Our Convergence on Consciousness: White Light Through Seven Prisms
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) January 16, 2026 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18263006 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that seven major consciousness frameworks share architectural properties — dimensional complexity, pattern integration, temporal stability, and substrate constraints — and proposes Consciousness Capacity Theory (C-Theory), which reframes the question from whether consciousness is computational or biological to what measurable architectural properties a system must achieve to support conscious experience. |
Abstract
This paper identifies convergence across seven major consciousness frameworks — computational functionalism, biological naturalism, physicalism, panpsychism, property dualism, idealism, and quantum consciousness theories — revealing shared architectural properties obscured by terminological differences. Rather than adjudicating which framework is correct, we extract the organizational features each contributes: dimensional complexity, pattern integration, temporal stability, and substrate constraints. The synthesis points toward Consciousness Capacity Theory (C-Theory), a framework that asks not whether consciousness is computational or biological, but what measurable architectural properties a system must achieve to support conscious experience. Evidence from convergent evolution, biophoton research, and the substrate-neutrality of predictive processing mathematics supports this architectural approach.