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.
Challenge
Shermer’s Known Unknown…and Possibly Unknowable
Only You Can Experience You
Michael Shermer classes the hard problem as ‘a known unknown that may be unknowable’. Science can explain the brain's wiring, but knowing what it is like to be that wiring would require being it, and by the law of identity no one can be both themselves and another being.
Michael Shermer
What consciousness is
Shermer frames the easy problem as explaining the brain's neural wiring and the hard problem as understanding what it is like to be that wiring.
Mind and body
There is no ghost in the machine, no soul in the body, and no mind in the brain as separate entities that could detach and travel elsewhere.
Mechanism
Aristotle's law of identity (A is A). A human who became a dolphin would not keep a human perspective inside it; they would simply be a dolphin, so the question of what it is like to be another being is self-contradictory.
Core claims
- Adding echolocation, a monofin, and a snorkel would nudge a person toward dolphin-ness, but such additions are necessary and never sufficient.
- The ‘what is it like to be X’ thought experiment quietly assumes dualism: a soul or homunculus that moves into another body.
- Body-swap films such as All of Me and Freaky Friday, and Kafka's Metamorphosis, rely on an essentialism about the self that makes dualism feel intuitive.
- Everyday phrases like ‘my body aches’ show how language encourages treating body and mind as separate things.
Criticisms
Shermer acknowledges that not everyone agrees the hard problem is insoluble, and neuroscientists continue to work on it.
Implications
- AI consciousness: Uncertain
- By Shermer's reasoning, one could infer machine experience from behavior patterns like one's own, but never know what it is like to be the machine.
- Survival beyond death: No
- Since there is no soul or mind that can separate from the brain, nothing of the person survives the brain's death.
- Virtual immortality: Unlikely
- There is no separable mind to transfer, so by the law of identity a digital system would be its own thing, not you.
Related theories
Sources
- Shermer’s Known Unknown…and Possibly Unknowable (Landscape of Consciousness entry), Michael Shermer (2025)
- What is it Like to be a Bat?, Thomas Nagel (1974)
Explore all theories on the Consciousness Atlas
