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.
Dualism
Mascari’s Qualion-Mind Paradigm
Consciousness as Fields Generated by Bodily Energy-Structures
Stephen Arnold Mascari proposes that the body’s 310 K (body-temperature) energy forms stable microphysical energy-structures called qualions, which generate supraphysical consciousness fields. Throughout the body qualions amount to the traditional soul; in the brain they rise to the level of mind, a ‘Brain 2.0’ that interacts electromagnetically with the neuronal brain. He calls the result a ‘biophysically generated dualism’ and ‘a soul for the 21st century’.
Stephen Arnold Mascari
What consciousness is
Consciousness consists of supraphysical consciousness fields generated by qualions, stable quanta of a proposed new form of electromagnetic energy.
Mind and body
The neuronal brain (Brain 1) and the qualion-mind (Brain 2.0) are distinct but intimately connected and interact both ways: neurons activate and feed information into qualions, and qualions act electromagnetically on neurons and networks.
Mechanism
Body-temperature energy, emitted anomalously by biological molecules or by thermal emissions interacting with biological structures, forms qualions that resist absorption and generate consciousness fields in the brain’s largely empty space.
Core claims
- Every molecule in the body continually emits and absorbs 310 K energy, and some of it may form stable, absorption-immune qualions.
- Qualions generate supraphysical consciousness fields, and the fields from many qualions merge into one.
- Energy and consciousness are ‘ontological cousins’, so an energy-based mind narrows the explanatory gap that separates mind from neurons.
- The qualion-mind can act on neurons, which preserves free will.
Implications
- AI consciousness: Unlikely
- Since consciousness depends on qualions formed by the energy of biological molecules, a conventional computer would lack the substrate.
- Meaning and purpose: Humanistic only
- Mascari stresses persons as free, responsible agents, without claiming a cosmic purpose.
- Virtual immortality: Unlikely
- A simulation of neurons would not reproduce the qualion energy-structures that generate consciousness fields.
Related theories
Sources
- Mascari’s Qualion-Mind Paradigm, Stephen Arnold Mascari (2016)
Explore all theories on the Consciousness Atlas
