Conscious thought as simulation of behaviour and perception

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Neuroscience
• Philosophy of Mind

Background:

• Cognitive function is complex, involving interactions between motor, sensory, and internal processes.
• Understanding the neural basis of subjective experience and the 'inner world' remains a key challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and support a simulation theory of cognitive function.
• To explain the relationship between motor, sensory, and cognitive functions through simulation.
• To elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying the emergence of an inner world.

Main Methods:

• Reviewing existing evidence supporting three core assumptions of simulation theory.
• Analyzing the functional roles of motor and sensory cortex activation.
• Examining how simulated actions and perceptions interact.

Main Results:

• Evidence supports the simulation theory's assumptions regarding motor and sensory cortex activation.
• Internal activation of motor structures can simulate behavior without execution.
• Internal activation of sensory cortex can simulate perception.

Conclusions:

• The simulation theory provides a unified framework for understanding cognitive functions.
• This approach explains the integration of motor and sensory information.
• Simulation offers a potential explanation for the subjective experience of an inner world.