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neural correlates of consciousness
Also known as: NCC, neural correlate of consciousness, NCCs, Cortical neural correlates of consciousness
Facts (80)
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Theories and Methods of Consciousness biomedres.us Jan 29, 2024 15 facts
claimThe 'explanatory gap' refers to the theoretical difficulty of explaining how neural correlates of consciousness produce phenomenal subjective experiences.
referenceThe ORCH-OR theory proposes that consciousness emerges and exists at the subatomic level and becomes embodied via the Neural Correlates of Consciousness (NCC) of the brain, which receives and facilitates consciousness.
claimNeural correlates of consciousness (NCC) are defined as the minimal neural mechanisms of the conscious state.
perspectiveThe author argues that future consciousness research should investigate Mocombe's consciousness field theory in conjunction with materialist approaches to the neural correlates of consciousness (NCC) to provide a comprehensive understanding of the origins and nature of consciousness.
claimCognitive psychology posits that neural correlates of consciousness do not necessarily process subjective experiences in the same way for similarly situated individuals.
referenceBachmann T and Hudetz A G published 'It is time to combine the two main traditions in the research on the neural correlates of consciousness: C= LxD' in Frontiers in Psychology in 2014.
referencePolák M and Marvan T published 'Neural Correlates of Consciousness Meet the Theory of Identity' in Frontiers in Psychology in 2018.
claimContemporary materialism highlights the neural correlates of consciousness in the brain as the origin and nature of consciousness.
referenceChalmers D J published 'What is a neural correlate of consciousness?' in the book 'Neural Correlates of Consciousness: Empirical and Conceptual Questions' (edited by T. Metzinger) through MIT Press in 2000, pages 17-39.
referenceBachmann T published 'On the brain-imaging markers of neural correlates of consciousness' in Frontiers in Psychology in 2015.
claimNeuroscience techniques provide evidence for neural correlates of consciousness by identifying and manipulating specific brain areas where behaviors are localized.
claimScientific interactionists/dualists utilize quantum mechanics to argue either that consciousness is a physicalist process emerging from the quantum realm to the material level, or that consciousness is a phenomenon emerging outside of the neural correlates of consciousness (NCC) of the brain.
claimThe subjective approach in post-materialist psychology minimizes the Neural Correlates of Consciousness (NCC) account for objective experiences, favoring subjective and metaphysical experiences instead, which is connected to the binding or combination problem of consciousness emergence.
claimPost-materialists posit that neural correlates of consciousness are consistent with the theory that consciousness is an external substance that is embodied and received by the brain.
referenceBlock N published 'Two neural correlates of consciousness' in Trends in Cognitive Sciences in 2005, volume 9, pages 46-52.
Protocol for testing global neuronal workspace and integrated ... journals.plos.org 13 facts
claimThe Cogitate study results regarding Question 1 supported Integrated Information Theory (IIT) overall, as conscious content was robustly represented in the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) and sensory regions, and only partly in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), though the absence of a conscious versus unconscious contrast prevented the isolation of strict neural correlates of consciousness.
referenceTsuchiya et al. (2015) argue that no-report paradigms are necessary for extracting the true neural correlates of consciousness.
claimThe consciousness science community distinguishes neural correlates of consciousness (NCC) from enabling factors necessary for consciousness, such as metabolic, hemodynamic, and neuromodulatory factors.
claimGlobal Neuronal Workspace Theory (GNWT) predicts that the Neural Correlates of Consciousness (NCC) are located in higher-order associative areas, specifically the prefrontal cortical regions (PFC) and posterior parietal cortical regions (PPC), as well as other areas accessible via top-down mobilization.
claimIntegrated Information Theory (IIT) predicts that the Neural Correlates of Consciousness (NCC) in posterior cortical regions are linked by short-range synchrony, as causal relations depend on overlapping inputs and outputs which translate into increased phase-synchrony.
claimIdentifying the neural correlates of consciousness (NCC) is considered imperative to the scientific understanding of consciousness.
procedureTo causally test predictions about the timing and location of the neural correlates of consciousness, the study protocol involves manipulating activity in prefrontal cortical regions using electrical stimulation in non-human primates or optogenetic silencing in mice.
claimGlobal Neuronal Workspace Theory (GNWT) and Integrated Information Theory (IIT) contain testable, comparable, and opposable hypotheses regarding the location, timing, and functional connectivity of the Neural Correlates of Consciousness (NCC).
claimGlobal Neuronal Workspace Theory (GNWT) predicts that the Neural Correlates of Consciousness (NCC) involve long-range synchrony between distant brain areas, as information must be globally integrated to create a conscious experience.
claimThe 'Cogitate' adversarial collaboration tested predictions from Integrated Information Theory (IIT) and Global Neuronal Workspace Theory (GNWT) regarding the neural correlates of consciousness in humans.
claimGlobal Neuronal Workspace Theory (GNWT) predicts that the Neural Correlates of Consciousness (NCC) involve brief 'ignitions' at the onset of conscious perception, followed by active and sustained maintenance of the accessed representation within the global workspace for as long as the individual remains conscious of the stimulus.
claimIntegrated Information Theory (IIT) predicts that the Neural Correlates of Consciousness (NCC) are sustained in the posterior cortex for the duration of conscious stimulus perception, as the quality of the experience corresponds to the composition of the cause-effect structure.
claimIntegrated Information Theory (IIT) predicts that the Neural Correlates of Consciousness (NCC) are located in posterior cortical regions, including sensory cortical areas, because these regions maximize cause-effect powers due to their lattice-like, topographic connectivity.
The function(s) of consciousness: an evolutionary perspective frontiersin.org Nov 25, 2024 12 facts
referenceThe paper 'Neural correlates of consciousness reconsidered' by J. Neisser was published in Consciousness and Cognition in 2012.
referenceMerrick et al. (2014) propose the olfactory system as a gateway to the neural correlates of consciousness in Frontiers in Psychology.
referenceExperimental research on neural correlates of consciousness (NCCs) aims to determine their role in integrative pathways underlying conscious experience, with the goal of investigating species incapable of verbal report (Nani et al., 2019; Friedman et al., 2023; Ehret and Ramond, 2022).
referenceJ. Hohwy and T. Bayne published 'The neural correlates of consciousness: causes, confounds and constituents' in Advances in Consciousness Research in 2015.
referenceMogensen et al. (2020) provide an introduction to the study of neural correlates of consciousness in the book 'Beyond neural correlates of consciousness'.
claimThe second step of conscious perception, where a stimulus becomes fully conscious, is associated with a measurable time delay and a distinct pattern of neural correlates of consciousness (NCCs).
referenceThe 'integration consensus' (Morsella et al., 2016) posits that neural correlates of consciousness map to neural processes operating in a conscious mode, supporting the view that consciousness depends on interconnected cortical networks operating at scale (Blumenfeld, 2023; Bressler, 2008; Petersen and Sporns, 2015; Ito et al., 2022), which are linked by coordinated patterns of activity, waves, and resonance effects (Varela et al., 2001; Sauseng and Klimesch, 2008).
claimA significant challenge in studying neural correlates of consciousness is the lack of knowledge regarding how these correlates map to neural processes operating in a conscious mode.
referenceKlein, Hohwy, and Bayne (2020) discuss the shift in the science of consciousness from identifying neural correlates of consciousness (NCCs) to identifying difference makers of consciousness (DMCs).
referenceThe paper 'Finding the neural correlates of consciousness will not solve all our problems' by M. S. Overgaard and A. Kirkeby-Hinrup was published in Philosophy of Mind and Science in 2021.
claimCortical neural correlates of consciousness may be of limited use in explaining the phenomenon of consciousness or its evolutionary origins (Neisser, 2012; Hohwy and Bayne, 2015; Overgaard and Kirkeby-Hinrup, 2021).
claimSelector circuits (SCs) and difference makers of consciousness (DMCs) are subcategories of neural correlates of consciousness (NCCs) that are content-specific and causally determinative, according to Mogensen et al. (2020).
Hard problem of consciousness - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org 10 facts
claimEric Kandel stated that locating neural correlates of consciousness would not solve the hard problem of consciousness, but would instead solve one of the 'easy problems' to which the hard problem is contrasted.
referenceChristof Koch, Marcello Massimini, Melanie Boly, and Giulio Tononi reviewed the progress and problems regarding the neural correlates of consciousness in their 2016 article 'Neural correlates of consciousness: Progress and problems'.
referenceDavid Chalmers contributed the chapter 'On the Search for the Neural Correlate of Consciousness' to the 1998 book 'Toward a Science of Consciousness II'.
claimResearch into neural correlates of consciousness (NCCs) addresses which neurobiological mechanisms are linked to consciousness, but does not explain why those mechanisms give rise to consciousness, which is the hard problem of consciousness as formulated by David Chalmers.
perspectiveSusan Blackmore believes that the search for the neural correlates of consciousness is futile because it is predicated on an erroneous belief in the hard problem of consciousness.
claimDavid Chalmers argued that standard methodologies for identifying neural correlates of consciousness assume a relation between 'global availability' and consciousness, but do not explain why these processes give rise to consciousness, leaving the hard problem of consciousness unsolved.
claimDavid Chalmers stated in 'On the Search for the Neural Correlate of Consciousness' that he is confident neural correlates of consciousness will be discovered in a century or two, assuming that 'global availability' can be used as an indicator of consciousness.
referenceSusan Blackmore published an article titled 'The Neural Correlates of Consciousness' on Edge.org in 2014.
claimSince 1990, researchers including Francis Crick and Christof Koch have worked to identify neurobiological events that occur concurrently with the experience of subjective consciousness, which are referred to as neural correlates of consciousness (NCCs).
quoteGiulio Tononi and two colleagues wrote: "While identifying the 'neural correlates of consciousness' is undoubtedly important, it is hard to see how it could ever lead to a satisfactory explanation of what consciousness is and how it comes about. As will be illustrated below, IIT offers a way to analyse systems of mechanisms to determine if they are properly structured to give rise to consciousness, how much of it, and of which kind."
Adversarial testing of global neuronal workspace and ... - Nature nature.com Apr 30, 2025 8 facts
referenceKozuch (2024) argued against the prefrontal cortex (PFC) being the sole content of the neural correlates of consciousness (NCC) in the paper 'An embarrassment of richnesses: the PFC isn’t the content NCC' published in Neuroscience of Consciousness.
procedureThe Cogitate consortium performed a multivariate version of the putative neural correlates of consciousness (NCC) analysis using thresholded statistical maps obtained from whole-brain searchlight decoding based on participant-level stimulus versus baseline-decoding accuracy maps.
referenceLepauvre and Melloni (2021) reviewed the progress and challenges in the search for the neural correlate of consciousness in Philosophy and the Mind Sciences.
perspectiveThe researchers aimed to challenge and potentially falsify Integrated Information Theory (IIT) and Global Neuronal Workspace Theory (GNWT) by examining where their predictions differ, rather than attempting to discover the neural correlates of consciousness.
formulaThe conjunction used to identify putative neural correlates of consciousness (NCC) areas was defined as [(TaskRelNonTar (stim id) > bsl) and (TaskIrrel (stim id) > bsl)] or [(TaskRelNonTar (stim id) < bsl) and (TaskIrrel (stim id) < bsl)], detecting areas responsive to any stimulus category irrespective of task, with consistent activation or deactivation.
referenceAru et al. (2012) proposed methods for distilling the neural correlates of consciousness in their paper published in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews.
procedureThe researchers performed a series of conjunction analyses on fMRI data to identify three categories of brain areas: those responsive to task goals, those responsive to task relevance, and those putatively involved in the neural correlates of consciousness (NCC).
referenceDavid Chalmers published a chapter in 'Neural Correlates of Consciousness: Empirical and Conceptual Questions', edited by Thomas Metzinger and published by MIT Press in 2000.
(PDF) On the function of consciousness - an adaptationist perspective academia.edu 4 facts
claimThe search for the neural basis of consciousness centers on the concept of a 'neural correlate of consciousness'.
claimIdentifying neural correlates of consciousness requires acknowledging the various aspects of consciousness, as each aspect presents unique methodological challenges.
claimResearchers are exploring whether it is possible to move beyond identifying neural correlates of consciousness to providing neurally-based explanations of consciousness.
claimResearchers are investigating whether neural correlates of consciousness can be used to attribute consciousness to creatures that cannot report their experiences.
What a Contest of Consciousness Theories Really Proved quantamagazine.org Aug 24, 2023 4 facts
claimChristof Koch and David Chalmers engaged in a bet regarding the discovery of the neural correlates of consciousness.
accountIn 1996, neuroscientist Nikos Logothetis of the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics described binocular rivalry, which led Francis Crick to predict that neural correlates of consciousness would be discovered by the end of the 20th century.
accountNeuroscientist Christof Koch of the Allen Institute for Brain Science conceded a 25-year bet to philosopher David Chalmers of New York University regarding the neural correlates of consciousness, acknowledging that they had not yet been definitively identified.
claimThe term "neural correlates of consciousness" refers to the specific brain circuitry that correlates with the experience of consciousness.
Psychedelics and Consciousness: Distinctions, Demarcations, and ... ouci.dntb.gov.ua 2 facts
Workspace vs integration: results starting to come in selfawarepatterns.com Jun 26, 2023 2 facts
claimChristof Koch, a major proponent of Integrated Information Theory (IIT), conceded a bet made 25 years ago with David Chalmers that the neural correlates of consciousness would be known by now.
claimKeith Frankish compared the search for neural correlates of consciousness to the search for the biological correlates of the élan vital, noting that the latter remain undiscovered.
Quantum Approaches to Consciousness plato.stanford.edu Nov 30, 2004 1 fact
referenceAlva Noë and Evan Thompson authored 'Are there neural correlates of consciousness?', published in the Journal of Consciousness Studies in 2004.
Global Versus Local Theories of Consciousness and the ... link.springer.com 1 fact
claimGlobal theories of consciousness propose that neural correlates of consciousness (NCC) extend to large parts or the whole brain, whereas local theories of consciousness propose that NCC are limited to small areas of the brain.
Consciousness (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy/Fall 2025 ... plato.stanford.edu Jun 18, 2004 1 fact
claimMost neural theories of consciousness focus on 'neural correlates of consciousness' (NCCs), with physicalist theories requiring that these NCCs serve as the essential substrates of consciousness rather than mere correlations.
Psychology and Cognitive Science on Consciousness klinikong.com 1 fact
claimCognitive neuroscience investigates the neural correlates of consciousness to identify brain regions and networks associated with conscious experience.
Panpsychism - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy plato.stanford.edu May 23, 2001 1 fact
perspectivePanpsychism rejects physicalist reductionism, supports the search for neural correlates of consciousness, and posits a fundamental unity in the world that emergentism denies.
Consciousness and Cognitive Sciences journal-psychoanalysis.eu 1 fact
referenceBlock, N. (1996) published 'How can we find the neural correlate of consciousness?' in Trends in Neuroscience, 19 (11), pp. 456-469.
Testing Global Neuronal Workspace and Integrated… templetonworldcharity.org 1 fact
claimNeural correlates of consciousness (NCC) are defined as the specific kinds of brain activity that correspond exactly with conscious experiences.
Panpsychism (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy/Fall 2015 Edition) plato.stanford.edu May 23, 2001 1 fact
perspectivePanpsychism is a philosophical perspective that rejects physicalist reductionism while simultaneously supporting the search for neural correlates of consciousness.
The evolution of human-type consciousness – a by-product of ... frontiersin.org 1 fact
referenceJakob Hohwy and Anil K. Seth published 'Predictive processing as a systematic basis for identifying the neural correlates of consciousness' in Philosophy and the Mind Sciences in 2020, proposing predictive processing as a framework for identifying neural correlates of consciousness.
Classification Schemes of Altered States of Consciousness - ORBi orbi.uliege.be 1 fact
referenceMoujaes et al. (2023) compare the neural correlates of consciousness across different states, specifically examining psychedelics, hypnosis, and meditation.