How Entropy Explains the Emergence of Consciousness: The Entropic Theory
The Journal of Neurobehavioral Sciences January 1, 2024 Peter Lugten 2 citations
The emergence of consciousness in organisms is proposed to be a consequence of the second law of thermodynamics, not panpsychism. Information in an isolated system cannot be created or destroyed, yet it inevitably increases, creating a paradox. This paradox is resolved by invoking the Relativistic Transactional Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, which shows that increased entropy in an unpredictable, emergent system requires the immediate deletion of information about the steps involved. Therefore, the mechanism by which consciousness emerges is inherently unknowable. This implies that consciousness is not predetermined, that entropy is the generative principle, and that conscious machines cannot emerge because living organisms must repay an "entropy debt."