- Specific tests for General Resonance Theory
General Resonance Theory (GRT) makes a number of assertions about the
nature of consciousness, which we describe as conjectures. These
conjectures focus on the central feature of GRT: that the combination of
consciousness results from shared resonance between constituents.
Testing the GRT framework should focus initially on the three
conjectures in our Figure 2. This approach follows the Lakatosian
research program (Lakatos 1968) that focuses on testing the “hard
core” principles of any given theory. There are many aspects of GRT
that could be tested, and presumably will be over time, but the three
stated conjectures of General Resonance Theory at this juncture are
(Hunt and Schooler 2019):
Conjecture 1: Shared resonance is what leads to the combination of
micro-conscious entities into macro-conscious entities (“the shared
resonance conjecture”)
Conjecture 2: The boundaries of a macro-conscious entity depend on the
velocity and frequency of the resonance chains connecting its
constituents (“the boundary conjecture”)
Conjecture 3: Any biological macro-conscious entity will have various
levels of subsidiary/nested micro- and macro-conscious entities (“the
nested consciousness conjecture”)
Our conjectures may be tested by using various MCCs to discern the
information/energy processing characteristics associated with known
conscious states and comparing these to lower-complexity systems. It may
be especially useful to examine minimally conscious states (as induced
by drugs or sleep) since these provide a boundary condition for the
minimal requirements for consciousness. I introduce now possible testing
paradigms for each conjecture and later delve into more detail.
If shared resonance underpins the combination of consciousness
(Conjecture 1, the shared resonance conjecture), then various
macro-resonance chains should be observed in conscious but not
unconscious states. For example, the P3 wave that Dehaene and colleagues
suggest is one of the key signatures of consciousness is an example of
the macro-resonance (long-range) chain that we would expect to be
observed in conscious states but not in subconscious or pre-conscious
states. In this manner, GWT and GRT are aligned.
If the spatial boundaries of macro-conscious entities depend on the
velocity and frequency of resonance chains (Conjecture 2, the boundary
conjecture), then this should be reflected in differential access to
specific information that is spatially and temporally accessible within
the cycle time of each information pathway examined. For example, if
gamma synchrony is key for human consciousness (it’s not that simple, we
know now, but for the sake of example) then the cycle time for gamma
synchrony is at most 1/25th of a second (40 Hz).
Accordingly, any stimuli presented for a time period less than
1/25th of a second would not enter consciousness. This
example ignores the fact that gamma synchrony extends up to 120 Hz and
higher, depending on what definition we go with, which would allow finer
duration stimuli to also enter consciousness to the degree that the
particular variety of gamma frequency observed exceeded 40 Hz.
Similarly, 40 Hz electrical oscillations entail a velocity of wave
propagation of approximately 1.4 m/s (the velocity of the electric field
itself is far faster, as we’ll see below), we obtain 0.035 meters per
cycle for the maximum distance for new information to become part of the
next moment of consciousness (as Bahramisharif et al. 2013 states,
velocity figures for various kinds of wave propagation in cortex are
generally still quite provisional since the science in this area is
still new). Table 1 presents various energy pathway (resonance chain)
velocities, frequencies and distances traveled in each cycle, organized
from fastest to slowest velocity.
Table 1. Various energy/information pathway velocities and
frequencies in mammal brains.