Thought-Moment Dynamics and Thought Entropy: A Quantifiable New Framework for Consciousness Research

Consciousness research lacks standardized quantitative methods. This manifesto proposes a framework that breaks the stream of consciousness into discrete, labelable units called thought-moments. It introduces Thought Entropy (TE), a metric based on Shannon information entropy to quantify mental order or disorder, and a cognitive temporal unit, the Euler (E), calibrated to the minimum interval between thought-moment onsets tied to cortical oscillations. The framework integrates Eastern Abhidhamma phenomenology, the Experience Sampling Method, and EEG/fMRI neuroimaging into a three-layer mapping pipeline. It adopts temporal isomorphism between mental and neural dynamics as a quantitative tool, bracketing ontological debates, and outlines potential applications in mental health screening, meditation assessment, cognitive load monitoring, and attention training.

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Abstract

Abstract (English) Consciousness research remains trapped in the philosophical "hard problem," lacking standardized, reproducible quantitative experimental pipelines. This research manifesto constructs a fully operational theoretical framework that decomposes the stream of consciousness into discrete, labelable, statistically tractable minimal units termed thought-moments. Drawing on Shannon information entropy, we define Thought Entropy (TE), an original metric for quantifying the degree of mental order or disorder. We also propose a novel derived cognitive temporal unit, the Euler (E), calibrated to the intrinsic hardware minimum interval between successive thought-moment onsets bound to cortical oscillations. Integrating Eastern Abhidhamma phenomenology, the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) of cognitive psychology, and EEG/fMRI neuroimaging, the manifesto outlines a three-layer empirical mapping pipeline covering: introspective thought-moment self-report, high-frequency cortical gamma oscillation dynamics, and whole-brain network entropy transitions. This framework holds no a priori ontological commitment regarding whether consciousness is reducible to neural activity; it only adopts temporal isomorphism between mental and neural dynamics as a quantitative tool. By bracketing ontological debates over the hard problem, the manifesto lays out a purely dynamical, quantifiable, testable research roadmap for consciousness science. The framework features broad interdisciplinary compatibility, with potential translational research directions including mental health screening, quantitative meditation assessment, cognitive load monitoring, and attention training. The three core original constructs—Thought-Moment Dynamics, Thought Entropy (TE), and the Euler cognitive temporal unit—have no fully equivalent established academic systems, addressing the critical gap in neurodynamics research: existing metrics only quantify objective brain signals without matching subjective thought content.