ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INTUITION, CONSCIOUSNESS AND COGNITION: IN SEARCH OF A UNIFIED CONCEPT OF MIND

Abstract

This paper argues that within contemporary neuroscience and cognitive psychology a new theoretical framework is emerging for the integrated consideration of unconscious (intuitive) processing with conscious ones. This framework requires inclusion of new theories of the brain and consciousness dynamics (Baars, Damasio, Dehaene, Friston, Gazzaniga, LeDoux), evolution of the human memory system (Tulving), and theories of procedural, associative and working memory (Baddley, Reber). Evolutionarily old intuitive processing is not unique, and it is an integral component of any cognitive processes. A revolutionary new synthesis combining intuitive and conscious processing may take the form of a mind vector integrating the two.