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.
Materialism › Embodied
Hurley’s Sensorimotor Loops and Embodied Interaction
Consciousness as Perception–Action Loops
Susan Hurley rejects the ‘sandwich model’ that puts cognition between perceptual input and behavioral output, arguing that perception and action are deeply interdependent. Consciousness emerges from dynamic sensorimotor feedback loops between an embodied agent and its world, and its vehicles may extend beyond the brain into body and environment.
Susan Hurley
What consciousness is
Consciousness is a dynamic process of perception and action that co-constitute each other through embodied interaction, not an inner theater of representations processed in isolation.
Mind and body
Personal-level interdependence of experience and agency emerges from subpersonal causal processes and complex dynamic feedback systems that span brain, body and environment.
Mechanism
Two-way sensorimotor feedback: action shapes perception as much as perception guides action, in continuous real-time loops with the environment.
Core claims
- The sandwich model artificially separates perception, cognition and action, which are deeply interdependent.
- Control systems theory and dynamical systems model consciousness better than static computational models.
- The vehicles of mental content, not only the content, can extend into body and environment.
- Agency plays a role in the unity of a conscious perspective.
Criticisms
Hurley’s view is less a classical theory than a reconception of how consciousness arises, so it gives no specific mechanism for phenomenal experience.
Implications
- AI consciousness: Conditional
- Since consciousness depends on sensorimotor loops rather than a particular substrate, an artificial agent might qualify if it is embodied and acts in real-time interaction with an environment.
- Survival beyond death: No
- Consciousness here is a process of an embodied, acting agent, so it ends when the body can no longer perceive and act.
- Virtual immortality: Unlikely
- A static copy of brain states would leave out the body–world loops that, on this view, constitute consciousness.
Related theories
Sources
- Hurley’s Sensorimotor Loops and Embodied Interaction, Susan Hurley (1998)
Explore all theories on the Consciousness Atlas
