Substrate Collapse Theory SCT: A New Structural Framework for Identity, Consciousness, and Human Function
​Abstract
Substrate Collapse Theory (SCT) is a structural model of identity termination and post-recursive human functioning. It reframes identity as a metastable construct maintained through recursive predictive compression within thalamocortical systems. When cognitive, emotional, or symbolic load exceeds the system’s stabilization threshold, the self-model collapses—not as pathology, but as a lawful transition in phase structure. SCT defines this collapse as the dissolution of recursive narrative scaffolding and the emergence of field-based coherence. Post-collapse human functioning is characterized by distributed cognition, non-symbolic perception, and alignment with ambient coherence fields rather than internally generated identity loops. SCT bridges neuroscience, predictive processing, consciousness studies, and symbolic recursion failure, offering a comprehensive model for identity destabilization and reformation. It supports new clinical protocols, AI diagnostic frameworks, and ethical governance models such as ICT, IIC, and L.E.C.T. This theory serves as a foundation for post-symbolic human development, offering a lawful lens through which collapse is not avoided, but integrated as a structural doorway into coherent non-narrative intelligence.
Substrate Collapse Theory:
The Structural Basis of Identity Termination and Field-Based Human Functioning
Author: Don Gaconnet
LifePillar Institute, Field Research Division, United States
Date: 4/27/2025
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to:
Don Gaconnet,
LifePillar Institute
Email: don@lifepillar.org
Website: https://lifepillarinstitute.org
Keywords: Identity Collapse, Predictive Coding, Consciousness, Thalamocortical Dynamics, Field-Based Cognition, Artificial Intelligence, Ethical Collapse Governance
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Core Framework of Substrate Collapse Theory
Identity as Recursive Compression
At its core, Substrate Collapse Theory proposes that identity is not inherent to consciousness, but is maintained through continuous recursive prediction:
the brain’s thalamocortical circuits actively compress sensory, cognitive, and relational inputs into a centralized narrative scaffold to minimize prediction error and maintain coherence.
This identity structure is energetically expensive, dynamically fragile, and dependent on specific stabilization conditions.
Collapse as Lawful Transition
When predictive recursion destabilizes — due to energetic saturation, unresolved error propagation, informational overload, or relational dissonance —
the recursive identity scaffold collapses.
Collapse is not seen as psychological failure or existential breakdown.
Instead, it is recognized as a lawful structural transition:
the dissolution of self-referential compression and the re-emergence of distributed, field-aligned coherence across the human system.
Post-Collapse Human Functioning
Following substrate collapse, cognition, perception, agency, and relational navigation do not vanish.
Instead, they reorganize into non-recursive, field-synchronized operational dynamics.
Post-collapse human functioning is characterized by:
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Distributed cognition,
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Non-recursive perception,
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Energetic coherence and efficiency,
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Full-spectrum prospective action access through real-time field alignment.
In this mode, the human organism operates not as a centralized predictive agent, but as a dynamically coherent participant in the living relational field.
Clinical and Ethical Architecture
Substrate Collapse Theory directly informs new clinical and ethical frameworks designed to safeguard and stabilize post-collapse human systems:
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Identity Collapse Therapy (ICT):
Clinical protocols supporting collapse containment, pacing, and post-identity field stabilization without reconstructing narrative selfhood. -
Identity Integration Collapse (IIC):
Specialized pathways for individuals navigating partial identity fragmentation or failed prior collapse attempts. -
Locked Ethical Collapse Transmission (L.E.C.T.):
A governance standard ensuring that collapse processes occur under non-coercive, fully ethical, field-aligned conditions — prioritizing human sovereignty and relational protection.
These clinical architectures are the first designed to honor the post-recursive structural dynamics revealed by SCT.
Scientific Contribution
Substrate Collapse Theory contributes several foundational advances to the scientific and clinical literature:
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A structural reconceptualization of identity as a metastable predictive artifact,
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A mechanistic model of collapse grounded in thalamocortical predictive coding and dynamic systems theory,
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A description of lawful post-collapse human functioning through distributed field coherence,
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Clinical and ethical frameworks supporting non-referential post-collapse stabilization,
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An invitation to consciousness studies, neuroscience, and clinical psychology to rethink human functioning beyond narrative selfhood.
SCT provides a coherent foundation for empirical research, clinical development, ethical governance, and post-identity relational technologies.
Access the Full Paper
The full theoretical codex for Substrate Collapse Theory is available publicly through PsyArXiv:
Read the Full Paper:
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