Consciousness emerging : the dynamics of perception, imagination, action, memory, thought, and language / Renate Bartsch.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bartsch, Renate, 1939-

Series:

Advances in consciousness research 1381-589X ; v. 39.

Advances in consciousness research, 1381-589X ; v. 39

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Consciousness.

Cognition.

Physical Description:

ix, 256 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm.

Place of Publication:

Amsterdam ; Philadelphia, Pa. : John Benjamins Pub., 2002.

Summary:

This study of the workings of neural networks in perception and understanding of situations and simple sentences shows that, and how, distributed conceptual constituents are bound together in episodes within an interactive/dynamic architecture of sensorial and pre-motor maps, and maps of conceptual indicators (semantic memory) and individuating indicators (historical, episodic memory). Activation circuits between these maps make sensorial and pre-motor fields in the brain function as episodic maps creating representations, which are expressions in consciousness. It is argued that all consciousness is episodic, consisting of situational or linguistic representations, and that the mind is the whole of all conscious manifestations of the brain. Thought occurs only in the form of linguistic or image representations. The book also discusses the role of consciousness in the relationship between causal and denotational semantics, and its role for the possibility of representations and rules. Four recent controversies in consciousness research are discussed and decided along this model of consciousness: * Is consciousness an internal or external monitoring device of brain states? * Do all conscious states involve thought and judgement? * Are there different kinds of consciousness? * Do we have a one-on-one correspondence between certain brain states and conscious states. The book discusses also the role of consciousness in the relationship between causal and denotational semantics, and its role for the possibility of representations and rules. (Series A)

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [243]-256 and index.

ISBN:

1588111806

9027251592

OCLC:

48773634