Special Issue: Consciousness science and its theories Time consciousness: the missing link in theories of consciousness

There are plenty of issues to be solved in order for researchers to agree on a neural model of consciousness. Here we emphasize an often under-represented aspect in the debate: time consciousness. Consciousness and the present moment both extend in time. Experience flows through a succession of moments and progresses from future predictions, to present experiences, to past memories. However, a brief review finds that many dominant theories of consciousness only refer to brief, static, and discrete functional moments of time. Very few refer to more extended, dynamic, and continuous time, which is associated with conscious experience (cf. the experienced moment). This confusion between short and discrete versus long and continuous is, we argue, one of the core issues in theories of consciousness. Given the lack of work dedicated to time consciousness, its study could test novel predictions of rival theories of consciousness. It may be that different theories of consciousness are compatible/complementary if the different aspects of time are taken into account. Or, if it turns out that no existing theory can fully accommodate time consciousness, then perhaps it has something new to add. Regardless of outcome, the crucial step is to make subjective time a central object of study.

Automated summary

There are numerous unresolved issues in establishing a neural model of consciousness, with a significant yet often overlooked factor being time consciousness. Many dominant theories of consciousness focus on brief, static, and discrete moments of time, neglecting the more extended, dynamic, and continuous aspect of time associated with conscious experience. The confusion between short, discrete time and long, continuous time is posited as a core issue in theories of consciousness.