Philosophy and Theoretical Science

What is it like to be a blob? A distributed, decentred and context-sensitive neurobiology of consciousness

The paper analyzes neuroimaging studies of consciousness to challenge the idea of an invariant core, showing distributed and context-sensitive brain activity patterns.

Collapse of local circuit integrated information {Phi} during NREM sleep

This study shows that integrated information {Phi} decreases in local neural circuits during NREM sleep compared to wakefulness and REM sleep, supporting Integrated Information Theory.

Beyond Integration: Neural Dimensionality and the Landau-Ginzburg Physics of Awareness

The paper introduces a framework using neural dimensionality and Landau-Ginzburg physics to model consciousness, generating testable predictions about phase transitions in brain states.

Neural correlates of phenomenological attitude toward perceptual experience

The paper investigates the neural correlates of the phenomenological attitude (PA) by comparing brain activity during PA and natural attitude (NA) using fMRI, finding distinct activation patterns in action-related brain regions.

An adversarial collaboration to critically evaluate theories of consciousness

A preregistered multimodal neuroimaging study across 256 human participants directly tests Integrated Information Theory against Global Neuronal Workspace Theory, confirming some predictions while revealing major empirical challenges for both.

The Consciousness Theories Studies (ConTraSt) database: analyzing and comparing empirical studies of consciousness theories

The paper analyzes 412 consciousness studies to show how methodological choices predict theory support, revealing post-hoc interpretation trends in consciousness research.

More than just front or back: Parietal-striatal-thalamic circuits predict consciousness level

The paper investigates consciousness level by analyzing neural circuits in macaques, finding that parietal-striatal-thalamic circuits better predict consciousness than frontal circuits.

CHANging Consciousness Epistemically (CHANCE): An empirical method to convert the subjective content of consciousness into scientific data

This paper introduces a method called CHANCE to directly experience another person's consciousness content by reproducing their neural correlates, aiming to make subjective consciousness data scientifically objective.

A LOGICAL INQUIRY OF EMOTIONS AND COGNITION

The paper uses first-order predicate logic to evaluate whether mind is a function of brain activity, if mental faculties can be reduced, and if cognition and emotion are distinct.