A conceptual framework for consciousness.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America May 3, 2022 Michael S A Graziano
Consciousness can be explained through a rational, scientific framework that avoids hidden mysticism. The Attention Schema Theory proposes that the brain constructs a simplified model of its own attention, which serves as the basis for conscious experience. Growing behavioral, brain imaging, and computational evidence supports this theory. Consciousness likely evolved gradually over millions of years, from fish to humans, because it plays specific adaptive roles in cognition and behavior, such as enabling flexible control of attention and social prediction.