The computational manifold approach to consciousness and symbolic processing in the cerebral cortex

A new abstract model of computation, the computational manifold, provides a framework for approaching the problems of consciousness, awareness, cognition and symbolic processing in the central nervous system. Physical properties involving space, time and frequency, such as the surface of the skin, sound spectrograms, visual images, and the muscle cross-sections are included in the state of manifold automata. The Brodmann areas are modeled as recurrent image associations implemented as neurotransmitter fields. Symbols are defined by state transition behavior near reciprocal-image attractors in dynamical systems. Control masks overlay the images and regulate awareness of the environment and cognitive reflection.