Model Unity and the Unity of Consciousness: Developments in Expected Float Entropy Minimisation.
Entropy (Basel, Switzerland) October 31, 2021 Jonathan W D Mason 7 citations
Phenomenal unity is a key property of consciousness but often poorly defined. This paper introduces model unity: a system has model unity when a single relational model covering the whole system is optimal; otherwise, unity may exist only at a higher level. As part of expected float entropy minimisation theory, relational models interpret system states and may explain why visual experience is unified and why separate people do not share unified consciousness. Four example investigations are given, along with a postulate that distills the foundations of EFE minimisation into a clear statement for evaluating whether it identifies a self-evident fundamental property of consciousness.