Neurophilosophy of Consciousness: From Biological Basis to Subjective Reality

Abstract

Motivated by persistent challenges in linking neural dynamics to subjetive experience, and informed by our prior philosophical and neuroscientific research, this paper explores consciousness as an emergent, complex, and multidimensional property rooted in biological systems and shaped by evolutionary imperatives of survival. Based on a critical integration of neuroscience, philosophy, and cognitive science, a unified theory is articulated that links the neurobiological foundations of the conscious state, such as the role of the brain stem, thalamus, synapses, and neurotransmitters, with computational models of predictive processing, global diffusion, and information integration. It is argued that consciousness is not a phenomenon of all or no but rather emerges gradually from homeostatic affective levels toward more complex forms of self-awareness and metacognition. Furthermore, consciousness is analyzed as an active simulation of the environment, challenging naive realism and reframing the problem of free will from the perspective of predictive processing. A five-level hierarchical model is proposed, ranging from homeostatic regulation to metacognition and phenomenological complexity. Finally, ethical and philosophical implications arising from advances in neuroscience and biotechnology, such as brain organoids, are addressed. The aim is no to close the mystery of consciousness, but to transform it into a series of questions that can be addressed through an integrated scientific and philosophical approach.