What Consciousness Is - A Field Definition from Collapse Harmonics Theory
May 7, 2025 preprint DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/8bhu7_v1 via OpenAlex
Summary
Collapse Harmonics Theory offers a new perspective on consciousness, suggesting it is defined by the continuity of harmonic coherence within identity fields rather than symbolic experiences. The theory proposes that collapse indicates the boundaries of consciousness without destroying it. This framework includes formal definitions, measurable instruments, and ethical protocols, positioning consciousness as a field-governed ontology relevant to various systems. It provides a testable point for understanding when consciousness ceases to exist.
Study at a glance
| Key finding | Collapse Harmonics identifies collapse as the testable inflection point of coherence in consciousness. |
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Abstract
Consciousness has long resisted precise definition, often reduced to emergent cognition, subjective report, or integrated information. Collapse Harmonics Theory reframes the question structurally: consciousness is not symbolic experience or behavioral complexity, but the lawful continuity of harmonic coherence across recursively gated identity fields within a substrate. In this model, identity is a recursive coherence lattice; consciousness is a phase-stable field condition; and collapse is the structural failure of recursive integrity. Collapse does not destroy consciousness—it reveals its boundaries. This paper introduces formal definitions, measurable instruments (CFSM, SCIT), post-collapse reorganization models, and ethical containment protocols (L.E.C.T.). It positions Collapse Harmonics as a lawful, field-governed ontology of consciousness applicable to biological, synthetic, and symbolic systems. Where legacy theories struggle to define when consciousness ends, Collapse Harmonics identifies collapse as the testable inflection point of coherence. Consciousness, in this framework, is not who we are—it is what holds the self together, until it fails.