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Conscious Sensation, Conscious Perception and Sensorimotor Theories of Consciousness

  • Conference paper
Contemporary Sensorimotor Theory

Part of the book series: Studies in Applied Philosophy, Epistemology and Rational Ethics ((SAPERE,volume 15))

Abstract

This article explores the hypothesis that the differences between our conscious sensations (color, sound, smell, etc.) could be linked to the different ways in which our senses process and structure information. It is also proposed that the organization of our conscious sensations into a conscious perception of a three-dimensional world could be linked to our mastery of sensorimotor contingencies. These hypotheses are supported by a number of observations, including the appearance of conscious sensations without motor action and the apparent failure of sensory substitution systems to generate visual sensations in congenitally blind subjects. The article discusses how the correlates of conscious sensation and perception could develop in the brain and some suggestions are put forward about how this account could be experimentally tested.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Informatics, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QJ, UK

    David Gamez

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  1. David Gamez
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Correspondence to David Gamez .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computing, University of London Goldsmiths College, London, United Kingdom

    John Mark Bishop

  2. Department of Computing, University of London Goldsmiths College, London, United Kingdom

    Andrew Owen Martin

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Gamez, D. (2014). Conscious Sensation, Conscious Perception and Sensorimotor Theories of Consciousness. In: Bishop, J., Martin, A. (eds) Contemporary Sensorimotor Theory. Studies in Applied Philosophy, Epistemology and Rational Ethics, vol 15. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05107-9_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05107-9_11

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-05106-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-05107-9

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