Bayesian theories of consciousness: a review in search for a minimal unifying model.

A review of theories of consciousness within Predictive Processing, Active Inference, and the Free Energy Principle suggests that the precision and complexity of an internal generative model are the minimal necessary components for conscious experience. This forms a Minimal Unifying Model of consciousness, synthesizing existing proposals.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The goal of the paper is to review existing work on consciousness within the frameworks of Predictive Processing, Active Inference, and Free Energy Principle. The emphasis is put on the role played by the precision and complexity of the internal generative model. In the light of those proposals, these two properties appear to be the minimal necessary components for the emergence of conscious experience-a Minimal Unifying Model of consciousness.