Temporal Integration, Bidirectional Criticality and Emergence of Consciousness Hierarchy Condensed English Version V61

A new theoretical model of consciousness starts from three axioms—limited resources, survival priority, and discrete input—to construct a hierarchical self-referential closed-loop system. The model is quantified by temporal span (T), reconstruction activity (A), and closed-loop integrity (C). It explains how the brain allocates its 20-watt power budget between two main patterns: a low-power baseline (B-Configuration) and an overlay for self-referential loops (S-Configuration). Forgetting has a dual mechanism, memory is narrative construction, and qualia are endogenous calibration signals. The hard problem of consciousness is reframed as a parameter interval problem. A five-level consciousness spectrum is delineated, and a framework for Alzheimer's differential diagnosis is proposed.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Existing theories of consciousness focus on static causal structures while neglecting the 20-watt power constraint of the human brain and the central role of temporal dynamics. Starting from three axioms — limited resources, survival priority, and discrete input — this paper constructs a hierarchical self-referential closed-loop model of consciousness quantified by temporal span (T), reconstruction activity (A), and closed-loop integrity (C). It elucidates how the human brain dynamically allocates limited energy to different neural circuits under the 20-watt power constraint, and identifies the two most common allocation patterns: the Archival Solidification Configuration (B-Configuration) and the Self-Referential Closed-Loop Configuration (S-Configuration). The B-Configuration acts as an all-day low-power baseline, and the S-Configuration operates as an overlay built upon the B-Configuration. The paper derives the two-step emergence geometry of "folding into a loop followed by anchoring into a plane", and reveals the dual mechanism of forgetting as well as the narrative construction nature of memory. It defines qualia as endogenous calibration signals of the self-referential closed loop, and reframes the hard problem of consciousness as a parameter interval problem. Based on the bidirectional criticality effect, a five-level consciousness spectrum is delineated; language is proposed as a natural measurement scale for T, A and C, and a framework for the differential diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is established. The model can uniformly explain a wide range of cognitive and clinical phenomena and derive the generation threshold of AGI, with three original strengths: unified axioms, cross-domain explanatory power, and quantifiable metrics This condensed English version corresponds to the Chinese condensed Version 61 titled Temporal Integration, Bidirectional Criticality and Hierarchical Emergence of Consciousness, which was first released on June 18, 2026.