A neurobiological account of conscious and nonconscious thought in decision-making
By
Michael N. Shadlen
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Summary
This Perspective article proposes an operational neurobiological account of thought, arguing that thoughts are neural representations of provisional intentions that give meaning to sensory information and often guide behavior without conscious awareness. Drawing on decision-making neuroscience, it suggests that some nonconscious knowledge states may already preserve enough structure to support minimal experiential character, and that conscious thought emerges when these states are transformed into representations suitable for conscious access.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledThis Perspective proposes an operational neurobiological account of thought and identifies a specific transformation by which some thoughts become conscious.
Thoughts are neural representations of provisional intentions that confer meaning on sensory information and often guide behavior without awareness.
Some nonconscious knowledge states may already preserve enough source-sensitive structure to support a minimal experiential character.
Conscious thought arises when such states are transformed into representations suitable for conscious access.
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