Non-Separability of Physical Systems as a Foundation of Consciousness.

Consciousness in physical systems may arise from a fundamental property called non-separability of degrees of freedom, where the amount of consciousness depends on how extensively degrees of freedom are non-separable and how many are involved. Non-interacting and feedforward systems have zero consciousness, while most interacting particle systems have low non-separability and consciousness. Brain circuits, with their high complexity and weak but tightly coordinated interactions, appear to support high non-separability and thus high consciousness. The hypothesis applies to both classical and quantum cases, and the Wigner function formalism (which in the classical limit becomes the Liouville density function) is highlighted as a promising framework for characterizing non-separability and consciousness. The hypothesis aligns with Integrated Information Theory and Orchestrated Objective Reduction Theory, potentially reconciling them.

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Abstract

A hypothesis is presented that non-separability of degrees of freedom is the fundamental property underlying consciousness in physical systems. The amount of consciousness in a system is determined by the extent of non-separability and the number of degrees of freedom involved. Non-interacting and feedforward systems have zero consciousness, whereas most systems of interacting particles appear to have low non-separability and consciousness. By contrast, brain circuits exhibit high complexity and weak but tightly coordinated interactions, which appear to support high non-separability and therefore high amount of consciousness. The hypothesis applies to both classical and quantum cases, and we highlight the formalism employing the Wigner function (which in the classical limit becomes the Liouville density function) as a potentially fruitful framework for characterizing non-separability and, thus, the amount of consciousness in a system. The hypothesis appears to be consistent with both the Integrated Information Theory and the Orchestrated Objective Reduction Theory and may help reconcile the two. It offers a natural explanation for the physical properties underlying the amount of consciousness and points to methods of estimating the amount of non-separability as promising ways of characterizing the amount of consciousness.