# Hierarchical consciousness: the Nested Observer Windows model

## TL;DR

The paper introduces the Nested Observer Windows model, a new framework for understanding how hierarchical brain processes create a unified conscious experience.

## Contribution

The NOW model proposes a novel hierarchical framework for consciousness based on nested observer windows and principles of signal analysis.

## Key findings

- Nested observer windows use cross-frequency coupling to disseminate information across spatiotemporal scales.
- Observer windows exhibit internal synchrony with zero phase lag and share information through coherence with non-zero phase lag.
- The model provides a theoretical basis for integrating diverse theories of consciousness and explaining subjective experiences.

## Abstract

Foremost in our experience is the intuition that we possess a unified conscious experience. However, many observations run counter to this intuition: we experience paralyzing indecision when faced with two appealing behavioral choices, we simultaneously hold contradictory beliefs, and the content of our thought is often characterized by an internal debate. Here, we propose the Nested Observer Windows (NOW) Model, a framework for hierarchical consciousness wherein information processed across many spatiotemporal scales of the brain feeds into subjective experience. The model likens the mind to a hierarchy of nested mosaic tiles—where an image is composed of mosaic tiles, and each of these tiles is itself an image composed of mosaic tiles. Unitary consciousness exists at the apex of this nested hierarchy where perceptual constructs become fully integrated and complex behaviors are initiated via abstract commands. We define an observer window as a spatially and temporally constrained system within which information is integrated, e.g. in functional brain regions and neurons. Three principles from the signal analysis of electrical activity describe the nested hierarchy and generate testable predictions. First, nested observer windows disseminate information across spatiotemporal scales with cross-frequency coupling. Second, observer windows are characterized by a high degree of internal synchrony (with zero phase lag). Third, observer windows at the same spatiotemporal level share information with each other through coherence (with non-zero phase lag). The theoretical framework of the NOW Model accounts for a wide range of subjective experiences and a novel approach for integrating prominent theories of consciousness.