The Giants Shoulder #80 Meet the Scientist Creating The Mathematics Of Consciousness
Dec 8, 2025
Dr. Johannes Kleiner, a mathematician and physicist pioneering mathematical consciousness science, explores the intersection of math and subjective experience. He discusses how mathematical structures can reveal the geometry of consciousness, the role of meditation in understanding minimal experiences, and the significance of color spaces. Kleiner also critiques current AI systems for their lack of consciousness, outlines the implications of Integrated Information Theory, and emphasizes the potential for new computational models to explore consciousness in innovative ways.
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Math As A Lens For Mind
- Modern mathematics studies structures and relations rather than just numbers.
- Johannes Kleiner says this structural view can map conscious experience like Descartes mapped space.
Model Simple Experiences First
- Start with simple, controlled experiences when building mathematical models of consciousness.
- Use lab data, meditation reports, and phenomenology to extract structures before modelling complex experiences.
Meditation Reveals Minimal Experiences
- Johannes describes 'minimal experiences' reached via meditation as easier modelling targets.
- He says these states may reveal essential features of consciousness useful for theory-building.
