Fractal characterization of internally and externally generated conscious experiences

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science
• Psychology

Background:

• The neural correlates of consciousness (NCC) remain a complex and active area of research.
• Existing methodologies may not fully capture the nuances of internally versus externally generated conscious states.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel experimental paradigm, bimodal rivalry, for studying conscious experiences.
• To investigate the utility of fractal dimension analysis in characterizing electroencephalogram (EEG) signals associated with different percepts.

Main Methods:

• Developed the bimodal rivalry paradigm, a variation of binocular rivalry.
• Applied fractal dimension analysis to EEG signals to quantify signal complexity.
• Compared EEG complexity between internally and externally generated conscious percepts.

Main Results:

• A significant difference in EEG signal complexity was observed between internally and externally generated percepts.
• EEG complexity varied significantly between externally generated auditory and visual percepts.
• Fractal dimension analysis effectively differentiated between distinct conscious states.

Conclusions:

• Bimodal rivalry provides a novel approach to investigating conscious perception.
• Fractal dimension analysis is a promising tool for characterizing the complexity of EEG signals related to conscious experiences.
• The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the neural basis of consciousness.