Abstract
Theory of everything must include consciousness. In this Part I of the series of three
articles, we introduce the subjective experience (SE) and/or proto‐experience (PE)
aspect of consciousness in classical physics, where PEs are precursors of SEs. In our dualaspect‐
dual‐mode PE‐SE framework, it was hypothesized that fundamental entities
(strings or elementary particles: fermions and bosons) have two aspects: (i) material
aspect such as mass, charge, spin, and space‐time, and (ii) mental aspect, such as
experiences. There are three competing hypotheses: (1) superposition based H1 (SEs/PEs
are superposed in the mental aspect of entities; when a specific stimulus is presented to
the neural‐network, the associated specific SE is selected by the matching and selection
process and experienced by this network), (2) superposition‐then‐integration based H2
(only PEs are superposed, which are integrated by neural‐Darwinism leading to specific
SEs) and (3) integration based H3 (each entity has its own PE, which keeps on
transforming appropriately as matter evolves from elementary particles to neuralnetworks;
it is a dual‐aspect panpsychism). We found that the followings, in classical
physics, are invariant under the PE‐SE transformation: electromagnetic strength tensor,
electromagnetic stress‐energy tensor, the electromagnetic theory (Maxwell's
equations), Newtonian gravitational field, the entropic force, Special and General
Theory of Relativity. Our analysis suggests that (i) SEs are embedded in space‐time
geometry for the structure of space‐time (empty space or the vacuum without matter).
(ii) For matter field, SEs can move with spatiotemporal coordinates of matter because it
is in the mental aspect of matter as both mental and material aspects are always
together in the dual‐aspect‐dual‐mode optimal PE‐SE framework. (iii) Our specific SE is
the result of matching and selection processes and can change with space and time. For
example, the experience redness has V4/V8/VO‐red‐green neural‐network with rednessstate
as neural correlates. When a subject moves, the specific SE redness also moves
with the subject’s correlated neural‐network. In addition, SEs can change with time as
stimuli change. In other words, SEs in a subject change with space‐time. We conclude
that it is possible to introduce the SE/PE aspect of consciousness in classical physics. In
Parts II and III, the SE aspect of consciousness will be introduced in orthodox quantum
physics and modern quantum physics (such as loop quantum gravity and string theory),
respectively. Thus, the introduction of the SE aspect of consciousness in physics leads us
to unify consciousness with known four fundamental forces, which entails towards a
theory of everything.