A Synthesis of Computational Ontology and Relativistic Observation: An Analysis of the Virtual Ego Framework in the Context of the Relativistic Theory of Consciousness
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The enduring "hard problem of consciousness" highlights the profound explanatory gap between the objective, third-person observation of neural activity and the subjective, first-person phenomenal experience of "what it's like" to be a conscious entity. A recent theory by Lahav and Neemeh, the "Relativistic Theory of Consciousness," seeks to dissolve this problem by positing consciousness not as an absolute property but as a relativistic phenomenon, its manifestation being dependent on the observer's cognitive frame of reference. This paper conducts a rigorous comparative analysis between their theory and the Virtual Ego Framework (VEF), a comprehensive metaphysical and therapeutic model. We argue that the two frameworks are highly compatible and mutually reinforcing. The VEF's computational model of an "Ego as a Virtual Machine" (VM) provides a functional architecture that parallels the Relativistic Theory's frames of reference. Furthermore, this paper posits that the VEF's foundational axiom of the ontological primacy of consciousness offers a more comprehensive solution, preemptively dissolving the hard problem by inverting its materialist premises. In doing so, it also provides a robust framework for understanding psychological dynamics such as trauma, defined as "Zeno Traps" , and healing, defined as "Ego-Transcendence" Keywords: consciousness; quantum mechanics; trauma; ego; virtual machine; metaphysics; narrative; healing
Authors: Beckingham, Allan Christopher, McIntyre, Nathan
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7078741364