Re-evaluating the structure of consciousness through the symintentry hypothesis.

The Projective Consciousness Model and its extension to the phenomenal selfhood model are the generic invariant structures of consciousness through five symmetries. They include the following: situated 3D spatiality; temporal integration through encompassing the three "nows" that constitute the Now; multimodal synchronic integration; relational phenomenal intentionality; and consciousness entails a pre-reflective awareness of the uniqueness of the phenomenal self. These symmetries stem from the evolution and emergence of the phenomenal self through modeling, and that is realized through the phenomenal modeling of the intentionality relationship. We propose that this set of symmetries is based on and can be explicated in terms of a more fundamental symmetry, symmetry-based modeling. The proposal stems from (a) Kant's transcendental structuralism, which asserts that "Objects" conform to models prescribed through the inherent structure of the phenomenal mind, and (b) Cassirer's proposition that a mathematical group underpins this structure. To validate our proposal, we stipulate this group defining symmetry-based modeling and its emergence and adaptation into structuring the Now. We find that Cassirer's group requires a more powerful dual quaternion operator to be able to support intentionality and the five symmetries. We propose that the efficacy of this operator stems from unifying symmetry-based modeling and intentionality as "symintentry." Symintentry, we argue, is not just a new form of symmetry but is the archetypical form of symmetry. Symintentry provides fresh insights into the nature of symmetry, intentionality, and consciousness.

The metaphor-gestalt synergy underlying the self-organisation of perception as a semiotic process.

Recently the basis of concept and language formation has been redefined by the proposal that they both stem from perception and embodiment. The experiential revolution has lead to a far more integrated and dynamic understanding of perception as a semiotic system. The emergence of meaning in the perceptual process stems from the interaction between two key mechanisms. These are first, the generation of schemata through recurrent sensorimotor activity (SM) that underlies category and language formation (L). The second is the interaction between metaphor (M) and gestalt mechanisms (G) that generate invariant mappings beyond the SM domain that both conserve and diversify our understanding and meaning potential. We propose an important advance in our understanding of perception as a semiotic system through exploring the affect of self-organising to criticality where hierarchical behaviour becomes widely integrated through 1/f process and isomorphisms. Our proposal leads to several important implications. First, that SM and L form a functional isomorphism depicted as SM <=> L. We contend that SM <=> L is emergent, corresponding to the phenomenal self. Second, meaning structures the isomorphism SM <=>L through the synergy between M and G (M-G). M-G synergy is based on a combination of structuring and imagination. We contend that the interaction between M-G and SM <=> L functions as a macro-micro comutation that governs perception as semiosis. We discuss how our model relates to current research in fractal time and verb formation.