Abstract
Attention defined as focusing on a unit of information plays a prominent role in both consciousness and the cognitive unconscious, due to its essential role in information processing. Existing theories of consciousness invariably address the relationship between attention and conscious awareness, ranging from attention is not required to crucial. However, these theories do not adequately or even remotely consider the contribution of attention to the cognitive unconscious. A valid theory of consciousness must also be a robust theory of the cognitive unconscious, a point rarely if ever considered. Current theories also emphasize human perceptual consciousness, primarily visual, despite evidence that consciousness occurs in diverse animal species varying in cognitive capacity, and across many forms of perceptual and thought consciousness. A comprehensive and parsimonious perspective applicable to the diversity of species demonstrating consciousness and the various forms—sliding scale theory of attention and consciousness/unconsciousness—is proposed with relevant research reviewed. Consistent with the continuous organization of natural events, attention occupies a sliding scale in regards to time and space compression. Unconscious attention in the form of the “cognitive unconscious” is time and spaced diffused, whereas conscious attention is tightly time and space compressed to the present moment. Due to the special clarity derived from brief and concentrated signals, the tight time and space compression yields conscious awareness as an emergent property. The present moment enhances the time and space compression of conscious attention, and contributes to an evolutionary explanation of conscious awareness.
Highlights
Received: 22 December 2021 with regard to jurisdictional claims inThe relationship between attention and consciousness has both puzzled and intrigued researchers over many decades
Higher-order theory (HOT) proposes that sensory perceptions involving attention are insufficient for conscious awareness, and that higher-order processing is required for the conscious experience
The sliding scale theory of attention and consciousness/unconsciousness describes how attention directly relates to the information processing involved in the cognitive unconscious and conscious awareness
Summary
The relationship between attention and consciousness has both puzzled and intrigued researchers over many decades. HOT suggests that higher-order processing involving the prefrontal cortex (PFC), and perhaps parietal regions, modifies sensory perceptions to produce awareness, and AIR requires substantial cognitive processing including working memory [1] Another major problem with higher-order and more advanced neural structures being cited for conscious awareness is that their absence does not eliminate consciousness [2,14,15]. Attention as focusing on a unit of information encompasses all possible forms of attention, and every viable type of information Relevant to both consciousness and unconsciousness is information processing, and unconsciousness can be understood as either information processing we are not consciously aware of, or an impairment to consciousness information processing due to compromised mental functioning, the latter occurring with little or no neural connectivity for instance. Related to the more general definition of awareness, conscious awareness provides the capacity to know about something, with the extent and quality of knowing varying with the cognitive capacity of the organism
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