A Hierarchical Spectrum Theory of Consciousness Based on Information Carriers and the Continuous Unified Experience Stream
Xiaohu Liu
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) November 2, 2026 preprint DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.23879454 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that consciousness should be understood as a graded spectrum defined by five architectural indicators of a continuous experience stream, rather than as a binary property tied to biological material. Contends that biological consciousness emerges gradually with thalamocortical integration, that current AI lacks the relevant architecture rather than the right material, and that silicon-based consciousness is not ruled out in principle. |
Abstract
Abstract Against the fragmentation among biological exclusivism, traditional panpsychism, information emergence theory, and functionalism, this paper proposes a hierarchical spectrum theory of consciousness that takes information as its working ontology, carrier organization as its condition, and the continuous unified experience stream as its core criterion. Compared with earlier formulations, this revision makes three methodological corrections. First, “information ontology” is explicitly framed as a theoretical commitment rather than an established fact, defended through a structural reading of information. Second, the experience stream is defined as a conjunction of five observable architectural indicators—uniqueness of self-model, process continuity, homeostatic valence coupling, long-term accumulation, and global integration—so that judgments yield a graded score rather than a binary verdict, thereby avoiding the circularity of defining subjective experience in terms of itself. Third, adjudication rules are provided for classic boundary cases (sleep, anesthesia, amnesia, split brain, digital copying), and “native value” is operationalized as the causal coupling between self-maintaining homeostatic variables and behavior, avoiding carbon chauvinism. On this basis, the paper argues that biological consciousness germinates gradually with thalamocortical integration; that current artificial intelligence fails the stream criterion due to architectural—rather than material—deficits; and that silicon-based consciousness is not excluded in principle once the five indicators are met. Three testable predictions are advanced, and the boundary between factual judgment and ethical choice is clarified. Keywords: consciousness spectrum; experience stream; information carrier; process continuity; homeostatic valence coupling; artificial consciousness; ethical boundary