Beyond the reducing valve: towards a computational neurophenomenology of altered states via deep neural networks
Frontiers in Psychology May 20, 2026 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1819038 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Perception Phenomenology philosophy Computational model Psychophysics Consciousness Connectionism Altered state Qualia Constraint computer-aided design Artificial intelligence Cognitive science Cognitive psychology Artificial neural network Inference Classifier uml Gestalt psychology Convolutional neural network |
| Key points | Proposes that phenomenological differences across altered states can be redescribed as variations in the objective functions, constraints, and thresholds of Classifier, Generator, and Discriminator components in deep neural networks. |
Abstract
Altered states of consciousness, including hallucinations, psychedelic experiences, and ego dissolution, differ qualitatively, yet no unified computational framework describes what varies and along which dimensions. Computational phenomenology (CP) has emerged as a promising bridge between first-person experience and computational models, yet current formalisations rely predominantly on the free energy principle (FEP). This paper proposes the C × G × D framework, drawing on three functional roles in deep neural networks: a Classifier (C) that extracts features from sensory input, a Generator (G) that synthesises internal representations, and a Discriminator (D) that judges whether a representation originates externally or internally. Phenomenological differences across altered states are redescribed as variations in the objective functions, constraints, and thresholds of these components. The framework reformulates Huxley's 'reducing valve' metaphor: relaxation of C's constraint exposes normally hidden 'effective causes,' producing psychedelic geometric patterns; G's prior governs hallucinatory veridicality; and D instantiates Perceptual Reality Monitoring. Three hallucination mechanisms-psychedelic, neurodegenerative, and schizophrenia-type-are predicted from distinct parameter configurations. Testable hypotheses derived from iterative-optimisation psychophysics and an extension to ego dissolution are presented. By foregrounding the plurality of objective functions and architectures, the C × G × D framework complements FEP-centred CP and provides a scaffold for translating phenomenology into experimentally manipulable variables.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on philosophy of mind, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
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| Psychosis as a state of aberrant salience: a framework linking biology, phenomenology, and pharmacology in schizophrenia. | 2003 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From dopamine to salience to psychosis--linking biology, pharmacology and phenomenology of psychosis. | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How do the brain's time and space mediate consciousness and its different dimensions? Temporo-spatial theory of consciousness (TTC). | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The phenomenology of deep brain stimulation-induced changes in OCD: an enactive affordance-based model. | 2013 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Looking for the Self: Phenomenology, Neurophysiology and Philosophical Significance of Drug-induced Ego Dissolution | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cites 30
- Psychosis as a state of aberrant salience: a framework linking biology, phenomenology, and pharmacology in schizophrenia. American Journal of Psychiatry 2003
- The entropic brain: a theory of conscious states informed by neuroimaging research with psychedelic drugs Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2014
- REBUS and the Anarchic Brain: Toward a Unified Model of the Brain Action of Psychedelics Pharmacological Reviews June 20, 2019
- Theories of consciousness. Nature Reviews Neuroscience July 1, 2022
- Broadband Cortical Desynchronization Underlies the Human Psychedelic State Journal of Neuroscience September 18, 2013
and 25 more in the library