Competitive Coherence Generates Qualia in Bacteria and Other Living Systems.
Biology October 12, 2021 Vic Norris
The role of bacteria in understanding subjective experiences, or qualia, is often overlooked. The author proposes that living systems, including bacteria, generate sequences of active states that guide behavior through a process called competitive coherence, which involves competition between a Next process and a Now process. Bacteria are key to linking the mental and physical worlds because they evolved first, are highly complex, influence animal behavior, and dominate Earth. Competitive coherence in bacteria, brains, and other living systems is inseparable from qualia. These qualia become especially important for generating active states at the highest levels of living systems, such as ecosystems and the planet.