1. 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.