Neurophenomenology and the Spontaneity of Consciousness
Canadian Journal of Philosophy Supplementary Volume January 1, 2003 DOI: 10.1080/00455091.2003.10717597
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractConsciousness makes the mind-body problem especially difficult to solve. Our failure to understand the relationship between mind and body suggests that current concepts are inadequate and require development. Mind can be understood as a spatiotemporal pattern that shapes the brain's metastable dynamic patterns.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 48 |
| Key finding | Consciousness presents a fundamental challenge to understanding the mind-body relationship, indicating a need for conceptual development, with mind described as a spatiotemporal pattern that molds the brain's dynamic patterns. |
Abstract
Consciousness is what makes the mind-body problem really intractable (Nagel1980, p. 150). My reading of the situation is that our inability to come up with an intelligible conception of the relation between mind and body is a sign of the inadequacy of our present concepts, and that some development is needed (Nagel1998, p. 338). Mind itself is a spatiotemporal pattern that molds the metastable dynamic patterns of the brain (Kelso 1995, p. 288).