The self and conscious experience.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science
• Philosophy of Mind

Background:

• The self (S) is primarily determined by conscious experience (CE).
• Empirical research on S often uses CE but neglects how CE constructs S.
• Existing research investigates S's influence on cognition and alterations via practices like meditation, but not CE's constructive role.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze why empirical research overlooks CE's role in building S.
• To propose a theoretical model explaining how CE contributes to the construction of S.
• To offer a unifying framework for research on the neural underpinnings of S.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical analysis of research gaps.
• Proposal of a novel theoretical model for CE's contribution to S.
• Explanation of the model's five dimensions: qualitative, quantitative, hedonic, temporal, and spatial.

Main Results:

• The proposed model posits that CE arises from attention-modulated neural energy.
• This phenomenal aspect of consciousness provides the agent with a sense of self.
• The model explains diverse forms of S as outcomes of a single attentional mechanism.

Conclusions:

• The model elucidates how CE, through attentional modulation, constructs the sense of self.
• It integrates the five dimensions of phenomenal consciousness within a unified neural framework.
• This provides a foundation for empirical investigation into the neural basis of selfhood.