One the deepest mysteries of life is consciousness. Most people take for granted the fact that they are aware, that their waking experiences are framed by the construct of a "self" identity that remains consistent throughout life. But what are the physical, psychological, and cultural bases of consciousness? Some researchers believe that this construct is ultimately subjective, which means that it cannot be directly observed or measured. Some believe that consciousness can nonetheless be studied by indirect observation, while others have argued that the quality of subjective experience can never be studied by the scientific method.
With support of the National Science Foundation, Drs. Jack, Gallagher, and Raichle will join an international team of psychologists, psychiatrists, philosophers, and neuroscientists to investigate the empirical bases of consciousness. They will examine whether evidence for different conceptualizations of the self can be found in patterns of brain activity, and if so, whether their neuroscientific findings can help to further refine and expand our understanding of consciousness. Their work is focused on how the representation of self differs as a function of social and environmental contexts.
