Entropy, Complexity, and the Emergence of Consciousness
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) July 5, 2026 Yasin Birinci
Consciousness is not simply a matter of randomness, entropy, or complexity, but arises from a three-stage loop: an entropic generative process creates an ordered, complex substrate, which then produces variable output. The key factor is the substrate's degree of integration, not raw entropy or complexity, which determines whether output is unified experience or disorganized noise. Both excessive rigidity (anesthesia, coma) and excessive disorganization (psychosis, dissociation) degrade consciousness, suggesting an optimal intermediate state. For artificial systems, node count alone is irrelevant, but heterogeneous physical substrates and hardware-level entropy sources may be important.