Beyond Neural Correlates of Consciousness

Drawing on neuroscientific research and metacognitive theory, this groundbreaking volume examines the theoretical implications that are elicited when neural correlates of consciousness (NCC) are identified.

The relationship between consciousness and the brain has concerned philosophers for centuries, yet a tacit assumption in much empirically minded consciousness research seems to be that if we can only develop a map of correlations, no further questions remain to be asked. Beyond Neural Correlates of Consciousness starts where others stop, by asking what these correlations may tell us about the nature of consciousness. The book contains chapters considering the upshots of finding the neural correlates of consciousness in light of the most prominent contemporary theories in the field. This illuminates the theoretical consequences of succeeding in the quest for the neural correlates of consciousness from the perspective of global workspace theory, higher-order thought theory, local recurrency theory, and REFCON models, in addition to considering how this quest is shaped by different conscious phenomena, such as dreaming, altered states of consciousness, and different levels of consciousness.

This insightful text features sophisticated theories that goes beyond correlational inferences and neural mapping, and will be of interest to students and researchers of consciousness, particularly those interested in interpreting neural correlates.

Morten Overgaard is Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the Center for Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus University, Denmark. He is the head of the Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group.

Jesper Mogensen is Professor of Neuroscience at the Department of Psychology at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. He is the head of the Unit for Cognitive Neuroscience and Director for the Research Center for Brain Injury Rehabilitation.

Asger Kirkeby-Hinrup is Postdoctoral Researcher in Theoretical Philosophy at the Department of Philosophy and Cognitive Science, Lund University, Sweden, and the Center for Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus University, Denmark.