Berkeley Study Finds Macaque Brains Flicker Between Conscious and Unconscious Images 15 Times a Second
A preprint study from UC Berkeley reveals that macaque monkey brains rapidly switch between neural patterns for conscious and unconscious visual inputs approximately 15 times per second. Using binocular flash suppression, researchers found that neurons in face-recognition areas do not remain static on the dominant image but instead alternate between the perceived and suppressed faces. This temporal flickering suggests the brain may process alternative visual data without disrupting current behavior, offering a new perspective on how consciousness arises. The findings, which have not yet undergone peer review, have generated significant social media attention but face criticism regarding the small sample size and limited brain regions analyzed.