To understand the nature of consciousness, it is necessary to forego the notion that we are either conscious or unconscious. Some consciousness "stuff" does not suddenly get added to our other brain ...

A pair of recent studies examined why sophisticated levels of consciousness evolved in some animals, but not in others. In the first study, philosophers outlined the ALARM theory that shows how three ...

Defining consciousness: Researchers are refining definitions of consciousness, qualia, and information to better target what exactly needs explaining in the mind–brain problem. Neural clues: Studies ...

Consciousness is the ultimate question of existence. Nothing is more essential than our experience. Yet we have no consensus, and perhaps no clue, about what it actually is. The trouble, in part, is ...

Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story: A team of researchers recently found that three parts of the brain are especially relevant to the experience of consciousness. After scanning the ...

Researchers believe other species could help explain the mysterious origins of our consciousness. One new paper argues that consciousness evolved in distinct waves from environmental pressures, like a ...

This graphic is part of a special report on consciousness. Read the full feature here. Theorists have proposed many explanations for consciousness. They are startlingly diverse, with different goals, ...

Key points Psychology has focused on how the past causes our present behavior. But the future can cause the present too, via prediction and simulation. The brain constantly makes predictions.