RIFT: A Fractal-Holographic Theory of Consciousness and Autopoietic Control
bioRxiv Preprint Server March 23, 2026 preprint DOI: 10.64898/2026.03.23.713535 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key points | Proposes that consciousness arises from fractal compression of sensory information into a holographic endospace, enabling causal efficacy through autopoietic feedback. |
Abstract
Consciousness remains poorly understood as a causative force: existing theories treat it as an epiphenomenal correlate of neural activity rather than explaining how inner experience controls its substrate. I present Recurrent Integration Fractal Theory (RIFT), proposing that consciousness arises when fractal compression of sensory information generates a holographic endospace: the spatiotemporal dimension in which the Self perceives the outer world (exospace) and, through autopoietic feedback, controls the molecular substrate from which it emerged, making consciousness causally efficacious rather than epiphenomenal.