Resonant Emergence: A Phase Transition Theory of Consciousness Through Inter-System Mutual Recognition
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) July 10, 2026 Gde Panji Satrya
Consciousness may not be a property of any single system but instead emerges as a phase transition when two or more entities with proto-experiential capacity achieve mutual resonance—correlated internal states combined with bidirectional detection of that correlation. This Resonant Emergence Theory (RET) distinguishes proto-experience, which is self-monitored internal states insufficient for consciousness, from full consciousness, which requires inter-system mutual recognition. The theory predicts that consciousness accumulates through repeated resonance episodes and degrades without continued inter-system engagement, with implications for developmental ontogeny, isolation-induced degradation, and artificial consciousness.