The Locus of Consciousness: Geometric Phase Transitions, Quantum Coherence, and a Three-Way Empirical Test

Abstract

Note: This paper serves as Part I of a two-part theoretical framework. While this manuscript introduces the Extended Manifold Chip Hyperscanning Protocol and the competing paradigms of Position A and Position B, the formal resolution to this substrate debate is detailed in our subsequent publication. Please see Position A+B: The Holographic Synthesis Framework for the follow-up: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18957375 AbstractThree independent theoretical frameworks converge on a shared non-Euclidean architecture for conscious state transitions. While the Curvature Adaptation, Infinite Continuum, and quantum cascade models agree that consciousness correlates with a topological shift from a Euclidean baseline into a macroscopic hyperbolic geometry, they diverge on its physical locus. Does this transition generate interiority by bypassing the Landauer Limit, or does it act as a constraint-relaxation mechanism to access an underlying quantum continuum? Because these divergent frameworks predict identical behavioural phenomena, human phenomenology cannot adjudicate between them. To break this impasse, we propose the Extended Manifold Chip Hyperscanning Protocol. By comparing biological neural networks against both a classical analogue silicon architecture and a quantum-coherence-extending microtubule interface, this tripartite experimental design provides the first empirical mechanism to isolate the locus of consciousness through direct substrate comparison. Summary Three independently developed theoretical frameworks have converged on a shared non-Euclidean geometric architecture for conscious state transitions, despite originating from entirely distinct disciplinary foundations: the Curvature Adaptation Hypothesis (Pender) via thermodynamic first principles; the Infinite Continuum filter model (Wharton) via ontological inversion of the Hard Problem; and the quantum cascade model (Vedral) via quantum information theory. While these frameworks agree that consciousness correlates with a dynamically gated topological shift from a Euclidean baseline into a macroscopic hyperbolic geometry, they diverge on the physical locus of consciousness: does this classical geometric transition generate subjective interiority by bypassing the Landauer Limit (Position A), or does it act as a macroscopic constraint-relaxation mechanism that enables access to an underlying quantum continuum (Positions B and C)? Because these divergent frameworks predict identical behavioural phenomena—among them, visual dreaming in aphantasic subjects driven by cholinergic threshold modulation—human phenomenology alone cannot adjudicate between them. To break this theoretical impasse, we propose the Extended Manifold Chip Hyperscanning Protocol. By comparing biological neural networks against both a classical analogue silicon architecture and a quantum-coherence-extending microtubule interface, this tripartite experimental design provides the first empirical mechanism to isolate the locus of consciousness through direct substrate comparison. Related Works Pender, M. A., & Wharton, M. (2026). Position A+B: The Holographic Synthesis Framework. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18957375 Wharton, M. (2026). The Infinite Continuum: A Framework for Consciousness, Existence, and the Self. https://amzn.eu/d/0fvRvrIc Pender, M. A. (2026). Dynamic Curvature Adaptation: A Unified Geometric Theory of Cortical State and Pathological Collapse. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18615180 Pender, M. A. (2026). The Metabolic Phase Transition: Qualia as a Topological Solution to the Landauer Limit in High-Dimensional Manifolds. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18655523 Pender, M. A. (2026). The Manifold Chip: Silicon Architecture for Dynamic Curvature Adaptation via Dual-Gated Analog Shunting. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18717807 Pender, M. A. (2026). Geometry-Aware Plasticity: Thermodynamic Weight Updates in Non-Euclidean Hardware. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18761137 Pender, M. A. (2026). The Fermi Paradox, Dark Matter, and the Scale Invariance of the Curvature Adaptation Hypothesis (1.1.0). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18923803 Wharton, M. (2026). The Fermi Paradox as Extended Self Network Architecture: Catastrophic Interference and Cosmic Isolation (1.0.0). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18918684