William james, gustav fechner, and early psychophysics.
Frontiers in physiology January 1, 2011 Stephanie L Hawkins
William James, the American psychologist and philosopher, sought a naturalistic understanding of consciousness through unorthodox methods including experiments with nitrous oxide and hallucinogenic drugs, as well as investigations of spiritualist mediums. His training in brain physiology and experimental psychology could not fully account for the "hard problems" of consciousness. James developed a "radically empiricist" philosophy that privileged discontinuity and plurality, arguing against philosophical monism and scientific materialism. He was convinced that naturalistic explanations existed for transcendent experiences associated with hysteria, genius, and religious ecstasy. His "transmission theory" of consciousness, ideas on "knowing of things together," and concept of "the compounding of consciousness" suggest he was working toward a "distributive model" of consciousness as awareness interacting dynamically within its environment.