Emergent Consciousness

An Emergent Consciousness is a consciousness theory proposing that subjective experience arises as an emergent property from complex neural organization.

• AKA: Emergent Mind Theory, Complexity-Based Consciousness, Neural Emergence Theory.
• Context:
  • It can (typically) adopt a Physicalist Framework where billions of non-conscious neurons interact to produce conscious minds as systemic properties.
  • It can (typically) contrast with Dualist Views and reductionist views by treating mind as real phenomena arising naturally from complexity rather than separate substance or illusion.
  • It can (often) draw support from Network Neuroscience approaches like Integrated Information Theory proposing consciousness emerges above complexity thresholds.
  • It can (often) extend to Artificial Systems, questioning whether sufficiently complex AI could achieve conscious experience through organizational similarity to brains.
  • ...
  • It can range from being a Philosophical Emergentism to being an Empirical Emergence Hypothesis, depending on its investigative approach.
  • It can range from being a Biological Emergent Consciousness to being an Artificial Emergent Consciousness, depending on its substrate type.
  • It can range from being a Minimal Emergent Consciousness to being a Rich Emergent Consciousness, depending on its phenomenal complexity.
  • It can range from being a Gradual Emergent Consciousness to being a Threshold Emergent Consciousness, depending on its onset pattern.
  • It can range from being a Individual Emergent Consciousness to being a Collective Emergent Consciousness, depending on its organizational level.
  • ...
• Example(s):
  • Infant Consciousness Development, where increasing neural complexity correlates with emerging self-awareness through childhood.
  • Virtual Brain Simulations (hypothetical) exhibiting self-report behaviors once complexity thresholds are crossed.
  • Chinese Nation Thought Experiment, exploring whether collective neural simulation could yield macro-level consciousness.
  • ...
• Counter-Example(s):
  • Panpsychist Theorys, treating consciousness as fundamental universe property rather than emergent.
  • Simple Reflex Systems, like thermostats reacting to stimuli without requisite complexity for awareness.
  • Complex System Without Experiences (hypothetical), where brain-level complexity produces no subjective phenomena.
• See: Emergent Complexity Phenomenon, Philosophy of Mind, Narrative Cognition, Self-Transcendence State, Integrated Information Theory, Global Workspace Theory, Hard Problem of Consciousness, Neural Correlates of Consciousness, Panpsychism, Dualism, Physicalism, Qualia, Mind-Body Problem, David Chalmers.

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