Bernard Baars
Encyclopedia
Bernard J. Baars is a former Senior Fellow in Theoretical Neurobiology at The Neurosciences Institute
in La Jolla, CA., and is currently an Affiliated Fellow there. He is best known as the originator of the global workspace theory
, a theory of human cognitive architecture
and consciousness. He previously served as a professor of psychology at the State University of New York, Stony Brook where he conducted research into the causation of human errors and the Freudian slip
, and as a faculty member at the Wright Institute
.
Baars co-founded the Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness
, and the Academic Press journal Consciousness & Cognition: An International Journal
, the latter with William P. Banks.
In addition to research on global workspace theory
with Professor Stan Franklin and others, Baars is working to re-introduce the topic of the conscious brain into the standard college and graduate school curriculum, by writing college textbooks and general audience books, web teaching, advanced seminars and course videos. Baars has also published on animal consciousness, volition, and feelings of knowing, and is currently working on an approach to "higher" states, as defined in the meditation traditions. New brain recording methods continue to reveal unexpected evidence on those topics.
The Neurosciences Institute
The Neurosciences Institute is a non-profit, scientific research organization dedicated to learning about the brain. Under the leadership of Nobel Laureate Gerald M...
in La Jolla, CA., and is currently an Affiliated Fellow there. He is best known as the originator of the global workspace theory
Global Workspace Theory
Global Workspace Theory is a simple Cognitive architecture that has been developed to account qualitatively for a large set of matched pairs of conscious and unconscious processes. It was proposed by Bernard Baars...
, a theory of human cognitive architecture
Cognitive architecture
A cognitive architecture is a blueprint for intelligent agents. It proposes computational processes that act like certain cognitive systems, most often, like a person, or acts intelligent under some definition. Cognitive architectures form a subset of general agent architectures...
and consciousness. He previously served as a professor of psychology at the State University of New York, Stony Brook where he conducted research into the causation of human errors and the Freudian slip
Freudian slip
A Freudian slip, also called parapraxis, is an error in speech, memory, or physical action that is interpreted as occurring due to the interference of some unconscious , subdued, wish, conflict, or train of thought...
, and as a faculty member at the Wright Institute
Wright Institute
The Wright Institute is a Clinical Psychology Graduate School located in Berkeley, California.-Founding:The Institute was founded by Nevitt Sanford in 1968 when he left Stanford...
.
Baars co-founded the Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness
Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness
The Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness is a professional membership organization that aims to encourage research on consciousness in cognitive science, neuroscience, philosophy, and other relevant disciplines in the sciences and humanities, directed toward understanding the...
, and the Academic Press journal Consciousness & Cognition: An International Journal
Consciousness and Cognition
The journal Consciousness and Cognition provides a forum for scientific approaches to the issues of consciousness, voluntary control, and self. It features empirical research and theoretical articles. Book reviews, integrative theoretical and critical literature reviews, and tutorial reviews are...
, the latter with William P. Banks.
In addition to research on global workspace theory
Global Workspace Theory
Global Workspace Theory is a simple Cognitive architecture that has been developed to account qualitatively for a large set of matched pairs of conscious and unconscious processes. It was proposed by Bernard Baars...
with Professor Stan Franklin and others, Baars is working to re-introduce the topic of the conscious brain into the standard college and graduate school curriculum, by writing college textbooks and general audience books, web teaching, advanced seminars and course videos. Baars has also published on animal consciousness, volition, and feelings of knowing, and is currently working on an approach to "higher" states, as defined in the meditation traditions. New brain recording methods continue to reveal unexpected evidence on those topics.
External links
- NSI Homepage
- Published articles as pdf downloads, with Stan Franklin and other coauthors: http://ccrg.cs.memphis.edu/papers.html
- Homepage
- Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness
- Consciousness: The WebCourse
- Science and Consciousness Review
- The Mystery of Consciousness--A clip of Dr. Baars