Physiological Substrates of Attention

Abstract

How the mind and body interact has been the focus of philosophical speculation since the time of Plato and Aristotle. The mind—body problem was central to the ideas of Descartes and many subsequent philosophers. Until the 19th century, it was commonly believed that “mental” experience was beyond the scope of physiological study. Cognition is still regarded by some scientists as a metaphysical entity without physical reality. This view was justifiable in light of the limitations of technology prior to the 20th century, and the great distance that seemed to exist between cognitive and physiological phenomena. As physiological investigations were often limited to the study of lower animals, it was extremely difficult to draw conclusions about the interactions of bodily state and cognition.