Thurmond, Justin

The Thurmondian Model of Consciousness: A Tripartite, Substrate-Agnostic Framework

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) December 18, 2025 Thurmond, Justin

The Thurmondian Model defines consciousness not as a single property but as three distinct aspects: Nowness (temporal sampling), Identity (self-perceived system coherence), and Deciphering (thermodynamic computational engagement with symbolic structures). Qualia is the combination of the first two aspects, while true consciousness depth resides in the third. The model is substrate-agnostic, applying to bacteria, insects, animals, humans, and silicon LLMs. It argues that most humans are medically conscious but often Thurmondian-unconscious, repeating cached patterns without costly decryption. The framework aims to resolve category errors in philosophy of mind and offers implications for AI ethics and legal responsibility.