Consciousness as Recursive Collapse Resistance
Joseph J. Serio
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that consciousness evolved as a biological mechanism for resisting recursive collapse within cognitive systems, functioning as a meta-recursive correction layer that monitors feedback loops, redirects misaligned processes, and preserves cognitive coherence. The authors contend that mental disorders such as obsessive compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, and dissociation represent failures of this containment system, and that consciousness is the minimum structure necessary for cognition's survival rather than its pinnacle. |
Abstract
Consciousness may not be an evolutionary luxury or a byproduct of complexity. It may be a structural necessity. This paper proposes that consciousness evolved as a biological mechanism for resisting recursive collapse within cognitive systems. Drawing from neuroscience, systems theory, and clinical psychology, we explore how feedback loops that underlie perception, memory, and prediction are inherently fragile and prone to drift or overload. Consciousness functions as a meta-recursive correction layer that monitors internal loops, redirects misaligned processes, and preserves cognitive coherence. Mental disorders such as obsessive compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, and dissociation are reframed as failures of this containment system, revealing the architecture of recursive regulation. Rather than optimizing behavior, consciousness stabilizes recursive integrity and enables adaptive function under internal and environmental stress. This view positions consciousness not as the pinnacle of cognition but as the minimum structure necessary for its survival.