The Journal of Consciousness Studies opened its doors in 1994 with a clear mission to bridge gaps between disparate fields. Joseph Goguen served as the founding editor from that initial year until 2006.
Professor Valerie Gray Hardcastle took over editorial duties at the University of Cincinnati in 2006. This transition marked a new chapter for the publication while maintaining its core interdisciplinary focus.
This publication invites contributions from humanities, philosophy, critical theory, and comparative religion rather than restricting itself to natural or social sciences. Double issues allow the journal to explore deep dives into specific topics like animal consciousness or emotional states.
Francis Crick contributed an article titled The Astonishing Hypothesis shortly after the journal's founding in 1994. David Chalmers published his influential piece Facing Up to the Problem of Consciousness in 1995.
Scholars can locate articles through multiple databases including Philosopher's Index and PsycINFO. Current Contents and Social Sciences Research Index also abstract content from this publication.