by Bernard J. Baars | Oct 22, 2020 | conscious brain, Conscious Experiences, Cortex and Consciousness, Podcast, Psychobiology
“Episodic memory involves conscious experiences being encoded. Same goes for semantic and autobiographical memories. All varieties of memories come in through conscious moments of recall. So, I think that consciousness is the means by which any kinds of memories...
by Bernard J. Baars | May 30, 2020 | conscious brain, Cortex and Consciousness
If the cortex is the sign of consciousness, then it suggests that all vertebrates with cortex have at least some kind of consciousness. The cortex is the “organ of mind,” both conscious and unconscious aspects. That phrase “organ of mind” was written by Wilder...
by Bernard J. Baars | May 25, 2020 | conscious brain, Conscious Experiences, Cortex and Consciousness, Global Workspace Theory, Podcast, Psychobiology
Why are we conscious? Is cortex the organ of mind? Throughout human history, people have perceived the conscious brain as the great nexus of human life, of social relationships, of their personal identities and histories, in encounters with new challenges. In Episode...
by Bernard J. Baars | Mar 24, 2020 | Cortex and Consciousness, cortical signaling, mindbrain
The closer cortical activity is observed, the more it resembles coherent, task driven signaling between small regions. Major features of conscious states and contents: 1. Raw scalp EEG signature of waking. The raw scalp EEG signature of waking appears to be...
by Bernard J. Baars | Feb 17, 2020 | conscious brain, Cortex and Consciousness, mindbrain, Unconscious States
It is surprisingly difficult to prove the complete absence of consciousness. Sleep can vary in arousability from moment to moment, much like vegetative states and general anesthesia. Some mentation is often reported even when subjects are awoken from slow-wave sleep....
by Bernard J. Baars | Jan 9, 2020 | Conscious Experiences, Cortex and Consciousness
A large and coherent body of evidence now shows that cortex and its resonant satellite, the thalamus, jointly constitute the brain basis of conscious experiences. However, the states of waking, sleep and REM dreaming are switched on and off by basal brain nuclei that...
by Bernard J. Baars | Oct 16, 2019 | conscious brain, Cortex and Consciousness, mindbrain
While conscious experience has been discussed throughout history, the late 19th century saw a rise in physicalistic reductionism, which, in its more extreme forms, declared “consciousness” and kindred terms to be unscientific. In the 1920s B.F. Skinner defined the...
by Bernard J. Baars | Jan 7, 2019 | Cortex and Consciousness, mindbrain
“What is the silliest claim ever made? The competition is fierce, but I think the answer is easy. Some people have denied the existence of consciousness: conscious experience, the subjective character of experience, the “what-it-is-like” of experience.” —...
