New approaches to the neural correlates of consciousness and the unified perception of the mind. Experiments and treatments

Abstract

This article seeks to answer questions that are currently at the forefront of neuroscientific research. An attempt will be made to assign a numerical value to the minimum set of neurons necessary to generate a mental process at a given time. Along the same line of enquiry, the number of neurons involved and the time required for the emergence of a mental experience, engaging several areas of the cerebral cortex in parallel, will also be calculated. With the acquired data, we will concurrently explore the binding problem and the nature of consciousness. The latter can also be understood as the expression of “classical” and non-classical dynamics. The paper concludes by proposing a series of experiments that could be undertaken to help us better understand – and, if necessary, treat – the “neural system” in its entirety.