Subjectivity defines the subject who is perceiving, feeling, thinking, acting, and is essential to understand the conscious mind from the inside. However, subjectivity, or non-reflective first-person perspective, is not identified as a core concept in cognitive neuroscience and its neural basis remain largely unknown. BRAVIUS offers a unified framework to appraise both the concept and the neural mechanisms generating subjectivity. The hypothesis relies on two vital organs that generate their own rhythmic electrical activity, the stomach and the heart, and therefore constantly send information up to the neocortex, even in the absence of bodily change. Cortical responses to those visceral organs would define the organism as an entity at the neural level, and create a subject-centered referential from which first-person perspective can develop. In other words, the cardiac and gastric pacemakers could feed the brain with self-specifying inputs. BRAVIUS builds on previous theories and studies on visceral states but focuses on ascending information, from viscera to brain, and does not require visceral states to change nor to be consciously perceived. Experimentally, BRAVIUS measures the understudied neural response evoked by heartbeats and introduces a new measure, the electrogastrogram, to quantify the slow gastric pacemaker. BRAVIUS will test with magneto-encephalography (MEG) the role of neural responses to ascending visceral signals in generating subjectivity by cutting across domains of cognitive sciences and exploring diverse paradigms where subjectivity is engaged: perceptual consciousness, self-consciousness, emotions and decision making. BRAVIUS will further explore how cardiac and gastric ascending signals shape the temporal (MEG) and spatial (fMRI) organization of spontaneous brain activity. The project outcome is a detailed mechanistic neural account of the most private part of the human mind, and a unified concept of subjectivity across cognitive domains.

<< Background >>The project studies the contribution of images to a European visual culture. It was developed in the context of the University of Paris Sciences Lettres at the Ecole Normale Supérieure, in partnership with the University of Geneva in Switzerland where the project was not portable, while the PI, Prof. Béatrice Joyeux-Prunel, had just been elected Professor. The Center of Excellence has been maintained at ENS thanks to the hiring by the ENS of Dr. Léa Saint-Raymond as 50% postdoc<< Objectives >>1/Teach the circulation of European images and their contribution to a shared culture, and at the same digital humanities and computer vision (directly useful for students).2/Search on the circulation of images in Europe, based on the study of digitized sources: exhibition catalogues, illustrated periodicals, and social networks.3/Create and think about contemporary European and Global visual circulations and identities.<< Implementation >>The teaching was done essentially at ENS, even if the teaching of Prof. Joyeux-Prunel in Geneva was linked to the Center. Covid has been a problem (collaborations announced by colleagues in medieval/modern art history were not assured) as well as an opportunity (digital encounters). The creation was done as well. The project of an exhibition at the house of European History could not be realized, because of covid. If was replaced by three digital exhibitions and a small real exhibition<< Results >>The teachings at the ENS have aroused a strong interest on the part of the students and attracted to them many other attendees interested in the circulation of images and European cultural identity. The book resulting from the teaching part is being published and will give an even wider audience. We are also very proud of the results of the research and creation part, which allowed numerous meetings and publications and an unexpected international outreach, but also the birth of new projects.

This is a higher education student and staff mobility project, please consult the website of the organisation to obtain additional details.

École normale supérieure Paris-Saclay (ENS Paris-Saclay) previously ENS Cachan, is a leading institution of higher education whose mission is to train teaching researchers, researchers and graduate-level course instructors through research-oriented master’s program.The institution’s 12 teaching department and its 14 research units focus on three main areas basic sciences, engineering sciences and Human & social sciences. The four years of instruction, including high-level scientific and cultural training, lead to European bachelor’s, master’s and PhD degrees.The interest of our students and students for stays abroad is constantly increasing, all fields combined.ENS Paris-Saclay courses are open to international and encourage outgoing motilities in order to open up our students internationally.ENS Paris-Saclay has introduced in its new diploma, in effect since 2016, the requirement of an international experience through an immersive experience of at least two months abroad (L3, M1 or M2) as well as the possibility of carrying out a year of pre-doctoral research abroad (ARPE) (9 months of minimum research abroad). Advanced English certification is also required and demonstrates proficiency in the language.This mission requires the selectivity, diversification and internationalization of mobility, the quality and internationalization of pre-doctoral and doctoral training. The excellence and multidisciplinary of the research carried out within the institution and the development of international, national and regional research partnerships at the highest level are also important elements of the ENS Paris-Saclay strategy. Our institution is a founding member of the Paris-Saclay University and actively contributes to all facets of its construction, including the structuring of its future international relations.The objectives pursued by ENS Paris-Saclay in the framework of this project, in the context of the renovation of the ENS Paris-Saclay diploma, are to highlight the international experience, maintain mobility and the strengthening of European multilateral cooperation.Results for the academic year 2016-2017: The Erasmus + program has financed 20 outgoing mobility activities, including:-11 mobilities for study.- 8 mobilities for internship.- 1 staff mobility for training.As part of the inbound mobility activities, we welcomed 13 students, including:- 10 mobilites for study. - 3 mobilities for internship.