GEC++ — Grounded Emergent Consciousness: A Formal Theory of Phenomenal Experience with Implications for Artificial Intelligence
Open MIND June 27, 2026 Dan Gabriel Cimpoeru
GEC++ is a formal theory of phenomenal consciousness that specifies six jointly necessary conditions integrated into a single measure via a geometric mean that collapses to zero if any condition is absent. The theory is validated through over 520 computational simulations across 37 experimental groups and applied to large language model architecture, where it identifies three structural gaps and proposes targeted modifications. It offers testable predictions that distinguish GEC++ from Integrated Information Theory and Global Workspace Theory.