Resonant closure: consciousness as a dynamically self-stabilized informational state.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Philosophy of Mind
• Computational Neuroscience

Background:

• The origin of subjective experience (consciousness) in physical systems is a fundamental unsolved problem.
• Existing theories like Integrated Information Theory and global workspace models offer partial explanations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel theoretical framework for understanding phenomenal consciousness.
• To explain consciousness as a consequence of specific information-processing dynamics.

Main Methods:

• Building upon predictive processing and the Free Energy Principle.
• Formalizing consciousness through operational constraints and dynamic entropic closure.
• Deriving falsifiable predictions for neurophysiological research.

Main Results:

• Phenomenal consciousness arises from "dynamic entropic closure," a metastable state.
• This state involves recursive coupling of internal predictions and sensory signals, minimizing entropy exchange.
• Awareness emerges from self-referential, phase-coherent inference loops termed "resonant closure".

Conclusions:

• The proposed framework offers a distinct perspective on consciousness, compatible with but separate from existing theories.
• Dynamic entropic closure provides a formalizable mechanism for the emergence of subjective experience.
• The theory yields testable predictions for empirical investigation in neuroscience.