Carving Nature at Its Joints: A Comparison of CEMI Field Theory with Integrated Information Theory and Global Workspace Theory.

A comparison of three theories of consciousness—the conscious electromagnetic information field (cemi field) theory, integrated information theory (IIT), and global workspace theory (GWT)—evaluates how well each predicts which entities, structures, states, and dynamics are conventionally recognized as conscious or nonconscious. The cemi field theory shares features with both IIT and GWT but is argued to be more successful at carving nature at its conventionally accepted joints between conscious and nonconscious systems, making it a more successful theory of consciousness.

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Abstract

The quest to comprehend the nature of consciousness has spurred the development of many theories that seek to explain its underlying mechanisms and account for its neural correlates. In this paper, I compare my own conscious electromagnetic information field (cemi field) theory with integrated information theory (IIT) and global workspace theory (GWT) for their ability to 'carve nature at its joints' in the sense of predicting the entities, structures, states and dynamics that are conventionally recognized as being conscious or nonconscious. I go on to argue that, though the cemi field theory shares features of both integrated information theory and global workspace theory, it is more successful at carving nature at its conventionally accepted joints between conscious and nonconscious systems, and is thereby a more successful theory of consciousness.