Consciousness in the Brain: An Integrative Review of Contemporary Theories
Preprints.org June 23, 2026 Arosh S. Perera Molligoda Arachchige, Afanasy Svet, Maria Svet preprint
Consciousness remains a major challenge across neuroscience, philosophy, and cognitive science. This review evaluates several leading theories—Global Neuronal Workspace Theory, Integrated Information Theory, Recurrent Processing Theory, Dendritic Integration Theory, Predictive Processing, and the Memory Theory of Consciousness—by examining their philosophical foundations, core claims, and empirical evidence. It focuses on how each theory addresses phenomenal consciousness (subjective experience) and access consciousness (information available for cognition and behavior). Comparing convergent and divergent predictions reveals areas of agreement, ongoing debates, and unresolved questions. The analysis suggests consciousness likely involves multiple interacting neural mechanisms across different spatial and temporal scales, highlighting the need for continued interdisciplinary research.