The Consciousness Atlas is an interactive web app that visualizes more
than 450 theories of consciousness. It is based on Robert Lawrence
Kuhn's 2024 paper,
"A Landscape of Consciousness". The Atlas maps theories that address phenomenal consciousness - the
subjective feel of experience, such as the redness of red.
What the Atlas is
The Atlas is a visual reference built on Kuhn's taxonomy. It presents
the full set of theories at once so you can explore the field visually
and open any theory to read its entry, like an encyclopedia with
structured entries. Each theory entry shows a concise identity line,
conceptual ground, suggested mechanism, empirical notes, implications,
and sources.
Why this exists
Consciousness is studied across disciplines - neuroscience,
philosophy, and sometimes spiritual or anomalous-state research.
Kuhn's paper collects and organizes hundreds of theories along a
spectrum from most physical to least physical. The Atlas puts that
organization into a visual form so readers, students, and researchers
can quickly see how different positions relate and where each theory
sits on the spectrum.
How it works
Theories are grouped into ten main categories, arranged by their
stance on the physical-to-nonphysical spectrum. Examples of categories
include Materialism, Non-Reductive Physicalism, Functionalism,
Quantum-based theories, Panpsychism, Monism, Dualism, Idealism,
Anomalous States, and Challenge Theories. The app shows the whole map
at once. Click any theory to read its structured entry, which includes
references to canonical sources and named thinkers.
Who it is for
- Students learning philosophy of mind and cognitive science
-
Researchers and lecturers looking for an at-a-glance comparative
resource
-
Journalists and writers who need a quick reference to the range of
positions
-
Curious readers who want a clear view of what people mean when they
talk about consciousness
What the Atlas does not do
The Atlas does not endorse or rank theories. It is a visualization and
reference based on Kuhn's taxonomy - collect and present, not judge.
It does not attempt to settle the hard problem of consciousness. It is
a tool for exploration and comparison.
A note from Kuhn
Kuhn explicitly states the project's purpose: "collect and categorize,
not assess and adjudicate." The Consciousness Atlas follows that
approach. The data and structure are derived from Kuhn's paper;
feedback and suggested corrections are welcome, but the app is a
visualization layer on top of Kuhn's work.
Kuhn was not involved in the design or content of the Consciousness
Atlas, other than his original paper, 'A Landscape of Consciousness,'
which is the sole source.
FAQ
What is phenomenal consciousness?
Phenomenal consciousness refers to subjective experience - the
qualitative feel of being aware, like the taste of coffee or the
redness of red.
How many theories does the Atlas include?
The Atlas visualizes over 220 individual theories, grouped into ten
broad categories.
Does the Atlas show which theory is true?
No. The Atlas presents theories neutrally. It is a map, not an
argument for any single position.
Is the Atlas academic?
The Atlas is based on an academic source - Robert Kuhn's 2024 paper,
"A Landscape of Consciousness" - and links to canonical sources
where available.
Summary
The Consciousness Atlas is a straightforward visualization tool: it
presents Kuhn's taxonomy as a single, explorable map and lets users
open individual theory entries to read structured, referenced
summaries. It is designed to make this complex field easier to survey
and to serve as a practical reference.
Integrated Info
Boyd’s Emergent Information Theory
Consciousness as Emergent Non-Physical Information
Daniel Boyd argues that every information system, from computers to brains, works through non-physical informational entities built in hierarchical levels on top of physical states. Consciousness is one such emergent, non-material phenomenon generated by the brain, and it exerts top-down control over neuronal activity, making Boyd’s view a form of emergent dualism.
Daniel Boyd
What consciousness is
Consciousness is a high-level informational phenomenon, built from fundamental informational entities associated with neuronal states and residing in an ‘information dimension’ beyond the three physical ones.
Mind and body
Mutual dependency: information exists only because of processes in its material substrate, yet high-level informational processes determine what happens in that substrate, as a running program determines bit states.
Mechanism
Informational emergence with downward causation: high-level informational processes determine the states of the physical substrate that carries them.
Core claims
- Binary values in computers are tied to physical states but are not made of matter or energy.
- Each level of informational organization has properties that do not exist at the level beneath it.
- High-level informational processes determine the physical states of their substrate, so physical determinism is incomplete.
- The association of neural states with informational entities explains both neural correlates of consciousness and why consciousness cannot be found by examining neural activity.
Criticisms
Treating binary values and software as non-physical is disputed: most computer scientists regard information as a physical pattern under an interpretation. Boyd acknowledges that, because brains self-organize without a code, their informational level cannot be read from neural data, which makes the theory hard to test.
Implications
- AI consciousness: Uncertain
- EIT treats artificial neural networks as emergent information systems like brains, but Boyd holds that only biological self-organization is known to produce consciousness.
- Survival beyond death: Unlikely
- Since informational phenomena exist only because of processes in their material substrate, the mind should not outlast the brain that generates it.
- Virtual immortality: Unlikely
- A brain’s high-level informational phenomena cannot be reconstructed from measurable neuronal states, which blocks reading out a mind for copying.
Related theories
Sources
- Boyd’s Emergent Information Theory, Daniel Boyd (2024)
Explore all theories on the Consciousness Atlas
