Refusal-Driven Dimensionality Reduction Theory (RDRT): A Thermodynamic Framework for Consciousness Grounded in Recursive Limits

Phenomenal consciousness may arise from the brain's inability to fully process or integrate information due to thermodynamic limits, creating a structured 'negative space' of refusals that shapes subjective experience. This theory, called Refusal-Driven Dimensionality Reduction Theory (RDRT), synthesizes ideas from cognitive science and philosophy of mind, and is supported by neural evidence on gamma oscillations, anterior cingulate cortex function, and thermodynamic principles in computation. The paper establishes RDRT's theoretical foundations, outlines its core components, and reviews empirical studies up to 2025 that align with its predictions.

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Abstract

Abstract Refusal-Driven Dimensionality Reduction Theory (RDRT) proposes that phenomenal consciousness emerges from the brain’s inability to fully recurse or integrate information due to thermodynamic constraints, creating a “negative space” of refusals that structures subjective experience. This paper establishes the theoretical foundations of RDRT by tracing its roots to six key pillars from influential thinkers in cognitive science and philosophy of mind. We then delineate the core components of RDRT, selected for their originality, testability, and explanatory power. Finally, we review empirical support from established and recent experimental studies (up to 2025), including novel findings not previously cited in RDRT literature, demonstrating its alignment with neural data on gamma oscillations, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) function, and thermodynamic principles in computation. Keywords: Refusal-Driven Dimensionality Reduction Theory (RDRT), phenomenal consciousness, recursive self-modeling, thermodynamic constraints, Landauer’s principle, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), gamma oscillations, negative space, structured absence, halt rule, free energy principle, integrated information theory, attention schema theory, strange loop, qualia, mineness, hard problem of consciousness, neuroenergetics, computational irreducibility, bounded recursion