The Recursive Information Latency Hypothesis (RILH): A Formal Framework for the Emergence of Consciousness in a Fluid Spacetime
Douglas Henrique Honorato Carvalho
August 28, 2026 DOI: 10.31237/osf.io/nxvcy_v1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Qualitative |
|---|---|
| Key points | Proposes that consciousness is a recursive informational delay (t_latency) necessary for open systems to decode the quantum vacuum's gradient flow, and that mass emerges from topological vortices, unifying thermodynamics and gravitational hydrodynamics. |
Abstract
A persistent challenge at the intersection of fundamental physics and the philosophy of mind lies in the apparent incommensurability between the geometric objectivity of spacetime and the qualitative subjectivity of conscious experience. This paper formalizes the Recursive Information Latency Hypothesis (RILH). By modeling the quantum vacuum as a non-linear four-dimensional (4D) fluid within the context of analogue gravity, RILH postulates that mass emerges from topological singularities (vortices) and that consciousness is not a static epiphenomenon, but rather a recursive informational delay (t_latency) mandatory for open systems to decode the gradient flow of the medium. This formulation unifies information-processing thermodynamics with gravitational hydrodynamics, proposing rigorous falsifiable criteria testable in cognitive neuroscience and gravitational-wave astrophysics.