Modelling aspects of consciousness: A topological perspective

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Science
• Neuroscience
• Philosophy of Mind

Background:

• Attention Schema Theory (AST) proposes subjective awareness arises from the brain's simplified model of attention.
• This model, the 'attention schema,' is inherently incomplete for efficiency, hindering understanding of consciousness's origins.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if a mind (human or artificial) with an internal representation of attention can achieve a complete representation.
• To mathematically assess the completeness of attention representations within the framework of Attention Schema Theory.

Main Methods:

• Developed a general model of attention and its representation.
• Applied mathematical arguments from classical topology to analyze the completeness of the attention representation.
• Examined the fidelity of representing 'streams of attention'.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated that a complete representation of attention is mathematically impossible.
• Showed that representations of attention cannot faithfully capture dynamic 'streams of attention'.
• Confirmed that the brain's representation of its own attention is necessarily incomplete.

Conclusions:

• The study provides mathematical support for a core tenet of Attention Schema Theory.
• Reinforces that the inherent incompleteness of the attention schema is a fundamental limitation.
• Suggests implications for understanding subjective awareness and the 'hard problem' of consciousness.