Global Workspace Theory (GWT) posits that consciousness arises when information becomes globally available to multiple specialized, unconscious processors in the brain.

Originating from the work of Bernard Baars and further developed by Stanislas Dehaene, Global Workspace Theory (GWT) offers a cognitive architecture for consciousness. It suggests that the brain operates much like a theater, with a 'global workspace' (the stage) where information, once amplified and broadcasted, becomes accessible to a wide audience of specialized, unconscious processors (the audience). When sensory input or internal thoughts gain access to this global workspace, they become 'conscious,' allowing them to be reported, recalled, and used for flexible decision-making. In this model, consciousness is not a single entity but a functional property: the state of information being made globally available. Many brain processes remain unconscious, operating automatically and in parallel, but when a task demands focused attention or novel problem-solving, the relevant information enters the global workspace, bringing it into conscious awareness. This theory helps explain phenomena like attention, working memory, and why we can only consciously process a limited amount of information at any given time.