Consciousness (open question)
David ChalmersGiulio TononiStanislas DehaeneCogitate Consortium
This page delivers no verdict; it presents claims and evidence with their sources. No theory in science is absolute. Method
⑂ Divergence of views. Views diverge here; each sub-branch is a separate view, presented with its own evidence. Compare the views side by side →
For everyone
Chalmers called the question of how physical processes in the brain give rise to subjective experience ("what it is like to be something") the "hard problem". There are many scientific theories of consciousness. In 2025 the predictions of two leading theories were tested in an experiment agreed in advance by their proponents; neither had all its predictions confirmed. Religious and philosophical traditions explain consciousness through concepts of soul (rūḥ) and self (nafs).
For specialists
Integrated information theory (IIT) identifies consciousness with a system's integrated information (Φ) and emphasises posterior cortex. Global neuronal workspace theory (GNWT) emphasises "ignition" events broadcasting information across prefrontal networks. The Cogitate Consortium's preregistered experiment used fMRI, MEG and intracranial EEG in 256 participants. Some core predictions of both theories were not confirmed: sustained posterior synchronisation for IIT and prefrontal ignition at stimulus offset for GNWT were not observed.
Claims
- How consciousness relates to physical processes is a "hard problem" distinct from functional explanations.[1]
Evidence
Supporting
—
Challenging
The preregistered predictions of IIT and GNWT were tested in a multi-centre experiment, and some core predictions of both failed.[2]
Positions
- Physicalist view
- Consciousness can be fully explained by physical brain processes; the "hard problem" is a conceptual illusion.[3]
- Property dualism and panpsychism
- Subjective experience is not reducible to physical properties; consciousness may be a fundamental feature of nature.[1]
- Islamic thought
- The human being is not body alone; the spirit (rūḥ) is of God's command, and humans have been given only a little knowledge of it (al-Isrāʾ 17:85).[4]
Connections
Sources
- Article (1995). Facing up to the problem of consciousness. Journal of Consciousness Studies 2(3), 200–219
- Article (2025). Adversarial testing of global neuronal workspace and integrated information theories of consciousness. Nature 642, 133–142DOI 10.1038/s41586-025-08888-1archive
- Book (1991). Consciousness Explained. Little, Brown and Co., Boston
- ScriptureKur'an-ı Kerim, İsrâ 17:85quran.comarchive
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Cite this page
Athena contributors. (2026). Consciousness (open question). Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/bilinc/
@misc{athena_bilinc,
title = {Consciousness (open question)},
author = {{Athena contributors}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/bilinc/}},
note = {Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Accessed: 2026-11-01}
}Added: September 27, 2026 · Last changed: September 27, 2026 · Page history