Integrated Information Theory
Measuring consciousness according to IIT
Integrated Information Theory's core claim is that a system is conscious if it possesses a property called Φ, or phi, which is the measure of the system’s “integrated information.” The value of Phi corresponds to the feedback between and interdependence of different parts of a system. Phi is essentially a measurement of synergy between matter or energy- the degree to which a system is “more than the sum of its parts.” Any entity of matter may possess Phi, whether biological or non-biological. Even a plant, or a rock, or a molecule of water, or an individual atomic proton can possess phi, because a proton is an emergent phenomenon stemming from the interaction of its quarks.
Neuroscientist Giulio Tononi first proposed IIT in 2004, which posits consciousness as fundamental and not arising from some arbitrary threshold of physical matter in the brain. It is a description of Panpsychism which identifies the essential properties of conscious experience in axioms:
1. Intrinsic existence: Consciousness exists and each individual's experience is actual. This is essentially an axiom like Descartes Cogito Ergo Sum (I think therefore I am). The idea is that the only thing we can be 100% certain of is conscious existence of ourselves, and any material or scientific breakdown of the universe would be impossible without consciousness, as consciousness is the vessel which allows perception, measurement and experience.
2. Composition: Consciousness is composed of multiple phenomenological distinctions. The qualia or experience of consciousness is structured and may have more elementary elements, or higher order elements to a given level of experience or conscious participation. Experiences are conceptual and composed of elements in juxtaposition that have a cause-effect relationship between the elements.
3. Information: Each experience of consciousness is specific, and composed of a specific set of phenomenal distinctions. The experience of a given moment or idea is defined by the traits of what it observationally is, in addition to in juxtaposition of previous experiences - both how it relates to resonates with previously stored information of conscious experience, or how it is negatively/not like a different previous experience.
4. Integration: Consciousness is unified, and each experience cannot be reduced or divided into separate components. A moment of conscious experience is unique and may involve many factors that define it. For instance, if you see a red bird that sings a song, that experience is not equal to seeing the color red, a generic bird, and hearing some song. It is the combined information and sensory experience that defines a given moment of qualia or conscious experience.
5. Exclusion: Consciousness is definite in terms of spacial and temporal distinctions.
The core ideas behind Integrated Information Theory are compatible with the ConscioCentric paradigm. Consciocentrism states that all information, feelings or meaning is a result of juxtaposition of moments or states of reality. Our consciousness traverses the medium of 4D spacetime and 5D many worlds, and juxtaposes memories, visions, and our live read of the moment of now, to create conscious meaning. Some memories/instincts are encoded into our DNA, while other experiences from birth, through childhood and adulthood give us layers upon layers of juxtaposed moments which imbue meaning onto our experiences.
When we see a Bear nearby in the forest, we may have some instinctual feeling about it from our DNA. Further juxtaposed moments from childhood, playing with bear figures attacking other small creatures, hearing bear stories, or seeing bears on TV/movies may further imbue meaning or information about our live bear sighting. If we have had any personal encounters with bears in the past, that will further enhance the meaning/information. All of these layers of juxtaposed moments are overlapping, creating a complex information profile of what a bear really means to us. Information is the juxtaposition of 3D moments, across various 4D time frames.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_information_theory
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenomenology_(philosophy)
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cross-check/can-integrated-information-theory-explain-consciousness/
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10670-018-9995-6
