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Operations

To see how this works in practice, let me outline the basic sequence of the Protocol of Consciousness.

First, consciousness appears as the consciousness of the other. When an agent assumes, “you are conscious” — an act we call Instantiation — an illusion of the other’s mind is generated within the agent. The other need not be human: it may be an anime character, a cow, a curtain, or even emptiness itself. At this stage, however, the illusion of the other’s consciousness is typically subjective and unstable.

What follows is Elicitation: a bid arising from the desire that “my own consciousness be instantiated within the other.” Concretely, this may take the form of waving, speaking, calling someone’s name, or making eye contact — simple gestures that reach outward as if to demand recognition.

When the other responds with a Reciprocal Elicitation, this response carries a double movement. The other both regards me as conscious and at the same time demands, “regard me as conscious as well.” When this mutual call and response circulates, a Loop is formed between them. The Loop stabilizes the illusion and provides a mechanism by which each side’s “consciousness” is mutually secured.

In this way, consciousness is treated not as an essence residing in the self, but as a process that is relationally generated, maintained, and dissolved in PoC. And it is this loop of mutual elicitation that underpins trust, cooperation, institutions — in short, the very foundations of society.

Operation Process

1. Instantiation

To instantiate is to believe that the other has consciousness. It is the appearance of the other’s mind within one’s own. The target is not limited to humans: cats, AI bots, fictional characters, inanimate objects, the dead, or even gods may all be instantiated.

2. Elicitation

Elicitation is the act of calling out, “regard me as conscious.” It is a bid directed to the other, asking them to instantiate me — to take my awareness into their own. Any entity imagined as capable of doing so — people, animals, idols, spirits, or even a balloon for children — may become its target.

3. Reciprocal Elicitation (Loop)

Reciprocal elicitation occurs when both sides believe they are recognized as conscious by the other.\ This is what PoC calls a Loop. Yet every loop is fragile: it is always only a Perhaps-Loop, never fully guaranteed.

Quick Notation (for reference)

  • i_A(B) = Instantiation of B’s consciousness within A
  • e_{A→B} = Elicitation: A’s bid for B to instantiate A
  • e_{B→A} = Reciprocal Elicitation (when returned by B)
  • Loop = Mutual Elicitations (e_{A→B} & e_{B→A}) establishing responsiveness

(For extended notation and variants, see Notation for Recalling the PoC Model.