Growing Evidence that Perceptual Qualia are Neuroelectrical Not Computational

Journal of Consciousness Studies 26 (5-6):89-116 (2019)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

Computational neuroscience attributes coloured areas and other perceptual qualia to calculations that are realizable in multiple cellular forms. This faces serious issues in explaining how the various qualia arise and how they bind to form overall perceptions. Qualia may instead be neuroelectrical. Growing evidence indicates that perceptions correlate with neuroelectrical activity spotted by locally activated EEGs, the different qualia correlate with the different electrochemistries of unique detector cells, a unified neural-electromagnetic field binds this activity to form overall perceptions, and this field interacts with sensory circuits to help attentively guide perception. The coloured areas in images may thus be seated in the electrochemistry of unique cells, while constancy mechanisms and other multiply realizable computations just help refine these images behind the scenes. This theory is ultimately testable.

Other Versions

No versions found

Links

PhilArchive

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Are qualia computations or substances?Mostyn Jones & Eric LaRock - forthcoming - Mind and Matter:in press.
Neuroelectrical approaches to binding problems.Mostyn W. Jones - 2016 - Journal of Mind and Behavior 2 (37).
Electromagnetic-Field Theories of Mind.Mostyn W. Jones - 2013 - Journal of Consciousness Studies 20 (11-12):124-149.
A Simple, Testable Mind–Body Solution?Mostyn Jones - 2024 - Journal of Consciousness Studies 31 (1):51-75.
How To Make Mind-Brain Relations Clear.Mostyn W. Jones - 2010 - Journal of Consciousness Studies 17 (5-6):135-160.
A Higher-order, Dispositional Theory of Qualia.John O'dea - 2007 - Annals of the Japan Association for Philosophy of Science 15 (2):81-93.
Identism without objective qualia: Commentary on Crooks.James W. Kalat - 2002 - Journal of Mind and Behavior 23 (3):233-238.
Towards a computational theory of experience.Tomer Fekete & Shimon Edelman - 2011 - Consciousness and Cognition 20 (3):807-827.

Analytics

Added to PP
2019-06-15

Downloads
742 (#36,328)

6 months
88 (#74,373)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?