An Integrative Theory of Consciousness: Structure, Function, and Individual Differences Based on the Three-Layer Synchronization Model
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) July 13, 2026 Yasumitsu Nakahama
A three-layer semantic network—Surface (emotion and concepts), Middle (values), and Deep (worldviews)—is proposed to explain the structure, function, and individual differences of consciousness. Incoherence among these layers triggers a threshold-dependent process called Will (Volitional Integration) that re-synchronizes them, producing a unified self-field and the subjective experience of being present as oneself. The model extends existing theories by reframing global neuronal workspace theory as meaning-structural integration, redefining integrated information theory's integration as three-layer synchronization, and interpreting Metzinger's transparency as the backgrounding of meaning layers. Individual differences are formalized through S/M/W dominance structures, and the model predicts that W-type dominance increases susceptibility to the arrival fallacy.