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
Davies’s Hidden Web of Information
Consciousness Rooted in a Hidden Informational Layer
Physicist Paul Davies speculates that information may be more fundamental than matter or energy and that consciousness is tied to this informational substrate, perhaps as a causal agent in a ‘middle layer’ between physical law and the complexity of life. He also leans toward Wheeler’s view that conscious observers take part in shaping the universe’s history.
Paul Davies
What consciousness is
Consciousness is linked to deep informational structures, and Davies suggests it ‘may be a deep informational principle that lies at the root of physical law itself’.
Mind and body
Mind and matter both rest on information, which Davies treats as possibly more basic than particles or forces. He does not commit to a precise mind–body relation.
Mechanism
Informational causation: information has causal power, not only descriptive value, and may operate in a layer between fundamental physics and biology.
Core claims
- Information may be more fundamental than matter or energy.
- Current physical theories may be incomplete until they include information and consciousness in a new way.
- A missing layer of reality between physical law and life may involve information as a causal agent, and consciousness may reside there.
- Conscious observation may be integral to the universe’s existence and history, as in Wheeler’s participatory anthropic principle.
Criticisms
Davies does not offer a complete theory of consciousness, so the proposal has no specified mechanism to test. The suggestion that physical laws ‘know’ to produce life and mind invokes teleology that most physicists reject.
Implications
- Meaning and purpose: Cosmic/Ultimate
- Davies holds that consciousness plays a fundamental role in the evolution of the universe and that physical law may be directed toward producing it.
Related theories
Sources
- Davies’s Hidden Web of Information, Paul Davies (1999)
Explore all theories on the Consciousness Atlas
