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.
Quantum
Neven's Quantum Superposition Formation
Consciousness Arises When a Quantum Superposition Forms
Neven proposes that conscious experience arises whenever a quantum superposition forms, not when it collapses as in Penrose's account. Working within Everett's many-worlds picture, he holds that a system follows several branches at once, each yielding a sequence of definite conscious moments, while entanglement binds experience into a unity. He aims to test the idea by entangling qubits in a human brain with a quantum computer and asking whether the subject's experience becomes richer.
Hartmut Neven, Christof Koch
What consciousness is
A conscious moment is the first-person aspect of a quantum system branching into definite classical states, which happens each time a superposition forms.
Mind and body
Experience is tied to a specific physical event, superposition formation, not to classical neural computation alone. Neven also treats consciousness as the one datum that cannot be eliminated: ‘without mind, nothing matters’.
Mechanism
Superposition formation, not collapse, generates experience. Neven drops gravity from Penrose's model and relies on decoherence for ‘effective collapse’.
Core claims
- Tying experience to collapse could allow faster-than-light signaling between entangled qubits; placing it at formation avoids this and the problem of defining when measurement occurs.
- Laboratory searches for gravity-induced collapse have so far found nothing, which motivates dropping gravity from Penrose's proposal.
- Classical Turing machines may become intelligent but never conscious; sentience requires a quantum Turing machine.
- Entangling a brain with a quantum processor should produce reports of richer experience, and the timing of that enrichment would distinguish formation from collapse.
Criticisms
Most mainstream physicists do not share Neven's many-worlds reading, including his view that Google's Willow processor taps into something larger than our universe. Experience is not a standard experimental observable, so the test depends on subjective report. Superposition is basis-dependent, and the theory has not settled which basis is experienced.
Implications
- AI consciousness: Conditional
- Neven argues classical computers may become intelligent but never conscious; a quantum processor, as a quantum Turing machine, could host experience.
- Virtual immortality: Conditional
- A simulation on classical hardware would not be conscious on this view; only quantum hardware could carry experience, and Neven speaks of expanding consciousness by entangling brains with quantum computers.
Related theories
Sources
- Testing the Conjecture That Quantum Processes Create Conscious Experience, Hartmut Neven, Christof Koch, et al. (2024)
- Experiments Prepare to Test Whether Consciousness Arises from Quantum Weirdness, Hartmut Neven and Christof Koch (2024)
- Do Robots powered by a Quantum Processor have the Freedom to swerve?, Hartmut Neven, P. Read, and T. Rees (2021)
- Can we use quantum computers to test a radical consciousness theory?, T. Lewton (2024)
- The Emperor's New Mind, Roger Penrose (1989)
Explore all theories on the Consciousness Atlas
