UC Berkeley researchers study brain switching between conscious and unconscious perception

Neuroscientists from the University of California, Berkeley, led by Janis Hesse and Doris Tsao, have conducted a study involving macaques and humans regarding how the brain processes sensory information. The research suggests that the brain may switch between conscious and unconscious information approximately 15 times per second.

Findings indicate that while the brain is constantly bombarded with sensory inputs, it filters much of this data to prevent cognitive overload. For example, the brain typically ignores the visual presence of one's own nose despite it being in the field of vision. The study highlights a fundamental unsolved question in neuroscience: how the brain determines which specific information reaches conscious awareness and which remains processed subconsciously.