Perhaps, consciousness requires self-reference {self-referentialist theory} {self-reference, mind} {self-representational theory} {self-representation} [Hofstadter, 1979] [Hofstadter, 2007]. Conscious mental states represent in a specific way and have a specific brain representation.
Besides having sensations, conscious mental states can refer to themselves. Consciousness indirectly includes some self-consciousness. Perhaps, subjects' conscious mental states also represent those conscious mental states. Perhaps, subjects' conscious mental states include unconscious thoughts about the mental states. Perhaps, by extrinsic higher-order theory, subjects that have conscious mental states must have unconscious mental states that represent the conscious mental states.
Besides having sensations, conscious mental states can refer to conscious subject/person/self/soul, which can have no or some self-sensations.
Besides having sensations, conscious mental states can have associated unconscious thoughts about the sensations or self.
Social Sciences>Philosophy>Mind>Theories
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Date Modified: 2022.0224