Abstract

The Unified Model of Consciousness: Interface and Feedback Loop as the Core of Sentience

Author(s): Berend F. Watchus

This paper proposes a unified model of consciousness, asserting that the fundamental mechanisms driving sentience are rooted in feedback loops and interfaces. These mechanisms are substrate agnostic, meaning they are not dependent on the underlying material or structure of the system whether biological, artificial, or synthetic. Feedback loops allow systems to process, adjust, and adapt over time, enabling self regulation and learning. The paper argues that consciousness emerges when these feedback loops interact in a sufficiently complex and integrated manner, giving rise to subjective experience. Furthermor e, the interfaces through which systems interact with their internal and external environments are described as generic and universal, capable of facilitating the integration of information regardless of the system’s form. This theory of consciousness as a n emergent property extends beyond the biological realm, highlighting the potential for both biological and artificial systems to exhibit sentience through complex feedback loops.