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.
Panpsychism
Mørch's Phenomenal-Causal Powers Panpsychism
Consciousness as the Causal Powers of Matter
Hedda Hassel Mørch defends a Russell-inspired panpsychism in which rudimentary consciousness is the intrinsic nature of matter, down to basic particles. Her distinctive claim is that phenomenal qualities are identical to causal powers: experiences such as pain or color are what make matter behave as it does. She links the hard problem of consciousness to the hard problem of matter and looks to Integrated Information Theory for help with the combination problem.
Hedda Hassel Mørch
What consciousness is
Consciousness, in primitive form, is the intrinsic nature of physical entities, and phenomenal properties are the categorical bases of their causal powers.
Mind and body
Physics describes the structure of the world and consciousness fills in its intrinsic nature; in Mørch's image, consciousness is the hardware that the software described by physics runs on.
Mechanism
Phenomenal properties are essentially dispositional, so feeling and causal power are one property seen from two sides.
Core claims
- Phenomenal properties are identical to certain causal powers in the physical world.
- The hard problem of matter calls for non-structural properties, and consciousness is the one phenomenon known to have them.
- The hard problems of consciousness and matter complement each other more deeply than quantum-consciousness pairings that merely combine two mysteries.
- Integrated Information Theory may help panpsychism with the combination problem.
Criticisms
Mørch anticipates the charge that linking the hard problem of consciousness to the hard problem of matter is the same fallacy critics see in quantum theories, combining two mysteries in the hope they cancel.
Implications
- AI consciousness: Uncertain
- Every physical system has experiential matter at the base, but whether an AI forms a unified conscious subject depends on the unsolved combination problem.
Related theories
Sources
- Non-physicalist Theories of Consciousness, Hedda Hassel Mørch
- Mørch's Phenomenal-Causal Powers Panpsychism (Landscape of Consciousness), Hedda Hassel Mørch (2023)
Explore all theories on the Consciousness Atlas
