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Phenomenology without conscious access is a form of consciousness without top-down attention

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2008

Christof Koch  and
Naotsugu Tsuchiya
Christof Koch
Affiliation:
Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125
Naotsugu Tsuchiya
Affiliation:
Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, Psychology and Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125. koch.christof@gmail.comhttp://klab.caltech.edu/~koch/naotsu@gmail.comhttp://www.emotion.caltech.edu/~naotsu/Site/index.html
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Abstract

We agree with Block's basic hypothesis postulating the existence of phenomenal consciousness without cognitive access. We explain such states in terms of consciousness without top-down, endogenous attention and speculate that their correlates may be a coalition of neurons that are consigned to the back of cortex, without access to working memory and planning in frontal cortex.

Information

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 30 , Issue 5-6 , December 2007 , pp. 509 - 510
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

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