Neural Basis of Imagination, Free Will, and Morality

Peter Tse and his collaborators focus on exploring consciousness and its neural foundations, investigating several key areas. First, they examine the preconscious and unconscious neural processes that occur before we consciously perceive an event, such as the brain's processing of form, motion, and color. Second, they study the structure of subjective experience and how phenomenology can help decipher how the brain constructs consciousness, with a particular focus on insights gained from illusions. Third, they explore the role of consciousness in planning and action, emphasizing the critical link between attention, volition, and decision-making. Fourth, they view consciousness as a dual process that constructs an understanding of the external world while providing an internal "virtual reality" that allows for imaginative decision-making. Finally, they investigate the interaction between top-down and bottom-up neural processes and how this interplay shapes our conscious experience. For a more in-depth exploration of these topics, Tse's book The Neural Basis of Free Will (MIT, 2013) offers additional insight.