The meta-problem and the transfer of knowledge between theories of consciousness: a software engineer's take

TL;DR

This paper explores how different theories of consciousness can inform each other, suggesting that physical agent architectures might support qualia and that subliminal layers of consciousness influence our intuitions and perception.

Contribution

It introduces the idea that physical agent architectures can support qualia across different theories and highlights the potential role of subliminal consciousness layers in perception.

Findings

Physical architectures can support qualia in both reductive and non-reductive theories.

Subliminal consciousness layers may explain unconscious multisensory integration.

Submerged consciousness might underpin phenomenal intuitions.

Abstract

This contribution examines two radically different explanations of our phenomenal intuitions, one reductive and one strongly non-reductive, and identifies two germane ideas that could benefit many other theories of consciousness. Firstly, the ability of sophisticated agent architectures with a purely physical implementation to support certain functional forms of qualia or proto-qualia appears to entail the possibility of machine consciousness with qualia, not only for reductive theories but also for the nonreductive ones that regard consciousness as ubiquitous in Nature. Secondly, analysis of introspective psychological material seems to hint that, under the threshold of our ordinary waking awareness, there exist further 'submerged' or 'subliminal' layers of consciousness which constitute a hidden foundation and support and another source of our phenomenal intuitions. These 'submerged' layers might help explain certain puzzling phenomena concerning subliminal perception, such as the apparently 'unconscious' multisensory integration and learning of subliminal stimuli.