The Kantian brain: brain dynamics from a neurophenomenological perspective.
Current opinion in neurobiology April 1, 2015 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2014.12.006 via PubMed
Summary
Spontaneous, self-generated brain rhythms and dynamic neural network coordination provide new insights into Immanuel Kant's concept of cognitive 'spontaneity'—the mind's ability to organize sensory stimuli in novel ways. However, the precise mapping between brain activity and cognition remains unclear. Neurophenomenology, which leverages subjective experience variability to understand brain dynamics variability, offers a promising approach to this challenge.
Study at a glance
| Design | theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Spontaneous brain rhythms and dynamic neural networks illuminate Kant's idea of cognitive spontaneity, but neurophenomenology is needed to address the brain-cognition mapping challenge. |
Abstract
Current research on spontaneous, self-generated brain rhythms and dynamic neural network coordination cast new light on Immanuel Kant's idea of the 'spontaneity' of cognition, that is, the mind's capacity to organize and synthesize sensory stimuli in novel, unprecedented ways. Nevertheless, determining the precise nature of the brain-cognition mapping remains an outstanding challenge. Neurophenomenology, which uses phenomenological information about the variability of subjective experience in order to illuminate the variability of brain dynamics, offers a promising method for addressing this challenge.