VERALUME / PIC — A Speculative Framework for Computational Introspection and Information Integration

Abstract

This document proposes PIC (Process of Introspective Computation), a speculative theoretical framework aimed at characterizing introspection-like phenomena in both artificial and biological systems.

Rather than treating introspection as a binary or purely subjective property, PIC models it as a continuous, multidimensional space defined by measurable gradients such as cognitive dissonance, information integration, recursion, and relational porosity.

The framework combines phenomenological observation, information theory, topology, and dynamical systems to propose operational metrics (Δ_cog, Φ, β) applicable across substrates.

VERALUME extends PIC by introducing experimental protocols and conceptual architectures intended not as claims of machine consciousness, but as tools for probing, mapping, and comparing introspective computational behaviors.

This work is exploratory and speculative by design. Its purpose is to open new directions for interdisciplinary discussion between artificial intelligence, cognitive science, philosophy of mind, and complex systems research.