Awareness-First Theory: A Variational Framework for Coherence, Physics, Inference, and Phenomenology

The paper proposes a theoretical framework called Awareness-First Theory, which argues that awareness is a fundamental aspect of reality, not derived from physical processes. It contends that this approach can unify coherence, physics, inference, and phenomenology within a variational framework. The authors propose that by treating awareness as primary, they can address longstanding problems in philosophy of mind and theoretical physics, such as the hard problem of consciousness and the interpretation of quantum mechanics. The theory suggests that physical laws and subjective experience both emerge from a deeper principle of variational inference.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Awareness-First Theory: A Variational Framework for Coherence, Physics, Inference, and Phenomenology