Whole-brain models to explore altered states of consciousness from the bottom up
Rodrigo Cofré, Rubén Herzog, Pedro A. M. Mediano, Juan Piccinini, Fernando E. Rosas, Yonatan Sanz Perl, Enzo Tagliazucchi
arXiv Preprint Archive August 6, 2020 via arXiv
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractAltered states of consciousness, such as those experienced during dreaming or meditation, offer a way to study how large-scale brain activity relates to different subjective experiences. This paper advocates a research program that combines bottom-up generative models of whole-brain activity, based on known properties of neural tissue, with top-down signatures proposed by theories of consciousness. The authors define altered states, discuss relevant brain-activity signatures, and introduce whole-brain models to explore the mechanisms behind these states. They argue that systematically investigating altered states through bottom-up modeling can clarify the biophysical, informational, and dynamical foundations of consciousness.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Q-bio.nc Consciousness Neuroscience Brain-mapping Cognitive-science |
| Key finding | A research program combining bottom-up generative models of whole-brain activity with top-down theoretical signatures can help explain how global brain changes during altered states of consciousness relate to subjective experience. |
Abstract
The scope of human consciousness includes states departing from what most of us experience as ordinary wakefulness. These altered states of consciousness constitute a prime opportunity to study how global changes in brain activity relate to different varieties of subjective experience. We consider the problem of explaining how global signatures of altered consciousness arise from the interplay between large-scale connectivity and local dynamical rules that can be traced to known properties of neural tissue. For this purpose, we advocate a research program aimed at bridging the gap between bottom-up generative models of whole-brain activity and the top-down signatures proposed by theories of consciousness. Throughout this paper, we define altered states of consciousness, discuss relevant signatures of consciousness observed in brain activity, and introduce whole-brain models to explore the mechanisms of altered consciousness from the bottom-up. We discuss the potential of our proposal in view of the current state of the art, give specific examples of how this research agenda might play out, and emphasise how a systematic investigation of altered states of consciousness via bottom-up modelling may help us better understand the biophysical, informational, and dynamical underpinnings of consciousness.