Consciousness as Frame
René Baumgarten
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) August 13, 2026 preprint DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.21910395 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that consciousness arises as an architectural necessity when parallel subprocesses exceed an estimated threshold of N ≥ 200 per processing step, requiring segregation of automated and consciously controlled processes, with the interface experienced as consciousness. |
Abstract
This paper introduces the Frame Theory of consciousness, a functional account of why consciousness arises in sufficiently complex cognitive systems. It argues that consciousness is not an emergent epiphenomenon of information processing, but an architectural necessity: once the number of parallel subprocesses in a system exceeds what any single processing instance can handle (estimated at N ≥ 200 per processing step), the system must segregate automated background processes from those requiring conscious control. The interface of this segregation — the frame — is what is experienced as consciousness. The theory is formally defined across three core definitions (frame, phenomenological consciousness, self-attribution), distinguished from Global Workspace Theory, Integrated Information Theory, and Higher-Order Thought Theory, and tested against standard philosophical objections including the homunculus regress and the zombie argument. It yields five specific, falsifiable predictions about the architecture of conscious-capable systems, biological or digital, and offers indirect clinical support from depersonalization, schizophrenia, and neglect syndrome. This is a preprint by an independent researcher, offered for open discussion and critique rather than final publication.