The Medieval Theory of the Inner Senses

Abstract

This article analyzes the theory of the inner senses, a theory of cognition and neuropsychology that had wide acceptance in Europe from the fourth to the sixteenth centuries. The theory proposed that incoming sensory information was processed successively in three linearly arranged ventricles of the brain. It was based on the psychology of Aristotle and the anatomical discoveries of Galen; its demise followed Vesalius's discovery that the anatomy on which it was based was incorrect. The theory of the inner senses contains many modern features and can be regarded as a considerable scientific achievement