# Reasoning about conscious experience with axiomatic and graphical mathematics

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2106.16061 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2106.16061/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 5 of its 67 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 30 Jun 2021.

## Builds on (most cited first, 5 of 5)

- [Integrated Information in Process Theories](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2002.07654/) (2020)
- [An alternative Gospel of structure: order, composition, processes](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1307.4038/) (2013)
- [A Diagrammatic Axiomatisation for Qubit Entanglement](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1501.07082/) (2015)
- [A Compositional Model of Consciousness based on Consciousness-Only](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2007.16138/) (2020)
- [A diagrammatic calculus of fermionic quantum circuits](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1801.01231/) (2018)

## Abstract (arXiv)

We cast aspects of consciousness in axiomatic mathematical terms, using the graphical calculus of general process theories (a.k.a symmetric monoidal categories and Frobenius algebras therein). This calculus exploits the ontological neutrality of process theories. A toy example using the axiomatic calculus is given to show the power of this approach, recovering other aspects of conscious experience, such as external and internal subjective distinction, privacy or unreadability of personal subjective experience, and phenomenal unity, one of the main issues for scientific studies of consciousness. In fact, these features naturally arise from the compositional nature of axiomatic calculus.