Visualize the "ignition" phenomenon — the sudden brain-wide broadcast that GNWT proposes as the signature of consciousness
Ignition is the sudden, nonlinear transition from local sensory processing to global brain activity. When a stimulus crosses the threshold for conscious access, workspace neurons "ignite" — activating coherently and broadcasting information to distant brain regions.
GNWT predicts ignition occurs around 300 milliseconds after stimulus onset. Before this, processing is local and unconscious. After ignition, the content is globally available — for report, memory, and action.
Unlike gradual IIT, GNWT predicts consciousness is all-or-none. A stimulus either ignites the workspace (conscious) or doesn't (unconscious). There's no halfway — you either see it or you don't.
The 2025 study found no offset ignition — GNWT predicted a burst when stimuli disappeared, but only 1 of 99 prefrontal electrodes showed any response. This challenges the theory's temporal predictions.