The Vortex Model of Consciousness: Physical Origin of Subjective Experience
Advances in Neurology and Neuroscience June 30, 2026 Zhaole Sun
The hard problem of consciousness concerns the physical origin of subjective experience. This paper proposes the Consciousness Flow Vortex Model-Hypothesis (CFVM-H), which is supported by a 2025 study using intracranial stereoelectroencephalography (sEEG) in humans that found the centromedian/parafascicular (CM/Pf) thalamic nuclei activate before the prefrontal cortex during conscious perception, driving global synchronization via theta-wave phase modulation and acting as a gating hub. These results validate the core hypothesis that thalamic nuclei serve as the vortex core of consciousness, with recursive closed loops as the structural foundation. The vortex, centered on the central thalamic nucleus, forms a closed rotational flow field encompassing the internal medullary lamina, various thalamic nuclei, and the entire neural network. Its three dynamical characteristics—closed-loop cyclicity, vortex-core focusing, and global synchrony—are proposed as fundamental drivers of subjective experience.