Does consciousness overflow cognitive access? Novel insights from the new phenomenon of attribute amnesia.
Science China. Life sciences June 1, 2021 Yingtao Fu, Wenchen Yan, Mowei Shen et al.
The experience of seeing a rich, detailed visual world upon opening one's eyes contrasts with the limited amount of information that can actually be reported. This dissociation fuels a debate about visual consciousness: the overflow argument holds that conscious experience is far richer than what can be reported, while the no-overflow argument contends that visual consciousness is impoverished and limited to reportable content. This review systematically examines evidence for the overflow argument from iconic memory paradigms, divided attention studies, and neural correlates of consciousness, alongside critical objections and counterevidence. The authors also present their recent studies on attribute amnesia, which they suggest offers new insight into the overflow view.