Towards a Theory of Stratified Reality: Semantic Integration as a Measure of Contextual Awareness

Abstract

We propose the Theory of Stratified Reality (TSR), a unifying framework that formalizes the relationship between fundamental mathematical structures, strong emergence, and semantic consciousness. The TSR introduces a quantitative measure of semantic integration, S(P, C) = αI(P) + βD(P, C) + γR(P, C), where I(P) represents informational integration, D(P, C) contextual discrimination, and R(P, C) reference to internal models. We demonstrate that the transition to conscious states occurs when critical thresholds in integrated complexity (Φ > Φc) and semantic richness (S > Sc) are simultaneously exceeded. The theory generates falsifiable predictions in neuroscience, aesthetic perception, and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, establishing an interdisciplinary research program with Bayesian validation criteria.