Felix A. Schoeller

Primary states of consciousness: A review of historical and contemporary developments.

Consciousness and Cognition June 13, 2023 Felix A. Schoeller

Primary states of consciousness are phylogenetically older than secondary states, which are shaped by sociocultural inhibition. The authors review the concept's history in psychiatry and neurobiology and propose that primary states involve a temporary breakdown of self-control, merging action, communication, and emotion (ACE fusion) that are normally separate in adults. This model relates to neural dedifferentiation, loss of modularity during altered states, and increased corticostriatal connectivity. The article offers a perspective on consciousness as a mechanism of differentiation and control, suggests a gradient from primary to secondary states based on thalamocortical interactions and arousal, and proposes testable hypotheses for their distinct signatures.