Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 14, 2026

New Framework for Understanding Cross-Brain Coherence in Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) Hyperscanning Studies
Published on: October 6, 2023
A cross-order integration hypothesis for the neural correlate of consciousness
1Department of Philosophy, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
Abstract:
One major problem many hypotheses regarding the neural correlate of consciousness (NCC), face is what we might call "the why question": why would this particular neural feature, rather than another, correlate with consciousness? The purpose of the present paper is to develop an NCC hypothesis that answers this question. The proposed hypothesis is inspired by the cross-order integration (COI) theory of consciousness, according to which consciousness arises from the functional integration of a first-order representation of an external stimulus and a second-order representation of that first-order representation. The proposal comes in two steps. The first step concerns the "general shape" of the NCC and can be directly derived from COI theory. The second step is a concrete hypothesis that can be arrived at by combining the general shape with empirical considerations.
Related Concept Videos
Reason and Intuition
Cerebral Hemispheres
Understanding Consciousness
Sleep, a crucial state, is characterized by reduced physical...
Parallel Processing
Integration of Synaptic Events
Organization of the Brain
Hindbrain
The hindbrain, located at the base of the brain, plays a vital role in regulating automatic processes that sustain life. It includes the medulla oblongata, which is essential for...

