Research group Behavioural and Social Neuroscience - Centre for Neuroscience - Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University and Society for Cognitive Science and Philosophy would like to invite you to lecture delivered by Michał Bola: "Loss of inner awareness is related to hyper-correlated brain activity".
Michał Bola - Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Neurobiology Center, Nenkci Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw
Abstract:
The “stream of consciousness” we experience is an internal and purely subjective phenomenon. For this reason, we can only infer that others have conscious experience based on their overt behaviour. Particularly, the ability to process stimuli from the environment (connectedness) and to respond in a meaningful and goal-directed way (responsiveness) are considered indicative of covert awareness. Yet, a growing body of evidence suggests that subjective awareness, connectedness, and responsiveness can, in principle, be dissociated. Firstly, although we are unresponsive and disconnected form the external environment during REM sleep, we often experience vivid dreams, which are phenomenally similar to waking consciousness. Secondly, rich hallucinations are also reported after recovery from ketamine-induced unresponsiveness. Thirdly, apparently a significant group of patients considered to be in a vegetative state due to persistent behavioural unresponsiveness, might actually remain conscious.
