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Published on: July 1, 2014
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Consciousness as the Temporal Propagation of Information
1Department of Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel.
Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience
|April 11, 2022
Summary
Consciousness is viewed as information propagation through time, offering a unified theory of the mind. This information-theory perspective explains key aspects of subjective experience, including volition and self-awareness.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Science
- Neuroscience
- Philosophy of Mind
Background:
- Current models of consciousness often view it as a discrete neural event.
- Understanding the mind-body relationship requires clear definitions of consciousness.
- An information-theory perspective offers a novel approach to studying subjective experience.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose an information-theory framework for understanding consciousness.
- To present consciousness as the propagation of information through time.
- To explain major characteristics of consciousness using this framework.
Main Methods:
- Applying information theory to the study of subjective experience.
- Analyzing temporal continuity in perception.
- Examining the emergence of consciousness characteristics.
Main Results:
- Consciousness framed as information propagation from past to future.
- Temporal continuity in perception explains volition, subjectivity, and body boundaries.
- A unified and parsimonious account of the mind is achievable.
Conclusions:
- The information-theory perspective provides a robust model for consciousness.
- This approach offers insights into the mind-body problem and embodied cognition.
- Temporal dynamics are crucial for understanding subjective experience.
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