On the "Pointing Function" of consciousness.

Baars, Bernard J. (2007) On the "Pointing Function" of consciousness. In: Neural Correlates of Thinking. Proceedings of the First Parmenides Conference.

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Abstract

Perhaps the most surprising observation from a commonsense point of view is how "silently" consciousness performs its major functions, such as its involvement in learning. We have no introspective access to the details of the learning process, nor for that matter to perception or motor control. In all these cases, simply "pointing" our consciousness at some event serves to trigger widespread adaptive processes in the brain. This appears to be one of the major biological uses of consciousness in the mammalian brain.

Item Type:	Book Chapter
Uncontrolled Keywords:	consciousness, evolution, "pointing function", learning, biological use of consciousness, function of consciousness, phylogeny, mammalian consciousness
Disciplines:	Other (All . see topic area)
Topics:	Theory of Consciousness
Article Type:	Theoretical
ID Code:	345
Deposited By:	ASSC Eprints chair
Deposited On:	31 October 2007

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