Reading about different theories of #consciousness while trying to understand why it is such a “hard problem” and just had an idea. I’m sure someone has already thought of it, but here it is just in case:
Both #unconscious and #conscious neural activity are carried on by the same neural network mechanisms. The only difference between the two is that unconscious activities happen in #parallel, like a wave, while all conscious activity is performed in a #sequence.
We can experience multiple things and are able to perform multiple unconscious activities at the same time, but we can focus our conscious #attention only on one thing at a time. This is why we are flipping between two different views of the Necker cube and we can’t see both versions at the same time.
Both conscious and unconscious activity affects the current #state of the neural network (our thoughts), but only conscious thoughts can be memorized and later recalled because they are “recorded” as sequences of events (stories).
This is totally different from computer #memory which mainly stores and retrieves separate, out-of-context data points.
Unless I see evidence that someone else already introduced it in similar terms, I will claim here that I’ve come up with (yet another😀) theory of consciousness I will aptly name a “Kihbernetic Theory of #Consciousness” or “#KTC”.
According to this theory #regulation in a dynamical system is always #unconscious (innate or learned, like driving a bike), #guidance is always #conscious (i.e. it assumes there is #intention, teleology, conscious seeking for answers), and #control can be either conscious or unconscious.
For example, one can be focused on (have conscious control over) a conversation while unconsciously controlling a vehicle they are driving, and then momentarily switch their #attention to some unexpected situation on the road that the regulators were unable to resolve by themselves.
