Search results for "consciousness"
showing 10 items of 338 documents
The self-organizing consciousness as an alternative model of the mind
2002
Through the concept of self-organizing consciousness (SOC), we posit that the dynamic of the mind stems from the recurrent interplay between the properties of conscious experiences and the properties of the world, hence making it unnecessary to postulate the existence of an unconscious mental level. In contrast, arguments are provided by commentators for the need for a functional level of organization located between the neural and the conscious. Other commentaries challenge us concerning the ability of our model to account for specific phenomena in the domains of language, reasoning, incubation, and creativity. The possibility of unconscious semantic access and other alleged instances of a…
Human behaviour, benign or malevolent: understanding the human psyche, performing therapy, based on affective mentalization and Matte-Blanco’s bi-log…
2016
International audience; The key concept of Ignacio Matte Blanco’s bi-logic is the unavoidable but variable presence of primary process (symmetric thought) in the secondary one (asymmetric thought) ruling consciousness, for every human being. This variable and dynamic presence allows us, by therapeutic intervention, to convert suitably the symmetric thought into the asymmetric one. The former erupts into the latter by means of affectivity which, accordingly, should be suitably treated to be rightly modulated, regulated and symbolically represented to accomplish the aims of secondary process. This transition has been termed affective mentalization by Peter Fonagy et al. Accordingly, any thera…
AGI and Machine Consciousness
2012
This review discusses some of main issues to be addressed to design a conscious AGI agent: the agent’s sense of the body, the interaction with the environment, the agent’s sense of time, the free will of the agent, the capability for the agent to have some form of experience, and finally the relationship between consciousness and creativity.
Subliminal Perception, Microgenesis, and Personality
1986
Publisher Summary In person perception, the interpersonal dimension is useful, as is implicated in communicating personal contents. The problem of consciousness is intimately connected with that of knowledge based on subjective experience and perception by means of which it is mediated. This chapter presents the theories that incorporate the subject–object relationships into a comprehensive observational framework. They also emphasize the coherence of subject and environment. The perceiver is viewed as an active subject; the rhythmic properties of all living phenomena are highlighted. The long-term effect of “selective visual exposure” in the early stages of development upon functional cell…
Brain Biophysics: Perception, Consciousness, Creativity. Brain Computer Interface (BCI)
2018
The paper presents connections between perception, awareness, and creativity from the biophysical point of view. Attention was drawn to human senses’ limitations and their influence on cognition. The role of interfaces connecting brain with computer and particular role of Brain Computer Interface (BCI) are indicated which the authors believe will be the next stage of human brain supporting technology evolution. It will enable the growth of perception, awareness, and creativity, and consequently lead to social development.
Transcendental Apperception: Consciousness or Self-Consciousness? Comments on Chapter 9 of Patricia Kitcher'sKant's Thinker
2014
AbstractA core thesis of Kitcher's is that thinking about objects requires awareness of necessary connections between one's object-directed representations ‘as such’ and that this is what Kant means by the transcendental unity of apperception. I argue that Kant's main point is the spontaneity or ‘self-made-ness’ of combination rather than the requirement of reflexive awareness of combination, that Kitcher provides no plausible account of how recognition of representations ‘as such’ should be constituted and that in fact Kant himself appears to lack the theoretical resources to clearly distinguish between (first-level) consciousness and self-consciousness or apperception properly so-called.
A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Examination of the Neural Correlates of Cognitive Shifting in Dimensional Change Card Sort Task
2020
This study aims to examine the neural correlates of cognitive shifting during the Dimensional Change Card Sort Task (DCCS) task with functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Altogether 49 children completed the DCCS tasks, and 25 children (Mage = 68.66, SD = 5.3) passing all items were classified into the Switch group. Twenty children (Mage = 62.05, SD = 8.13) committing more than one perseverative errors were grouped into the Perseverate group. The Switch group had Brodmann Area (BA) 9 and 10 activated in the pre-switch period and BA 6, 9, 10, 40, and 44 in the post-switch period. In contrast, the Perseverate group had BA 9 and 10 activated in the pre-switch period and BA 8, 9, 10 in the pos…
Effects of Repeating a Tactile Brain-Computer Interface on Patients with Disorder of Consciousness: A Hint of Recovery?
2019
Brain-computer interface (BCI) has been emerging as an assessment tool for patients with disorder of consciousness (DOC). With the advantages of high time resolution, low cost and portable design, EEG based BCI systems are especially suitable for bedside measurement. Recent studies showed the successful application of an EEG based BCI on DOC assessment and communication. However, the effect of repeated BCI measurement on this patient group is not clear. In this study, a tactile BCI paradigm was repeated 12 runs for 10 consecutive days on 5 DOC patients. Although the BCI performance varied among runs and days, every patient reached at least once the accuracy above 60%. Moreover, the Coma Rec…
The Mona Lisa effect: Neural correlates of centered and off-centered gaze
2014
The Mona Lisa effect describes the phenomenon when the eyes of a portrait appear to look at the observer regardless of the observer's position. Recently, the metaphor of a cone of gaze has been proposed to describe the range of gaze directions within which a person feels looked at. The width of the gaze cone is about five degrees of visual angle to either side of a given gaze direction. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate how the brain regions involved in gaze direction discrimination would differ between centered and decentered presentation positions of a portrait exhibiting eye contact. Subjects observed a given portrait's eyes. By presenting portraits with varyin…
Is it Quantum Sentience or Quantum Consciousness? A Review of Social Behaviours Observed in Primitive and Present-Day Microorganisms
2015
Social and intelligent behavioural designs have been observed in primitive and present day microorganisms in all three kingdoms of life. These behavioural patterns help microorganisms, to understand, evaluate and judge their constantly varying environment. Behaviour is represented as conscious moment, which occurs due to an event, which may be intentional or unintentional. Microorganisms have the capability of displaying behaviours, which can be compared to cognitive actions of the neural system in higher organisms. This review is a collection of social behaviours observed in present-day microorganisms as well as predicted behaviours in microfossils that have been studied so far. The intent…