| FORM: | ARTICLE |
| Author: | Natsoulas, Thomas |
| Affiliation: | U California, Dept of Psychology, Davis, USA |
| Title: | Consciousness and commissurotomy: VI. Evidence for normal dual consciousness? |
| Source: | Journal of Mind & Behavior, 1995 Spr, 1995. 16 (2): p.181-206 |
| Language: | English |
| Subjects: | Thesaurus terms: Cerebral Cortex Commissurotomy Consciousness States Interhemispheric Interaction Lateral Dominance Hypothesis Testing General Topics: Tests, Measures, Scales |
| Added Keywords: | alternate hypothesis to normal dual consciousness & commissurotomy |
| Classification Code: | Consciousness States (2380) |
| Population Terms: Human | |
| Abstract: | Discusses the problems in evidence for R. Puccetti’s hypothesis of normal dual consciousness. The hypothesis states that a stream of consciousness flows in each cerebral hemisphere, when both are functioning normally in healthy people. An alternative hypothesis that holds consciousness to proceed in the nondominant hemisphere only when the dominant hemisphere is unable to inhibit it, is also needed to support the original hypothesis. Two empirical tests of Puccetti’s hypothesis are proposed. According to Puccetti, neither hemisphere has the ability to introspect what is going on in the stream of consciousness of the other hemisphere. This kind of self-awareness cannot be provided by the connecting fibers between hemispheres. Various phenomenological differences are also discussed. It is concluded that introspection at a distance is impossible, access is internal to a stream and never occurs between streams. ((c) 1999 APA/PsycINFO, all rights reserved) |