive Neuroscience, 2022. DOI: 10.17981/jacn.3.2.2022.02.
- KOB, Lukas. Exploring the role of structuralist methodology in the neuroscience of consciousness: a defense and analysis. Neuroscience of Consciousness, 2023. DOI: 10.1093/nc/niad011.
