Dynamical Emergence Theory (DET): A Computational Account of Phenomenal Consciousness

Minds and Machines 30 (1):1-21 (2020)
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Abstract

Scientific theories of consciousness identify its contents with the spatiotemporal structure of neural population activity. We follow up on this approach by stating and motivating Dynamical Emergence Theory, which defines the amount and structure of experience in terms of the intrinsic topology and geometry of a physical system’s collective dynamics. Specifically, we posit that distinct perceptual states correspond to coarse-grained macrostates reflecting an optimal partitioning of the system’s state space—a notion that aligns with several ideas and results from computational neuroscience and cognitive psychology. We relate DET to existing work, offer predictions for empirical studies, and outline future research directions.

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Author Profiles

Tomer Fekete
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Shimon Edelman
Cornell University

References found in this work

Vision.David Marr - 1982 - W. H. Freeman.
Facing up to the problem of consciousness.David Chalmers - 1995 - Journal of Consciousness Studies 2 (3):200-19.
The Principles of Psychology.William James - 1890 - Les Etudes Philosophiques 11 (3):506-507.
Facing up to the problem of consciousness.D. J. Chalmers - 1996 - Toward a Science of Consciousness:5-28.

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