How much consciousness is there in complexity?

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science
• Philosophy of Mind

Background:

• The concept of complexity is gaining traction in neuroscience, largely due to Integrated Information Theory (IIT).
• While IIT has advanced the study of consciousness states, research into conscious content remains limited.
• A gap exists in understanding the interplay between complexity measures and the subjective experience of consciousness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the necessity of investigating the relationship between complexity and conscious content.
• To propose experimental frameworks for operationalizing conscious content.
• To formulate testable hypotheses independent of specific theoretical formalisms like IIT.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of complexity in relation to conscious experience.
• Development of a framework for experimentally assessing conscious content.
• Formulation of rudimentary, testable hypotheses.

Main Results:

• The study argues for the importance of complexity in understanding conscious content.
• It provides a methodological approach to experimentally investigate conscious content.
• It demonstrates that testable hypotheses can be formulated without strict adherence to IIT.

Conclusions:

• Investigating complexity and conscious content is crucial for advancing consciousness research.
• The proposed experimental approach can bridge theoretical and empirical gaps.
• This work facilitates comparative analysis across different theories of consciousness.