A philosophical treatise on information, consciousness, and the architecture of perceived reality.
Phillip A. Martin
Frontiers in Psychology June 9, 2026 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1835944 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Proposes that reality may be understood as a constructed model generated by a biological prediction engine operating on delayed information, with a pervasive field of topological information states as a candidate mechanism. |
Abstract
This treatise presents a provisional interdisciplinary framework that synthesizes established findings from physics, neuroscience, and information theory to address questions that orthodox disciplines have addressed only in isolation. The argument unfolds in layers, each building on the last, and asks the reader to hold conclusions provisionally until the full architecture is visible. The central proposal is that what we experience as reality may be understood as a constructed model generated by a biological prediction engine operating on delayed information, and that the substrate of that information may be described as a pervasive field of topological information states whose defining characteristic is intrinsic expansion. This is offered as a candidate mechanism rather than an established finding. Existing findings in physics and information theory suggest directions consistent with this interpretation, though complete formalization remains to be developed. To move beyond metaphor, we present: (i) a reaction–diffusion formalism in which the golden ratio φ acts as a dynamical attractor, (ii) a layered topological field construction that permits anyon-like behavior at physiological temperatures, (iii) a SHEPHERD filtration sequence connecting field dynamics to perception, and (iv) four quantitative predictions that are in principle falsifiable. All speculative extensions are clearly distinguished from empirically grounded claims. The framework is designed to unfold as it progresses, with each section building on the last and each conclusion opening into the next question. The reader who stops at any point will have encountered something complete. The reader who continues will find it deepening.
Citations in the library
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