arXiv Preprint Archive
May 4, 2020
Didier Pinault
A single low dose of ketamine, an NMDA receptor antagonist, transiently reduces sleep spindles and delta oscillations in the thalamocortical systems of rats, while amplifying gamma-frequency oscillations and shifting neuronal firing from burst to single-spike mode. The antipsychotic clozapine prevents these effects. The findings support the hypothesis that reduced NMDA receptor function contributes to the spindle deficit observed in schizophrenia.
arXiv Preprint Archive
April 7, 2020
Johannes Kleiner, Erik Hoel
Falsification, a cornerstone of scientific testing, is especially problematic for theories of consciousness. In the standard experimental setup, a theory's predicted experience (based on brain data) is compared with an inferred experience (based on report or behavior). If inference and prediction are independent, any minimally informative theory is automatically falsified—a dilemma for many current theories that rely on report to infer conscious experience. If inference and prediction are strictly dependent, the theory becomes unfalsifiable. The paper explores potential ways out of this dilemma, highlighting a fundamental challenge for empirical testing in consciousness research.
arXiv Preprint Archive
February 18, 2020
Bartosz Jura
Conscious experience appears to change constantly, yet any content must last for a nonzero duration to be perceived, creating a fundamental conflict. This work argues that this temporal aspect is the most basic property of consciousness, likely inherent to any conceivable form. Taking this perspective offers a way to relate consciousness directly to neural plasticity mechanisms of learning and memory. The authors propose a "synaptic clock" as a content-specific neural substrate of consciousness, where moments of subjective time have different durations proportional to the time units of these clocks, varying across brain regions and species. The work argues for a dynamic view of consciousness, where change is its only dimension.
arXiv Preprint Archive
February 3, 2020
David R. Glowacki, Mark D. Wonnacott, Rachel Freire et al.
A virtual reality journey called 'Isness' can induce mystical-type experiences (MTEs) comparable to those from high doses of psilocybin or LSD. In a study of 57 participants, responses to a standard psychedelic experience questionnaire showed MTE levels similar to those in double-blind clinical trials. The authors argue that both psychedelic drugs and virtual reality belong to a broader spectrum of psychedelic technologies. Within a supportive setting, VR phenomenology can create conditions for MTEs that participants find insightful and meaningful.
arXiv Preprint Archive
February 3, 2020
David R. Glowacki, Mark D. Wonnacott, Rachel Freire et al.
Virtual reality can induce profound mystical experiences similar to those triggered by psychedelic substances, without the need for drugs. A groundbreaking human-computer interaction (cs.HC) experiment showed that carefully designed VR environments can create transformative group experiences where participants perceive themselves as pure energy, fostering deep feelings of connection and transcendence. Data from 57 participants revealed emotional responses matching those reported in clinical studies of psilocybin and LSD.
arXiv Preprint Archive
November 26, 2019
Danko D. Georgiev
Consciousness consists of inner, subjective, private experiences that cannot be measured by physical devices or communicated as classical bits. Classical physics cannot explain how such unobservable, incommunicable experiences could arise from physical neurons. Thought experiments like inverted qualia and the knowledge argument illustrate this challenge but do not prove consciousness is nonphysical or that introspective reports are unreliable. Modern quantum physics offers a resolution: unobservable quantum state vectors define what physically exists, while quantum operators define what can be observed. Identifying consciousness with unobservable quantum information in brain states allows quantum information theorems to resolve paradoxes of privacy and explains how the observable brain is constructed from classical bits extracted upon measurement, bound by Holevo's theorem.
arXiv Preprint Archive
November 2, 2019
Chris Allen Broka
A new version of the von Neumann-Wigner interpretation of quantum mechanics replaces wave functions with a vector in Fock space, which is not a function of spacetime coordinates. Consciousness is modeled as a unitary state Q(t) that evolves alongside the physical world according to a common fiducial time. States of the world are classified as 'admissible' (corresponding to definite states of consciousness) or 'inadmissible' (not corresponding to any). The world's state vector always remains restricted to admissible states. Consciousness is treated as an 'M-Property' in Chalmers' sense. The authors argue that this model avoids problems with the quantum Zeno effect.
arXiv Preprint Archive
October 10, 2019
Camile Bahi
Groundbreaking neuroscience research reveals psilocybin therapy shows remarkable promise for cancer patients struggling with emotional distress. Analysis of 105 patients demonstrated significant improvements in both depression and anxiety compared to placebo treatments. Using advanced quantitative modeling (q-bio.QM) and neural circuit analysis (q-bio.NC), researchers found the treatment both safe and effective.
arXiv Preprint Archive
August 3, 2019
Jake R. Hanson, Sara I. Walker
A mathematical analysis shows that Integrated Information Theory (IIT), a leading theory of consciousness, relies on a measure called Φ that can differ between two physically isomorphic systems—systems identical in size, function, and causal structure—solely due to a permutation of the binary labels representing internal functional states. This means a system with Φ > 0 (deemed conscious) and an isomorphic system with Φ = 0 (a philosophical zombie) can be mathematically identical except for arbitrary labeling. The finding challenges IIT's assumption that feedback is necessary for consciousness and suggests any quantitative theory of consciousness should be invariant under such isomorphisms to avoid epistemological problems.
arXiv Preprint Archive
July 10, 2019
Minkesh Asati, Taizo Miyachi
A 10-minute virtual reality mindfulness meditation session, featuring a relaxing environment and an archery game, improved sustained attention in 12 adults. After the session, game scores increased by 275% for beginners, 107% for intermediate players, and 17% for experts. Calm points measured by a Muse EEG headband rose by 250% regardless of gaming experience. All participants reported feeling recharged.
arXiv Preprint Archive
June 11, 2019
Andrew Knight
Consciousness is often assumed to be algorithmic and copyable, but this paper argues against those assumptions by proving the Single Stream of Consciousness Theorem (SSCT). The theorem states that a conscious entity cannot experience more than one stream of consciousness from a given conscious state. Assuming consciousness is purely physical, the author shows that Special Relativity and Multiverse theory independently imply SSCT, and the Many Worlds Interpretation cannot counter it. SSCT is then shown to be incompatible with Strong Artificial Intelligence, meaning consciousness cannot be created or simulated by a computer. Additionally, a conscious state cannot be physically reset or duplicated. The implications are profound but counterintuitive.
arXiv Preprint Archive
April 29, 2019
Morgane Hamon, Emma Chabani, Philippe Giraudeau
Only about 20% of people regularly experience lucid dreams, but induction techniques can increase their frequency. External stimulation aims to integrate cues into dreams to remind the sleeper they are dreaming. This project replicated such induction with low-cost, portable equipment: an OpenBCI Cyton EEG board for sleep scoring and a mask with two LEDs controlled by a microcontroller. Two volunteers slept for two hours in a lab. One reported that blue lights from the mask were incorporated into their dream; the other awoke during stimulation. These results align with prior work. Ongoing research includes automated online sleep scoring and testing vibro-tactile stimulation.
arXiv Preprint Archive
April 16, 2019
David E. Presti
Henry Stapp has argued for 60 years that the structure of quantum mechanics implies a central and irreducible role for mind—an experiential aspect of nature distinct from physical matter and energy. The paper describes this thesis and calls for interdisciplinary exploration, especially connections with neuroscience and empirical psychology, to investigate mind's role in quantum ontology.
arXiv Preprint Archive
April 10, 2019
Fatemeh Torkamani, Farshad Nazaraghaie, Mohammad Nami
A pilot investigation of Geometric Meditation-based Cognitive Behavior Therapy (GM-CBT) for a single case of intractable Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) found that an eight-week treatment program (90-minute sessions per week) led to a significant reduction in OCD symptoms, anxiety, and depression, along with increased mindfulness skills. A three-month follow-up suggested long-lasting beneficial effects. The authors propose GM-CBT as a holistic CBT approach for OCD.
arXiv Preprint Archive
March 25, 2019
Luis A. Pineda
The Turing Machine is the paradigmatic case of computing machines, but there are others such as analogical, connectionist, quantum and diverse forms of unconventional computing, each based on a particular intuition of the phenomenon of computing. This variety can be captured in terms of system levels, re-interpreting and generalizing Newell's hierarchy, which includes the knowledge level at the top and the symbol level immediately below it. In this re-interpretation the knowledge level consists of human knowledge and the symbol level is generalized into a new level that here is called The Mode of Computing.
arXiv Preprint Archive
March 22, 2019
Manuel Baltieri, Christopher L. Buckley
Cognitive systems are often modeled as input/output devices with separate perceptual and motor modules, a view that resonates with the separation principle of control theory. This paper presents a minimal sensorimotor model based on that principle and shows its limitations when external forces—such as environmental perturbations or interference from other agents—are not accounted for. As an alternative, the authors propose a nonmodular architecture grounded in active inference, which demonstrates robustness to unknown external inputs. In linear models, this robustness is achieved through a mechanism equivalent to integral control, offering a principled way to handle disturbances that the agent cannot directly control.
arXiv Preprint Archive
March 5, 2019
Pavel Kraikivski
A mathematical framework is proposed in which a system of mutually connected processes is isomorphic to a conscious percept of a point in space. In this system, any process can be derived through all other processes that form its complement. A dynamical system of oscillators is crafted to preserve the mutual relationships among processes, creating an operational map isomorphic to a distance matrix that mimics space-like properties. This approach provides a novel way to analyze neural-like oscillatory dynamics to extract information relevant to specific conscious percepts, potentially aiding the search for neural correlates of consciousness.
arXiv Preprint Archive
February 18, 2019
Marcel Kvassay
Two distinct explanations of phenomenal intuitions—one reductive and one strongly non-reductive—are examined, and two ideas are identified that could benefit many theories of consciousness. First, sophisticated agent architectures with purely physical implementation may support functional forms of qualia or proto-qualia, implying the possibility of machine consciousness with qualia for both reductive and non-reductive theories that view consciousness as ubiquitous. Second, introspective psychological material suggests that below ordinary waking awareness there exist submerged or subliminal layers of consciousness that form a hidden foundation and source of phenomenal intuitions. These layers may help explain puzzling phenomena in subliminal perception, such as apparently unconscious multisensory integration and learning of subliminal stimuli.
arXiv Preprint Archive
February 12, 2019
Adam B. Barrett, Pedro A. M. Mediano
Integrated Information Theory (IIT) defines consciousness as a fundamental property of physical systems, measured by the quantity Phi. For IIT to be credible, Phi must be uniquely defined and always well-defined. This article identifies three ways in which the current formulation of Phi fails these standards, making the measure ambiguous or ill-defined in certain cases, and discusses potential solutions to address these foundational issues.
arXiv Preprint Archive
September 26, 2018
A. Viol, Fernanda Palhano-Fontes, Heloisa Onias et al.
A new network metric called geodesic entropy quantifies the Shannon entropy of the distance distribution from each node to all others, capturing the structural role of individual nodes in a network. Applied to functional brain networks of humans in two states of consciousness—ordinary waking and after ingestion of Ayahuasca—the metric distinguished the states. Brain networks under Ayahuasca showed, on average, larger geodesic entropy than those in the ordinary waking state. The authors suggest geodesic entropy is a useful tool for analyzing complex networks and may improve understanding of emergent behaviors such as self-organized criticality.
arXiv Preprint Archive
September 8, 2018
Christoph Simon
Subjective experience is both unified and complex, which is hard to explain through classical physics. Quantum entanglement, which is naturally both complex and unified, may offer a basis for consciousness. A concrete hypothesis proposes that subjective experience corresponds to the dynamics of a complex entangled state of spins, continuously generated and updated by photon exchange. Spins in condensed matter at body temperature can maintain coherence for milliseconds to seconds—the timescale of conscious experience. Neurons emit photons, likely from reactive oxygen species in mitochondria. Opsins, light-sensitive proteins that can detect single photons, exist in the brain and are evolutionarily conserved. Axons may act as photonic waveguides, and oxygen molecules with electronic spin could interface photons and spins. Photon rates appear sufficient to support the bandwidth of experience.
arXiv Preprint Archive
July 20, 2018
Éric Merle
A conscious observer must be a physical object that can store local events by setting part of itself into a fixed quantum state. Probability is defined as the proportion of identical observers who will actually experience a given future event, which recovers standard quantum results. The second part of the paper builds a neuronal model of mind functions, where self-consciousness arises when the mind measures the random behavior of certain neurons—randomness that reflects a coexistence of multiple possibilities. The mind's decision-making component then selects one possibility, unifying conscious experience as what the ego is aware of.
arXiv Preprint Archive
June 29, 2018
Kyumin Moon, Hongju Pae
Integrated Information Theory (IIT) proposes that consciousness arises from a system's capacity to integrate information. This critical review traces the theory's evolution, highlighting advances in its mathematical framework and persistent controversies. The authors outline fundamental IIT concepts, discuss major theoretical transitions and intra-model problems, and present extra-model issues concerning the theory's principles. They conclude that future development of IIT should more seriously incorporate metacognitive accessibility to experience.
arXiv Preprint Archive
June 4, 2018
Paolo Zanardi, Michael Tomka, Lorenzo Campos Venuti
Integrated Information Theory (IIT) provides a mathematical measure, Φ (phi), of how much a network's cause/effect structure is integrated—not reducible to separate parts. This work extends IIT to networks of quantum systems, identifying phases ranging from dis-integrated (Φ = 0) to holistic (where log Φ grows extensively with system size) and studying transitions between them.
arXiv Preprint Archive
May 29, 2018
Zehong Cao, Chin-Teng Lin, Weiping Ding et al.
In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 55 outpatients with treatment-resistant depression received either 0.5 mg/kg ketamine, 0.2 mg/kg ketamine, or saline. Using a wearable forehead EEG device, responders to ketamine showed weaker theta power at baseline and increased alpha power with lower alpha asymmetry and theta cordance after treatment compared to non-responders. A baseline EEG predictor classified responders and non-responders with 81.3% accuracy, 82.1% sensitivity, and 91.9% specificity. The rapid antidepressant effects of mixed ketamine doses are linked to prefrontal EEG patterns, which may help identify likely responders before treatment.