Recurrency as a Common Denominator for Consciousness Theories
Zefan Zheng, Robert Chis-Ciure, Peter Thestrup Waade, Anna Eiserbeck, Jaan Aru, Thomas Andrillon, Bechir Jarraya, Lucia Melloni, Georg Northoff, Fernando E. Rosas, Abhilash Dwarakanath
September 2, 2025 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/wqnzc_v1 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractConsciousness science is fragmented, with theories operating orthogonally and accumulating anomalies. The principle of recurrency—functional and architectural feedback loops—offers a unifying scaffold. All theories tacitly invoke feedback loops and can be re-expressed along a single axis of recursion. Four nested levels (cellular, local inter-areal, global, and lateral) map onto state, phenomenal content, manipulative access, and experiential similarity, tying evolved anatomy to phenomenon. The phenomenal-versus-access distinction dissolves into a graded cascade where deeper recursion expands reportable variables. Recurrence is evolutionarily favored, rebutting feed-forward objections, while brain-body loops ground selfhood. Clinically, targeting recurrent pathways promises new biomarkers and alleviation in disorders of consciousness.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Consciousness Psychology Epistemology Political science Philosophy |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key finding | The principle of recurrency offers a unifying, mechanistic scaffold for consciousness, allowing all theories to be re-expressed along a single axis of recursion. |
Abstract
Consciousness science is fragmented, and empirical investigations are confined within each theory of consciousness’ (TOC) framework. Proliferating ToCs accumulate anomalies without progress, operating orthogonally. The principle of recurrency – functional and architectural – offers a unifying, mechanistic scaffold for consciousness to arise. We show that all theories tacitly invoke feedback loops and can be re-expressed along a single axis of recursion. Four nested levels, viz., cellular, local inter-areal, global, and lateral, map onto state, phenomenal content, manipulative access, and experiential similarity, respectively, thus tying evolved anatomy to phenomenon. The traditional phenomenal-versus-access stand-off dissolves into a graded cascade wherein deeper recursion expands the set of reportable, behaviour-driving variables. Recurrence is favoured evolutionarily, and ontologically, rebutting feed-forward, “unfolding” objections, while brain-body loops ground selfhood, and complete action loops with the environment. Furthermore, clinically, targeting recurrent pathways promise new biomarkers, and alleviation, in disorders of consciousness (DoCs). The field urgently requires this conceptual unification that is biologically plausible, mechanistic, and empirically testable.