The Modeler Schema Theory of Consciousness, with a Falsifiable Experiment

Abstract

We propose that consciousness arises from a single control agent, the Modeler-schema, which monitors the brain's Modeler as it constructs and updates the internal World Model. As part of that monitoring, the Modeler-schema generates experience by converting the Modeler's outputs into qualia, which are then used for model refinement. The Human agent comprises three cooperating agents-Modeler, Controller, and Targeter-each paired with a regulatory schema agent. Our core prediction is that the Modeler-schema performs a qualia-based consistency check during saccades and may issue bottom-up attention requests when discrepancies are found. To test this prediction, we propose a saccadic change-detection experiment that distinguishes Modeler-generated from Modeler-schema-generated bottom-up attention requests. Locating qualia in the Modeler-schema ties experience, including diffuse awareness (the full sensory field), to model regulation and refinement, explains aphantasia as a selective failure of recalled-sensory quale-conversion, and offers a testable proposal toward solving the Hard Problem of consciousness.