Metaphysics & Psychology

Findings of major new study into the nature of consciousness revealed

By T.K. Randall
May 12, 2025 ·  5 comments

Image: AI-generated (Bing AI / Dall-E 3) The research, which was conducted courtesy of the Allen Institute, sought to gain new insights into the nature of consciousness with an emphasis on two competing theories.

One of these - Integrated Information Theory (IIT) - suggests that consciousness arises when information inside the brain is highly connected and unified.

The other - Global Neuronal Workspace Theory (GNWT) - suggests that consciousness arises from information being brought to the forefront of our minds by a network of different brain areas.

The findings of the study, which began in 2019, revealed some interesting insights.

"Research showed that there's functional connection between neurons in early visual areas of the brain (the areas that process vision, which are at the back of the brain) and the frontal areas of the brain, helping us understand how our perceptions tie to our thoughts," the press release states."The findings de-emphasize the importance of the prefrontal cortex in consciousness, suggesting that while it's important for reasoning and planning, consciousness itself may be linked with sensory processing and perception."

"In other words, intelligence is about doing while consciousness is about being."

Ultimately, however, neither of the two competing theories could either be confirmed nor ruled out.

"It was clear that no single experiment would decisively refute either theory," said Anil Seth - a professor of cognitive and computational neuroscience at the University of Sussex.

"The theories are just too different in their assumptions and explanatory goals, and the available experimental methods too coarse, to enable one theory to conclusively win out over another."

"Having said all this, the findings of the collaboration remain extremely valuable - much has been learned about both theories and about where and when in the brain information about visual experience can be decoded from. "

Source: Allen Institute | Comments (5)

Tags: Consciousness