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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Assessment and Communication for People with Disorders of Consciousness

Assessment and Communication for People with Disorders of Consciousness

Published on: August 1, 2017

Consciousness facilitates model-based planning, but is that really why consciousness evolved?

Nicholas Shea¹

¹Institute of Philosophy, School of Advanced Study, University of London, London, UK nicholas.shea@sas.ac.uk.

The Behavioral and Brain Sciences

|June 24, 2026

Summary

The temporal profile of consciousness offers new insights into its theories. Evolutionary hypotheses suggest specific timing is crucial, potentially linked to representing objects in aquatic environments.

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Area of Science:

Cognitive Neuroscience
Evolutionary Psychology
Philosophy of Mind

Background:

The temporal dynamics of consciousness are often overlooked in theoretical frameworks.
Understanding the timing of conscious experience is key to developing robust theories of consciousness.

Purpose of the Study:

To highlight the significance of the temporal profile of consciousness as a constraint for theories.
To evaluate the role of timing in evolutionary hypotheses of consciousness.

Main Methods:

Theoretical analysis of consciousness timing.
Comparison of different hypotheses regarding the temporal aspects of consciousness.

Main Results:

The temporal profile of consciousness is an under-exploited constraint on theories.
Specific timing is critical for evolutionary hypotheses.
A rival hypothesis suggests a 100-200ms delay for representing distal objects in aquatic environments.

Conclusions:

The temporal dimension of consciousness requires greater attention in theoretical development.
Evolutionary pressures may have shaped the timing of conscious representation, particularly in ancestral aquatic settings.