The Fixation-Projection Framework: A Comparison with other Key Models of Consciousness
Journal of Life Sciences Research and Reviews October 22, 2025 Independent Researcher, Newcastle, NSW 2300, Australia, Robert A Dielenberg
The brain can be understood as a fixation–projection system. Fixations are stable points—from synaptic connections to beliefs—that the brain then projects, or remaps, onto new contexts. This Fixation-Projection (F-P) framework does not replace existing theories of consciousness such as Global Neuronal Workspace or Predictive Processing; instead, it shows how each describes a specific instance of this more general dynamic. The framework also explains phenomena often treated as outliers, including non-predictive states like flow and aesthetic experience, and the role of dreams in unconscious self-revision. It proposes a six-stage model of projection withdrawal, grounded in neural decoupling and Default Mode Network activity, as a pathway to self-knowledge and self-guided transformation.