What is consciousness?

 

A Simple Guide to Global Workspace Theory (GWT) and Integrated Information Theory (IIT)

This article tries to answer a very hard question: What is consciousness?
Consciousness is the feeling of being aware — like when you see a dog, feel happy, or suddenly notice a loud noise.

The article combines two famous scientific ideas about consciousness:

1. Global Workspace Theory (GWT) – Consciousness is like a "theater stage" where important information is shown to the whole brain.
2. Integrated Information Theory (IIT) – Consciousness comes from how well different parts of the brain work together and cause each other to activate.

The Main Idea: A Theater + A Team

Imagine your brain is a big company with different departments:

• P (Perception) – Sees, hears, and feels things.
• M (Memory) – Remembers past events.
• E (Emotion) – Feels happy, sad, or scared.
• RF (Related Functions) – Helps you pay attention, set goals, and think about your own thinking.

In GWT, consciousness happens when these departments share information on a global workspace — like a big screen in the company’s main hall. Only the most important information gets shown there.

In IIT, consciousness is measured by something called Phi (Φ).

• High Phi = many parts of the brain are connected and influence each other.
• Low or zero Phi = the brain is just a bunch of random, unconnected signals.

The New Equation: Mixing GWT and IIT

The article proposes a new formula to combine both theories:

Ψ = (sum of (Φ(i) × λᵢ)) / (1 + Var(E.I.))

Where:

• Ψ (Psi) = Total conscious capacity (how conscious the system is).
• Φ(i) = How integrated (connected) each department (P, M, E, RF) is.
• λᵢ (lambda) = How much that department’s information can be broadcast to the global workspace.
• Var(E.I.) = How unpredictable the outside world is (Environmental Interrupts).

Let’s Break It Down:

• If a department has high Φ (very connected) but low λ (can’t broadcast), then it doesn’t contribute much to consciousness. It’s like a genius who never speaks up.
• If the outside world is very unpredictable (loud noises, flashing lights, surprises), then Var(E.I.) is high, and Ψ goes down — meaning it’s harder to stay conscious and focused.
• If Φ = 0 for all departments, then Ψ = 0 → no consciousness (like a computer in sleep mode).

What About Hallucinations?

A hallucination is when you see or hear something that isn’t really there.

• In GWT: A hallucination happens when the wrong information gets broadcast on the global workspace. Example: Your memory of a spider pops onto the stage, and you think you see a real spider.
• In IIT: A hallucination happens when your brain creates a strong, connected pattern of activity (high Φ) that doesn’t match reality. It’s like a dream that feels totally real.

The article asks: Are these two hallucinations the same?
The answer: No.

• GWT hallucination = broadcasting error
• IIT hallucination = structural error (internal loop that ignores the outside world)

A New Idea: The Hallucination Factor (H)

The article offers a way to measure how "hallucinatory" a system is:

H = Φ(internal loops) / Φ(internal loops + external signals)

• If H is low → The system is mostly reacting to the real world.
• If H is close to 1 → The system is trapped in its own internal loops — it’s hallucinating its own reality.

Final Question for You to Think About

In the brain, is hallucination a necessary side effect of being good at predicting the world?
Or is it a failure of the RF (Related Functions) module to check whether an event is real or just imagined?

This is what scientists are still trying to figure out.