Aron Gurwitsch’s Gestalt-inspired “field theory of consciousness” was introduced in the same period as Wolfgang Köhler’s theory of “electrical brain fields.” I consider parallels between these theories, drawing on results that have emerged in the last five years. First, I consider the claim that fields of consciousness supervene on electromagnetic fields in the brain, then I outline Gurwitsch’s field theory of consciousness, and finally I consider how the structures described by Gurwitsch might relate to structures in the brain’s electro-magnetic field. Along the way, I expose a dogma (that qualia are paradigmatic conscious states) and develop an interpretation of Gurwitsch’s field theory.
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© 2004 Springer
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Yoshimi, J. (2004). Field Theories of Mind and Brain. In: Embree, L. (eds) Gurwitsch's Relevancy for Cognitive Science. Contributions to Phenomenology, vol 52. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-2892-2_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-2892-2_6
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