Non-Separability of Physical Systems as a Foundation of Consciousness.
Entropy (Basel, Switzerland) October 26, 2022 Anton Arkhipov
Consciousness in physical systems may arise from a fundamental property called non-separability of degrees of freedom, where the amount of consciousness depends on how extensively degrees of freedom are non-separable and how many are involved. Non-interacting and feedforward systems have zero consciousness, while most interacting particle systems have low non-separability and consciousness. Brain circuits, with their high complexity and weak but tightly coordinated interactions, appear to support high non-separability and thus high consciousness. The hypothesis applies to both classical and quantum cases, and the Wigner function formalism (which in the classical limit becomes the Liouville density function) is highlighted as a promising framework for characterizing non-separability and consciousness. The hypothesis aligns with Integrated Information Theory and Orchestrated Objective Reduction Theory, potentially reconciling them.