An up-to-date account of what we know about human consciousness in psychology and brain
science. For the general educated reader.
Early comments:
"Quite simply, Bernard Baars has made the most
important contribution to consciousness studies since Wiliam James."
Bruce Mangan, PhD, Institute for Cognitive Studies,
University of California, Berkeley
"The most accessible scientific introduction to
consciousness studies available. Baars has written a disciplined, systematic
book that gives structure to a traditionally amorphous field."
Gordon Globus, MD, University of California, Irvine
"The cognitive revolution a generation ago restored
mind as a legitimate object of study -- the brain was no longer to be a behaviorist black
box. Today, even more adventuresome, we are again studying consciousness as a
researchable empirical phenomenon. Bernard Baars provides us with an exciting
account of what we know about consciousness and its functions in thought, rescuing this
topic from the speculations of philosophy and placing it solidly in the realm of empirical
study."
Herbert A. Simon, Nobel Laureate, Andrew W. Mellon
Professor of Psychology and Computer Science, Carnegie-Mellon University
"Baars explains the structure of consciousness
in highly readable, involving, accurate, and scientifically deep terms. (Amazing but
true!) His book is laced with exercises that demonstrate the phenomena he is explaining in
entertaining and often surprising ways. His analysis is just about the only comprehensive
functional account of consciousness. This is a must read for anyone interested in
scientific understanding of the mind."
Baars' empirical work elaborating the theory of 'Global Workspace'
:
A Cognitive Theory of Consciousness
Cambridge University Press, 1988.
Comments from reviewers
"Baars' book promises to be a milestone
in creating a theoretical framework for future consciousness research. It will also be a
benchmark against which future theories are tested."
Bruce Bridgeman, University of California,
Santa Cruz, writing in PSYCHE, 1996
"Baars' work is a unique and worthy undertaking.
Parts of it are an oral history of the field, parts are almost journalistic in spirit,
parts are sophisticated commentary on cognitive science, and parts are a personal journey.
There has been nothing like it before.
Arthur S. Reber, PhD, DICTIONARY OF PSYCHOLOGY
This webpage - mirrored at the Ceptual Institute - is under construction. The
following topics and links for you to access are in development. Homepage and
'What's New' notifications will be made on completion.
1. Easy introductions to scientific studies of conscious experience.
- What is the evidence about consciousness? How shall we think about it?
Baars, B.J. McGovern, K. (1996) In M. Velmans (Ed.) The science of consciousness. London:
Routledge.
- For philosophers: Baars, B.J. Treating consciousness as an
empirical variable: The contrastive analysis approach. In N. Block, O. Flanagan & G.
Guzeldere (Eds). Philosophical and scientific approaches to consciousness. Cambridge, MA:
Bradford/MIT Press. 1996.
- Consciousness creates global access in the brain.
2. Some speculations on how the new understanding of conscious experience
may change science as we have known it.
- B.J. Baars, Psychology in a world of sentient, self-knowing beings: A
modest utopian fantasy. In R.L. Solso (Ed.) Mind and brain in the 21st century. Cambridge,
MA: MIT Press, (1997) .
3. A challenge to scientists who believe the answer lies in quantum physics:
- B.J. Baars, Quantum Quibbles: The evidence that any theory of conscious
experience must explain. In P. Pylkkanen P. Pylkko (Ed.) New directions in cognitive
science: The Lapland Symposium.
- B.J. Baars, Can physics provide a theory of consciousness? A Review of
Pen. Journal of Consciousness Studies. (1995)
4. Some socially significant implications of one of the oddest features of normal
conscious experience: High suggestibility as a trait in about one out of five people:
- Baars, B.J., K. McGovern, Steps toward healing:
False memories and psychogenic amnesia may both exist. (1995)
Consciousness Cognition, Special Issue on the Recovered/ False Memory Controversy, 4 (1).
5. Consciousness in controlling voluntary action: A new ideomotor theory.
6. Why the "observing self" is not such a bad idea after all.
7. More technical readings about consciousness and volition.
- Baars, B.J. (Ed.) Experimental Slips and Human Error: Exploring the
Architecture of Volition. (1992) NY: Plenum Press.
8. The "hard problem" of subjectivity, and --- is it real or not?
9. A reasonable difference between "consciousness" and
"attention"...
10. How consciousness may be realized in the brain.
Current Projects
- Visual consciousness:
The puzzle of area V1
- Global workspace theory,
new developments
Links to "Consciousness" Journals and Organizations ..
Consciousness and Cognition: An International Journal - A primarily scientific journal
focused on human conscious experience and related issues. All abstracts are available at
Academic Press Journals.
The Association for the Scientific Study of
Consciousness - a professional membership organization for scientists and scholars
engaged in consciousness studies. Discussions may be technical, but juicy.
PSYCHE: An International Journal of
Consciousness Studies is published by MIT Press in paper format. It is available on the
web at PSYCHE, with an active discussion
forum at PSYCHE-D.
Journal of Consciousness Studies. JCS
is a general-interest forum for less formal science and philosophy writings. JCS maintains
an active website at JCSonline.
University of Arizona Dialogs on Consciousness - An online introduction to
consciousness studies.
