Published 2008

Read in Norwegian

Publication details

Journal : Mind and Matter , vol. 6 , p. 51–86 , 2008

Publisher : Imprint Academic

International Standard Numbers :
Printed : 1611-8812
Electronic : 2051-3003

Publication type : Academic article

Contributors : Martens, Magni; Martens, Harald

Issue : 1

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Kjetil Aune
Chief Librarian
kjetil.aune@nofima.no

Summary

The present paper describes how the senses bridge between mind and matter. Ongoing research in sensory science and data modelling is related to the ongoing debate for a non-reductive theory of consciousness based on psychophysical principles (e.g. Chalmers, 2002). Examples will be given from food research where cognition and emotion based on sense perception are vital for human well-being. Sensory science is cross-disciplinary and deals with human perception of an object by the senses of sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing etc. Perception as information processing may here be understood as an interaction between external physical stimuli and internal mental stimuli resulting in a human response. To deal with the complex and dynamic link between external physical energies and internal psychological experiences, multivariate psychophysical approaches have been developed within sensory science and infometrics. These may contribute to bridging the important explanatory gap between the subjectively experienced and the inter-subjectively observed. This may open for deeper discourses about the “hard problem”.