Phenomenal interface theory: a model for basal consciousness.
Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences November 13, 2025 Colin Klein, Andrew B Barron 6 citations
Phenomenal consciousness arises in mobile animals with spatial senses and goal-directed behavior as a solution to the problem of selecting among competing actions. To choose between goals, the brain must combine sensory inputs, internal states, and learned values into a common framework—a phenomenal interface—that computes multi-objective Q-values. Using insects as a model, the authors argue this processing naturally creates a distinction between self and non-self and a first-person perspective where external stimuli carry subjective value. The theory has implications for understanding the evolution and distribution of consciousness and highlights a problem for how consciousness might have expanded from its simplest origins.