How Consciousness Might Emerge From Thinking About Thinking

"What makes the difference between merely processing information and actually being conscious of it? The brain doesn't just record perceptions and memories; it builds models of the world and of ourselves, most of which remain unconscious. Conscious cognition is engaged when habits fall short, and flexible context-sensitive control is required. Higher-order theories propose that consciousness arises when the brain generates higher-level representations of first-order representations (which are perceptions and memories), in effect, thinking about its own thinking."

"He argues that prefrontal circuits re-describe entire models rather than just re-describing single representations (as explained in Part 2, models are assemblies of representations that perform simulations 3). These "redescriptions" are still pre-conscious, according to LeDoux. They need to undergo additional steps to transform them into conscious experience: They are stabilized in working memory, enriched with memory content, and organized narratively into a self-related model. We will explore each of these processes here."

Mental models continually conceptualize, simulate, and make predictions about situations. Memory adds factual and autobiographical content, infusing models with familiarity and a sense of ownership. Most models remain unconscious until conscious cognition becomes necessary for flexible, context-sensitive control. Higher-order processes generate meta-representations that reflect on first-order perceptions and memories. Prefrontal circuits re-describe entire models, producing redescriptions that remain pre-conscious. Conscious experience emerges after these redescriptions are stabilized in working memory, enriched with memory content, and organized narratively into a self-related model. Different memory systems map onto distinct forms of awareness.

Read at Psychology Today