Consciousness
A Comprehensive Reference
- 2nd book:metaData.edition - September 1, 2026
- book:metaData.latestEdition
- common:contributors.editor Antonino Raffone
- publicationLanguages:language
The field of consciousness research has developed over the last decades by interdisciplinary and multi-method investigations, through the integration of theoretical, empirical and… seeMoreDescription
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The field of consciousness research has developed over the last decades by interdisciplinary and multi-method investigations, through the integration of theoretical, empirical and clinical studies. Consciousness research is relevant across philosophy, psychology, neurology, cognitive and affective neurosciences, cognitive science, and artificial intelligence, among other disciplines. The implicated research methods include psychophysical, psychophysiological and behavioral methods, subjective reporting (with or without trained introspection), electrophysiology and neuroimaging, the brain lesion method, and computational modelling. Consciousness has also been studied in developmental, lifespan, comparative, and evolutionary perspectives. Insights have also been gained by deficient consciousness (e.g., due to brain lesions) and enhanced awareness (e.g., related to meditation states and traits). Research that once was separate inquiries in discreet disciplines is converging. List serves and conferences focused on consciousness are proliferating. New journals have emerged in this field. A huge number of monographs and edited treatises have recently been published on consciousness, but there is no recognized entry point to the field, no comprehensive summary. This encyclopedia is that reference, from the first edition to the second one. Organized thematically, coverage encompasses a summary of major research and scientific thought regarding the nature of consciousness, the neural circuitry involved, how the brain, body, and world interact, and our understanding of subjective states. The work includes contributions covering neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, and artificial intelligence to provide a comprehensive backdrop to recent and ongoing investigations into the nature of conscious experience from a philosophical, psychological, and biological perspective. Sections are: 1. Philosophy and History - Philosophy - History 2. Concepts, methodological principles and theories - Paradigms and Perspectives - Core Concepts - Methodological Principles - Theories 3. Psychology of consciousness - Memory - Action - Emotion - Self - States of Consciousness - Higher Level Cognition - Social Psychology 4. Psychology of consciousness, perception and attention - Perception - Attention 5. Neuroscience of consciousness - Cognitive neuroscience and neurobiology - Neurology
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- Organized thematically, coverage encompasses a summary of major research and scientific thought regarding the nature of consciousness
- A comprehensive summary and entry point into the field of consciousness
- Contributions covering neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, and artificial intelligence
promoMetaData.readership
promoMetaData.readership
University and public libraries, as well as psychology and neuroscience departments and researchers
promoMetaData.tableOfContents
promoMetaData.tableOfContents
1. Philosophy and history
- Philosophy Consciousness of time and the time of consciousness
Folk theories of consciousness
Free will; Intentionality and consciousness
Mental representation and consciousness
Phenomenology of consciousness
Philosophical accounts of self-awareness and introspection
Philosophical perspectives on the self
The Mind-Body problem
- History History of consciousness science
History of philosophical theories of consciousness
2. Concepts, methodological principles and theories
- Paradigms and perspectives All-or-none versus graded consciousness
Animal consciousness
Artificial intelligence and consciousness
Concepts and definitions of consciousness
Contemplative views on consciousness
Development of consciousness: consciousness from birth to adulthood
Embodied cognition and consciousness
Functions of consciousness
Psychopathology of consciousness
Social foundations of consciousness
State and content of consciousness
- Core concepts Meta-awareness
Metacognition
Mind wandering and other lapses
Mindfulness
- Methodological principles Computational modelling of consciousness
Neurophenomenology
Subjectivity: first- and third-person methodologies
The measurement of consciousness
- Theories An Integrated Information Theory of consciousness
Global workspace theory
Higher-order theories of consciousness
Phenomenal and access consciousness
Psychodynamic theories of the unconscious
Predictive coding as a framework for consciousness mechanisms and phenomena
Quantum theories of consciousness
Recurrent processing theory
Temporo-spatial theory of consciousness
The Global Neuronal Workspace model
3. Psychology of consciousness
- Memory Autobiographical memory and consciousness
Consciousness and memory in amnesia
Implicit learning and implicit memory
Memory: errors, constructive processes, and conscious retrieval
Procedural memory, skill, perceptual-motor learning, and awareness
Repressed memories
Short-term memory and consciousness
The control of mnemonic awareness
- Action Conscious and unconscious control of spatial action
Habit, action and consciousness
Voluntary control
- Emotion Emotion and consciousness
Emotion regulation and consciousness
Interoceptive awareness
Pain
- Self A pattern view of the self; Minimal or bodily self
Narrative self
The unity of self, self-consistency
- States of consciousness Hypnosis and suggestion
Interrelationship between states and contents of consciousness
Lucid dreaming
Meditation
Psychoactive drugs and alterations of consciousness
Sleep and dreaming
States of consciousness: an overview
- Higher-level cognition Inner speech and consciousness
Intuition, creativity, and unconscious aspects of problem solving
Language and consciousness
- Social psychology Implicit social cognition
4. Psychology of consciousness, perception and attention
Perception Bistable perception and consciousness
Discreteness versus continuity of perception
Hallucinations and illusions as paradigmatic cases of consciousness phenomena
Perception, action, and consciousness
Subliminal and implicit perception
The binding problem and the coherence of perception
Unconscious influences on perceptual interpretation
Visual experience and immediate memory
Visual imagery and consciousness
- Attention Change blindness and inattentional blindness
Selective attention and consciousness
The attentional blink and consciousness
5. Neuroscience of consciousness Cognitive neuroscience and neurobiology Aperiodic brain activity and consciousness
Cognitive neuroscience of dreaming and lucid dreaming
Cognitive neuroscience of hypnosis
Cognitive neuroscience of meditation and mindfulness
Cognitive neuroscience of the self
Cognitive neuroscience of volition and action
Event-related potentials and consciousness
Oscillatory brain activity and consciousness
Single-cell level and microcircuit mechanisms of consciousness
The neural basis of perceptual awareness
The Neural Correlates of Consciousness
The neurochemistry of consciousness
Neurology Blindsight
Disorders of consciousness
Ethical implications: pain, coma and related disorders
General anesthesia
Neglect and Balint’s Syndrome
The perturbational approach and consciousness
- Philosophy Consciousness of time and the time of consciousness
Folk theories of consciousness
Free will; Intentionality and consciousness
Mental representation and consciousness
Phenomenology of consciousness
Philosophical accounts of self-awareness and introspection
Philosophical perspectives on the self
The Mind-Body problem
- History History of consciousness science
History of philosophical theories of consciousness
2. Concepts, methodological principles and theories
- Paradigms and perspectives All-or-none versus graded consciousness
Animal consciousness
Artificial intelligence and consciousness
Concepts and definitions of consciousness
Contemplative views on consciousness
Development of consciousness: consciousness from birth to adulthood
Embodied cognition and consciousness
Functions of consciousness
Psychopathology of consciousness
Social foundations of consciousness
State and content of consciousness
- Core concepts Meta-awareness
Metacognition
Mind wandering and other lapses
Mindfulness
- Methodological principles Computational modelling of consciousness
Neurophenomenology
Subjectivity: first- and third-person methodologies
The measurement of consciousness
- Theories An Integrated Information Theory of consciousness
Global workspace theory
Higher-order theories of consciousness
Phenomenal and access consciousness
Psychodynamic theories of the unconscious
Predictive coding as a framework for consciousness mechanisms and phenomena
Quantum theories of consciousness
Recurrent processing theory
Temporo-spatial theory of consciousness
The Global Neuronal Workspace model
3. Psychology of consciousness
- Memory Autobiographical memory and consciousness
Consciousness and memory in amnesia
Implicit learning and implicit memory
Memory: errors, constructive processes, and conscious retrieval
Procedural memory, skill, perceptual-motor learning, and awareness
Repressed memories
Short-term memory and consciousness
The control of mnemonic awareness
- Action Conscious and unconscious control of spatial action
Habit, action and consciousness
Voluntary control
- Emotion Emotion and consciousness
Emotion regulation and consciousness
Interoceptive awareness
Pain
- Self A pattern view of the self; Minimal or bodily self
Narrative self
The unity of self, self-consistency
- States of consciousness Hypnosis and suggestion
Interrelationship between states and contents of consciousness
Lucid dreaming
Meditation
Psychoactive drugs and alterations of consciousness
Sleep and dreaming
States of consciousness: an overview
- Higher-level cognition Inner speech and consciousness
Intuition, creativity, and unconscious aspects of problem solving
Language and consciousness
- Social psychology Implicit social cognition
4. Psychology of consciousness, perception and attention
Perception Bistable perception and consciousness
Discreteness versus continuity of perception
Hallucinations and illusions as paradigmatic cases of consciousness phenomena
Perception, action, and consciousness
Subliminal and implicit perception
The binding problem and the coherence of perception
Unconscious influences on perceptual interpretation
Visual experience and immediate memory
Visual imagery and consciousness
- Attention Change blindness and inattentional blindness
Selective attention and consciousness
The attentional blink and consciousness
5. Neuroscience of consciousness Cognitive neuroscience and neurobiology Aperiodic brain activity and consciousness
Cognitive neuroscience of dreaming and lucid dreaming
Cognitive neuroscience of hypnosis
Cognitive neuroscience of meditation and mindfulness
Cognitive neuroscience of the self
Cognitive neuroscience of volition and action
Event-related potentials and consciousness
Oscillatory brain activity and consciousness
Single-cell level and microcircuit mechanisms of consciousness
The neural basis of perceptual awareness
The Neural Correlates of Consciousness
The neurochemistry of consciousness
Neurology Blindsight
Disorders of consciousness
Ethical implications: pain, coma and related disorders
General anesthesia
Neglect and Balint’s Syndrome
The perturbational approach and consciousness
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- productDetails.edition: 2
- book:metaData.latestEdition
- productDetails.published: September 1, 2026
- publicationLanguages:languageTitle: publicationLanguages:en
promoMetaData.aboutTheEditor
promoMetaData.aboutTheEditor
AR
Antonino Raffone
Prof. Antonino Raffone has been an author and coauthor of several international research publications with the focus on consciousness or related topics, such as on perceptual awareness, interactions between consciousness and attention, phenomenal and access consciousness, computational modelling of consciousness and related neurocognitive processes and mechanisms, self, mindfulness, meditation, sleep, autobiographical memory, dreaming, attentional blink and psychological refractory period, binding processes, interactions with emotion, mind wandering, pain, as well as their neural correlates and implicated brain networks and neuroplasticity.
Such studies have involved a range of methods, including theoretical work, behavioural experiments, computational modelling, phenomenological reports, electroencephalography, event-related potentials, Functional Magnetic Resonance imaging, magnetoencephalography, and dispositional self-reports.
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Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy