Contextual emergence of mental states.
Open accessAbstract
The concept of contextual emergence has been proposed as a non-reductive, yet well-defined relation between different levels of description of physical and other systems. It yields a formally sound and empirically applicable procedure to translate between descriptive levels in an overall consistent fashion. This will be discussed for the contextual emergence of mental states from a neural level of description.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Multiple routes or multiple realizability is a feature of all complex systems.
“Another argument that multiple routes/multiple realizability is a feature of all complex systems comes from the above-mentioned contextual emergence theory.”
From Phenomenal Consciousness and Emergence: Eliminating the Explanatory Gap (2020) · cites this paper as Atmanspacher, 2015
Cites
Fraassen, B. C. V. (1980) · doi:10.1093/0198244274.001.0001 · Cited by 4,682 · see citing works
(1987) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 4,269 · see citing works
Harnad, S. (1990) · Physica D: Nonlinear Phenomena · doi:10.1016/0167-2789(90)90087-6 · Cited by 4,235 · see citing works
(1991) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.28-5376 · Cited by 4,217 · see citing works
Connectionism and cognitive architecture: A critical analysis
Fodor, J. A., & Pylyshyn, Z. W. (1988) · Cognition · doi:10.1016/0010-0277(88)90031-5 · Cited by 4,022 · see citing works
Demopoulos, W., & van Fraassen, B. C. (1982) · The Philosophical Review · doi:10.2307/2184804 · Cited by 3,317 · see citing works
Operator Algebras and Quantum Statistical Mechanics
Bratteli, O., & Robinson, D. W. (1997) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-662-03444-6 · Cited by 3,080 · see citing works
An Introduction to Symbolic Dynamics and Coding
Lind, D., & Marcus, B. H. (1995) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108899727 · Cited by 2,610 · see citing works
Applications of Centre Manifold Theory
Carr, J. (1981) · Applied Mathematical Sciences · doi:10.1007/978-1-4612-5929-9 · Cited by 1,909 · see citing works
Kim, J. (1993) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511625220 · Cited by 1,565 · see citing works
Haken, H. (1983) · Springer series in synergetics · doi:10.1007/978-3-642-88338-5 · Cited by 1,447 · see citing works
Applications of Centre Manifold Theory.
Carr, J. (1979) · doi:10.21236/ada074052 · Cited by 1,240 · see citing works
Dreaming and the brain: toward a cognitive neuroscience of conscious states
Hobson, J. A., Pace-Schott, E. F., & Stickgold, R. (2000) · Behavioral and Brain Sciences · doi:10.1017/s0140525x00003976 · Cited by 985 · cited 4× · see citing works
“For alternative state space approaches, see Wackermann (1999) or Hobson et al. (2000).”
BackgroundInfluentialEEG alpha map series: brain micro-states by space-oriented adaptive segmentation
Lehmann, D., Ozaki, H., & Pal, I. (1987) · Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology · doi:10.1016/0013-4694(87)90025-3 · Cited by 917 · see citing works
Neurocomputing: Foundations of Research
Anderson, J. A. D. W., & Rosenfeld, E. (1988) · Cited by 831 · see citing works
Being No One: The Self-Model Theory of Subjectivity
Metzinger, T. (2003) · MIT Press · doi:10.7551/mitpress/1551.001.0001 · Cited by 789 · see citing works
Multiple realization and the metaphysics of reduction.
Kim, J. (1992) · Philosophy and Phenomenological Research · doi:10.2307/2107741 · Cited by 615 · cited 2× · see citing works
“This scenario has been employed for brain-consciousness relations in the sense that a conscious state with a particular phenomenal content can be multiply realized at the neural level ( Kim 1992, 1993 ).”
MethodMerricks, T. (1995) · Philosophical Books · doi:10.1111/j.1468-0149.1995.tb02479.x · Cited by 546 · see citing works
Statistical mechanics of a one-dimensional lattice gas
Ruelle, D. P. (1968) · Communications in Mathematical Physics · doi:10.1007/bf01654281 · Cited by 521 · see citing works
Robust Perron cluster analysis in conformation dynamics
Deuflhard, P., & Weber, M. (2005) · Linear Algebra and its Applications · doi:10.1016/j.laa.2004.10.026 · Cited by 506 · see citing works
Markov Partitions for Axiom A Diffeomorphisms
Bowen, R. (1970) · American Journal of Mathematics · doi:10.2307/2373370 · Cited by 484 · see citing works
Computational Mechanics: Pattern and Prediction, Structure and Simplicity
Shalizi, C. R., & Crutchfield, J. P. (2001) · Journal of Statistical Physics · doi:10.1023/a:1010388907793 · Cited by 471 · see citing works
Coordinating perceptually grounded categories through language: A case study for colour
steels, L., & belpaeme, T. (2005) · Behavioral and Brain Sciences · doi:10.1017/s0140525x05000087 · Cited by 440 · see citing works
Beckermann, A., Flohr, H., & Kim, J. (1992) · De Gruyter eBooks · doi:10.1515/9783110870084 · Cited by 426 · see citing works
Special Sciences: Still Autonomous after All these Years
Fodor, J. A. (1997) · Noûs · doi:10.1111/0029-4624.31.s11.7 · Cited by 401 · see citing works
A functional theory of cognition
(1997) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.34-3025 · Cited by 382 · see citing works
Markov partitions and C-diffeomorphisms
Sinaǐ, Y. G. (1968) · Functional Analysis and Its Applications · doi:10.1007/bf01075361 · Cited by 369 · see citing works
Quine, W. V. (1969) · Columbia University Press eBooks · doi:10.7312/quin92204-003 · Cited by 368 · see citing works
Complex Systems: Chaos and Beyond
Kaneko, K., & Tsuda, I. (2001) · doi:10.1007/978-3-642-56861-9 · Cited by 275 · see citing works
What Is a Neural Correlate of Consciousness?
Chalmers, D. J. (2000) · Neural Correlates of Consciousness · doi:10.7551/mitpress/4928.003.0004 · Cited by 273 · see citing works
The thermodynamic formalism for expanding maps
Ruelle, D. P. (1989) · Communications in Mathematical Physics · doi:10.1007/bf01217908 · Cited by 268 · see citing works
Emergence, Reduction and Supervenience: A Varied Landscape
Butterfield, J. (2011) · Foundations of Physics · doi:10.1007/s10701-011-9549-0 · Cited by 225 · see citing works
Adaptive segmentation of spontaneous EEG map series into spatially defined microstates
Wackermann, J., Lehmann, D., Michel, C. M., & Strik, W. K. (1993) · International Journal of Psychophysiology · doi:10.1016/0167-8760(93)90041-m · Cited by 216 · see citing works
Stability and equilibrium states
Haag, R., Kastler, D., & Trych-Pohlmeyer, E. B. (1974) · Communications in Mathematical Physics · doi:10.1007/bf01651541 · Cited by 198 · see citing works
Signalling Games Select Horn Strategies
van Rooij, R. (2004) · Linguistics and Philosophy · doi:10.1023/b:ling.0000024403.88733.3f · Cited by 186 · see citing works
Contextual Emergence in the Description of Properties
Bishop, R. C., & Atmanspacher, H. (2006) · Foundations of Physics · doi:10.1007/s10701-006-9082-8 · Cited by 183 · see citing works
The Logical Structure of the World and Pseudoproblems in Philosophy
Carnap, R. (1967) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 175 · see citing works
The Tree of Knowledge System and the Theoretical Unification of Psychology
Henriques, G. R. (2003) · Review of General Psychology · doi:10.1037/1089-2680.7.2.150 · Cited by 168 · see citing works
What Is a Neural Correlate of Consciousness?
Chalmers, D. J. (2002) · The MIT Press eBooks · doi:10.7551/mitpress/7111.003.0024 · Cited by 152 · see citing works
Statistically optimal almost-invariant sets
Froyland, G. (2005) · Physica D Nonlinear Phenomena · doi:10.1016/j.physd.2004.11.008 · Cited by 152 · see citing works
Construction of Markov partitions
Sinaǐ, Y. G. (1968) · Functional Analysis and Its Applications · doi:10.1007/bf01076126 · Cited by 136 · see citing works
Unifying Psychology Requires New Infrastructure, Theory, Method, and a Research Agenda
Staats, A. W. (1999) · Review of General Psychology · doi:10.1037/1089-2680.3.1.3 · Cited by 121 · see citing works
Emulators as sources of hidden cognitive variables
Gärdenfors, P. (2004) · Behavioral and Brain Sciences · doi:10.1017/s0140525x04280098 · Cited by 109 · see citing works
Wackermann, J. (1999) · International Journal of Psychophysiology · doi:10.1016/s0167-8760(99)00038-0 · Cited by 108 · see citing works
Symbolic dynamics of event-related brain potentials
Graben, P. B., Saddy, D., Schlesewsky, M., & Kurths, J. (2000) · Physical review. E, Statistical physics, plasmas, fluids, and related interdisciplinary topics · doi:10.1103/physreve.62.5518 · Cited by 104 · see citing works
Contextual Emergence of Mental States from Neurodynamics
Harald Atmanspacher, A., & Graben, P. B. (2005) · CentAUR (University of Reading) · doi:10.48550/arxiv.q-bio/0512034 · Cited by 101 · see citing works
Pursuing Unity in a Fragmented Psychology: Problems and Prospects
Yanchar, S. C., & Slife, B. D. (1997) · Review of General Psychology · doi:10.1037/1089-2680.1.3.235 · Cited by 99 · see citing works
Downward causation in fluid convection
Bishop, R. C. (2006) · Synthese · doi:10.1007/s11229-006-9112-2 · Cited by 99 · see citing works
Zemke, R. A. B., & Gratz, R. R. (1983) · Occupational Therapy in Mental Health · doi:10.1300/j004v02n03_03 · Cited by 92 · see citing works
Some $C^*$-dynamical systems with a single KMS state.
Olesen, D., & Pedersen, G. K. (1978) · MATHEMATICA SCANDINAVICA · doi:10.7146/math.scand.a-11740 · Cited by 80 · see citing works
Emergence in exact natural sciencePreprint
Primas, H. (1998) · PhilSci-Archive (University of Pittsburgh) · Cited by 79 · see citing works
Diagnosis and repair of negative polarity constructions in the light of symbolic resonance analysis
Drenhaus, H., Graben, P. B., Saddy, D., & Frisch, S. (2005) · Brain and Language · doi:10.1016/j.bandl.2005.05.001 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
What Is a Macrostate? Subjective Observations and Objective Dynamics
Shalizi, C. R., & Moore, C. (2024) · Foundations of Physics · doi:10.1007/s10701-024-00814-1 · Cited by 73 · see citing works
Complementarity in Classical Dynamical Systems
Graben, P. B., & Atmanspacher, H. (2006) · Foundations of Physics · doi:10.1007/s10701-005-9013-0 · Cited by 68 · see citing works
Identifying neural correlates of consciousness: The state space approach
Fell, J. (2004) · Consciousness and Cognition · doi:10.1016/j.concog.2004.07.001 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
Theory reduction and non-Boolean theories
Primas, H. (1977) · Journal of Mathematical Biology · doi:10.1007/bf00280978 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
Extracting Dynamical Behavior via Markov Models
Froyland, G. (2001) · Birkhäuser Boston eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4612-0177-9_12 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
“Psychology” or “The Psychological Studies”?
Koch, S. (1995) · VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-663-11198-6_8 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
Reductionism, Emergence and Levels of Reality: The Importance of Being Borderline
Chibbaro, S., Rondoni, L., & Vulpiani, A. (2014) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-06361-4 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
DISTANCES OF TIME SERIES COMPONENTS BY MEANS OF SYMBOLIC DYNAMICS
Keller, K., & Wittfeld, K. (2004) · International Journal of Bifurcation and Chaos · doi:10.1142/s0218127404009387 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
KMS States, Entropy and the Variational Principle¶in Full C*-Dynamical Systems
Pinzari, C., Watatani, Y., & Yonetani, K. (2000) · Communications in Mathematical Physics · doi:10.1007/s002200000244 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
Mental states as macrostates emerging from brain electrical dynamics.
Allefeld, C., Atmanspacher, H., & Wackermann, J. (2008) · Chaos · doi:10.1063/1.3072788 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
Detecting synchronization clusters in multivariate time series via coarse-graining of Markov chains.
Allefeld, C., & Bialonski, S. (2007) · Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics · doi:10.1103/physreve.76.066207 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
THE VARIETIES OF EMERGENCE: THEIR PURPOSES, OBLIGATIONS AND IMPORTANCE
Gillett, C. (2002) · Grazer Philosophische Studien · doi:10.1163/18756735-90000795 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
Disunity in psychology: Chaos or speciation?
McNally, R. J. (1992) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/0003-066x.47.8.1054.a · Cited by 39 · see citing works
KMS States for generalized Gauge actions on Cuntz-Krieger algebras
Exel, R. (2004) · Bulletin of the Brazilian Mathematical Society New Series · doi:10.1007/s00574-004-0001-3 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Scientific psychology: Should we bury it or praise it?
Gardner, H. (1992) · New Ideas in Psychology · doi:10.1016/0732-118x(92)90027-w · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Dynamical distance: coarse grains, pattern recognition, and network analysis
Gaveau, B., & Schulman, L. S. (2005) · Bulletin des Sciences Mathématiques · doi:10.1016/j.bulsci.2005.02.006 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Atmanspacher, H., & Kronz, F. M. (1999) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-94-011-4581-7_14 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Entropy and local uncertainty of data from sensory neurons
Steuer, R., Ebeling, W., Russell, D. F., Bahar, S., NEIMAN, A. B., & Moss, F. (2001) · Physical review. E, Statistical physics, plasmas, fluids, and related interdisciplinary topics · doi:10.1103/physreve.64.061911 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Incompatible Implementations of Physical Symbol Systems
Graben, P. B. (2004) · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Horizontal and vertical determination of mental and neural states.
Harbecke, J., & Harald Atmanspacher, A. (2012) · Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0027157 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
The role of theory in unified psychology.
Sternberg, R. J., Grigorenko, E. L., & Kalmar, D. A. (2001) · Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology · doi:10.1037/h0091200 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Relevance relations for the concept of reproducibility
Harald Atmanspacher, A., Lambert, L. B., Folkers, G., & Schubiger, P. A. (2014) · Journal of The Royal Society Interface · doi:10.1098/rsif.2013.1030 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Atmanspacher, H. (2009) · Scholarpedia · doi:10.4249/scholarpedia.7997 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Stochastic-like behaviour in nonuniformly expanding mapsPreprint
Luzzatto, S. (2004) · arXiv (Cornell University) · doi:10.48550/arxiv.math/0409085 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
PARALLELIZING GRAMMATICAL FUNCTIONS: P600 AND P345 REFLECT DIFFERENT COST OF REANALYSIS
Frisch, S., Graben, P. B., & Schlesewsky, M. (2004) · International Journal of Bifurcation and Chaos · doi:10.1142/s0218127404009533 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
The cyclops and the twelve-eyed toad: William James and the unity-disunity problem in psychology.
Viney, W. (1989) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/0003-066x.44.10.1261 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Dynamical Entropy in Dynamical Systems
Harald Atmanspacher, A. (1997) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-642-60707-3_22 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
AN ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK FOR MODELING EVOKED AND EVENT-RELATED POTENTIALS
Hutt, A. (2004) · International Journal of Bifurcation and Chaos · doi:10.1142/s0218127404009351 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
ENTROPY AND COMPLEXITY ANALYSIS OF INTRACRANIALLY RECORDED EEG
Steuer, R., Ebeling, W., Bengner, T., Dehnicke, C., Hättig, H., & Meencke, H. ‐. (2004) · International Journal of Bifurcation and Chaos · doi:10.1142/s021812740400948x · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Frisch, S., & Graben, P. B. (2005) · Cognitive Brain Research · doi:10.1016/j.cogbrainres.2005.03.004 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
HOW TO CONSTRUCT A MICROSTATE-BASED ALPHABET FOR EVALUATING INFORMATION PROCESSING IN TIME
Schack, B. (2004) · International Journal of Bifurcation and Chaos · doi:10.1142/s0218127404009478 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Werning, M., & Maÿe, A. (2007) · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Contextual emergence of intentionalityPreprint
Graben, P. B. (2014) · arXiv (Cornell University) · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1404.0498 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Can Psychology Be a Unified Science?
Shapiro, L. A. (2005) · Philosophy of Science · doi:10.1086/508952 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
3 of the 89 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Phenomenal Consciousness and Emergence: Eliminating the Explanatory Gap
Feinberg, T. E., & Mallatt, J. (2020) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01041 · Cited by 78 · see citing works
“…function (same “ensemble property,” such as consciousness), as long as the differing parts also share the key similarities that contribute to the emergent function (i.e. when the two sets of parts “are indistinguishable with respect to a particular ensemble property:” Atmanspacher, 2015: p. 360).”
BackgroundSubjectivity “Demystified”: Neurobiology, Evolution, and the Explanatory Gap
Feinberg, T. E., & Mallatt, J. M. (2019) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01686 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
Does the brain behave like a (complex) network? I. Dynamics
Papo, D., & Buldú, J. M. (2023) · Physics of Life Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.plrev.2023.12.006 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
On a Simple General Principle of Brain Organization
Velázquez, J. L. P., Mateos, D. M., & Erra, R. G. (2019) · Frontiers in Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnins.2019.01106 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
On the emergence of cognition: from catalytic closure to neuroglial closure
Velázquez, J. L. P. (2020) · Journal of Biological Physics · doi:10.1007/s10867-020-09543-8 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
George Orwell, objectivity, and the reality behind illusions
Rose, D. H. (2022) · Perception · doi:10.1177/03010066221094756 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Contextual Emergence in Neuroscience
Graben, P. B. (2016) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-802452-2.00012-3 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Neurobiological emergentism: sentience as an emergent process and the experiential gap
Feinberg, T. E. (2025) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1528982 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Towards a unifying theory of linguistic meaning
Mondal, P. (2023) · Communicative & Integrative Biology · doi:10.1080/19420889.2023.2200666 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
The metaphysics of perception: enactivism, phenomenology and information.Preprint
Rose, D. H. (2021) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/d83fv · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Sobre aspectos contextuales y ontológicos de la emergencia y de la reducción
Céspedes, E. (2020) · Eidos · doi:10.14482/eidos.32.302.35
A contextualist approach to emergence
Céspedes, E. (2020) · Principia an international journal of epistemology · doi:10.5007/1808-1711.2020v24n1p89
Emori, H., Khrennikov, A. Y., & Iriki, A. (2026) · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnhum.2026.1882287
- Authors
- Atmanspacher, H.
- Venue
- Cognitive Processing
- Published
- 2015-05-28
- Volume
- 16
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 359-364
- ISSN
- 1612-4782 (ISSN-L)
- 1612-4790
- OpenAlex
- W2111719976
- Cited by
- 13
- References
- 89
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 2 · 2016: 1
- FWCI
- 0.50
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.zora.uzh.ch
- Licence
- other-oa
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Cognitive Processing (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (acceptedVersion, other-oa)
- reroDoc Digital Library (submittedVersion)
- Repository for Publications and Research Data (ETH Zurich) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- ETH Zürich Research Collection
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Philosophy and Theoretical Science
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History and Philosophy of Science › Philosophy and History of Science
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Embodied and Extended Cognition
- Keywords
- mental states, levels of description, non-reductionism, philosophy of mind
- MeSH terms
- Concept Formation, Humans, Mental Processes, Models, Theoretical, Psychological Theory
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
