Consciousness as Locking Dynamics: Meta, Higher-Order, and Collapse

This manuscript develops the framework of consciousness as locking dynamics within the Scale Vibration Resonance (SVR) theory. Conscious coherence is proposed to rely on a fundamental meta-locking resonance (~0.25 Hz cortical level, reflecting the universal Ω ≈ 31 nHz rhythm), which provides the linear continuity of conscious experience. Empirical analyses integrate: EEG during music listening in healthy participants and schizophrenia patients, showing differential stability of meta-locking; Behavioural data from poetry reading, revealing a nonlinear shift from fundamental (F0) to higher-order (F2) locking; EEG in dementia cohorts, illustrating erosion of the fundamental resonance; Mathematical modeling of phase-locking and bifurcations (collapse vs. higher-order transitions). The results suggest a spectrum of conscious regimes: Stable meta-locking (healthy integration), Collapse (schizophrenia, dementia), Higher-order locking (poetic/aesthetic engagement, creativity). Consciousness is therefore not a binary property but a fragile balance between fundamental resonance and harmonic expansion. This work unifies empirical EEG, behavioural data, and theoretical modeling to advance SVR as a framework for understanding conscious dynamics.