Dr Jaan Aru | Neurobiological foundations of conscious processing

The central idea of many theories of consciousness is that consciousness is a brain state that enables sustained complex brain dynamics and global availability of information. However, it is unknown which neurobiological processes underlie these dynamics and their sustained nature. Here we want to make a strong case that we are now in a position to understand why certain types of processing are related to consciousness. In order to do that we offer nothing less than a cellular level theory of consciousness. While this claim might sound outrageous at first, there is in fact a convergence of evidence to support it. In this talk I will bring together recent breakthroughs in understanding the cellular and circuit levels underlying conscious perception and states of consciousness.