The Trinity Model: Consciousness as Fundamental-Process-Structure Unity
Figshare March 20, 2026 DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.31825684.v1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Proposes that consciousness is simultaneously fundamental, process, and structure, formalized as a coupled dynamical system with four channels forming a closed cycle. Ablation simulations indicate mutual generativity: removing the structure-to-fundamental channel degrades coherence by 39%, removing process-to-structure by 24%, and full decoupling reduces coherence to 53% of baseline. The authors propose a recognition threshold as a candidate for the transition to phenomenal consciousness. |
Abstract
We propose the Trinity Model, in which consciousness is simultaneously fundamental (ontological ground), process (ongoing selection and optimization), and structure (self-referential topology). These three aspects are formalized as a coupled dynamical system with four channels forming a closed F-to-Phi-to-P-to-S-to-F cycle. Systematic ablation confirms mutual generativity: removing the structure-to-fundamental channel degrades coherence by 39%, removing process-to-structure degrades by 24%, and full decoupling reduces coherence to 53% of baseline. A recognition threshold within the dynamics provides a candidate for the transition to phenomenal consciousness. Supplementary simulation code reproduces all results.