This seminar explores the nature of selfhood and phenomenal consciousness by proposing a naturalized model rooted in Husserlian phenomenology, but enriched with insights from neuroscience and experimental psychology. While philosophical debates question the very existence of the self, the authors argue for a pre-reflective, embodied self as the basis for conscious experience. Inspired by Francisco Varela’s neurophenomenology, the model integrates phenomenological analysis of inner time with empirical data on human temporality and oscillatory brain activity. Using analogies from harmonic oscillators, it predicts that rhythmic, recurrent neural processes underlie the temporal structure of consciousness. The model aligns with empirical findings on attention, perception, and bodily feelings, offering a bridge between subjective experience and neural mechanisms. It supports the idea that consciousness emerges from dynamic, embodied processes rather than static representations. Ultimately, the model proposes a unified framework for understanding the self as a temporally structured, affectively driven process.
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