MIT researchers are preparing new experiments to study consciousness using transcranial focused ultrasound. This technology uses sound waves to safely stimulate deep areas of the brain with high precision. By doing so, scientists hope to pinpoint which specific neural circuits create our conscious experiences.

The team recently published a paper that serves as a roadmap for using this technique to test competing scientific theories about how the mind works. They plan to begin their experiments by focusing on the visual cortex, the part of the brain that processes sight. Their goal is to build a clearer link between physical brain activity and the way we subjectively perceive the world.