Modeling consciousness as an adaptive phenomenon

Abstract

We start at the level of a bacterium where an observer feature associated with foraging measurements motivates introduction of a notion of awareness (a proto-consciousness) as a primitive, a dualist construct. The relative simplicity of Darwinian concepts at the level of a bacterial colony then leads to development of an analytic theory of perceptual consciousness that includes colonial notions of qualia. Results of simulations that verify the colonial principles developed are given. We extend this approach, first to a neuron and then to a neuronal assembly, each extension accompanied by a derived consciousness construct. For each construct (dualist or derived), a mathematical model in the form of a measurable quantity called a token is developed. The pairs, token and construct, permit the design of experiments that would validate the theory. Applications of the theory are developed, each based upon the analytic model (the tokens) and each explaining a familiar aspect of human consciousness in mathematical terminology.