From Brain Dynamics to Consciousness: How Matter Becomes Imagination

Prevalent views of higher brain functions are based on the notions of computation and information processing. These views suggest that the brain is a Turing machine. Various lines of evidence appear to be incompatible with this position and suggest instead that the brain operates according to a set of selectional principles. A theory addressing these principles, called Neural Darwinism, will be discussed. Neural Darwinism has a direct bearing on the search for neural correlates of consciousness. Most approaches to the understanding of consciousness are concerned with the contributions of specific brain areas or groups of neurons. By contrast, I will consider what kinds of neural processes can account for key properties of conscious experience such as its unity and its diversity, and I will present supporting evidence on the neural correlates of consciousness obtained from MEG studies of human subjects.

Devices based on Neural Darwinism have been constructed in order to study detailed neural dynamics during behavior in a real world environment. The performance of these brain-based devices (BBDs) will be briefly described. Refinement of their design and behavior points to the possibility of constructing a conscious artifact.