Sliding Scale Theory of Attention and Consciousness/Unconsciousness.
Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) February 10, 2022 Brad Bowins
Attention operates on a sliding scale of time and space compression, ranging from the diffuse, unconscious cognitive unconscious to the tightly compressed conscious awareness of the present moment. Existing theories of consciousness fail to adequately address the role of attention in the cognitive unconscious or account for consciousness across diverse animal species and forms. A sliding scale theory proposes that conscious awareness emerges as a property of tight time and space compression, which produces especially clear signals. The present moment's compression enhances this process, offering an evolutionary explanation for conscious awareness.