A Computational-Functional Theory of Consciousness

This paper presents a mechanistic theory of consciousness that explains self-awareness, reasoning, and sense of self as emergent properties of complex, recursively integrated pattern-matching systems with self-modification capabilities. The theory is substrate-independent, testable, and makes specific predictions about which systems should exhibit consciousness. We propose empirical tests using both organoid-AI hybrids and purely computational systems to validate the model's core claims. A related framework "A Computational Model of Human Emotion" 10.5281/zenodo.17527237 applies similar pattern-matching principles to emotion, where pattern disruptions trigger state-change cascades that modulate processing—demonstrating how different emergent properties arise from variations of this fundamental architecture.