From Generation to Selection: A Competitive Stabilization Model of
Ema Malevičiūtė
Figshare April 22, 2026 preprint DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.32079897 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key points | Proposes that consciousness works as a process of "competitive stabilization," in which the brain selects and stabilizes one state among multiple co-existing possibilities within an informational state space. Argues this framework can explain perceptual variability, bistable perception, and altered states of consciousness, and generates testable predictions linking neural variability to perceptual stability. |
Abstract
This paper proposes a novel model of consciousness as a process of competitive stabilization, where the brain selects and stabilizes one state among multiple co-existing possibilities within an informational state space. The framework integrates concepts from cognitive neuroscience, attractor dynamics, and information theory to explain perceptual variability, bistable perception, and altered states of consciousness. The model generates testable predictions linking neural variability to changes in perceptual stability, offering a unified approach to both normal cognition and psychopathology.