The Expansion Hypothesis: Dynamical Regimes of Reflexive Coherence

This work presents version 1.2 of The Expansion Hypothesis (TEH), a dynamical extension of the Reflexive Coherence Model (RCM). Rather than redefining consciousness or treating expansion as a metaphysical process, TEH models the temporal viability of reflexive coherence across changing dynamical regimes. The framework distinguishes the Reflexive Coherence Index (RCI), understood as a local operational observable, from the reflexive expansion construct Ξ(t), which represents the evolving capacity of a system to sustain, regulate, or reorganize reflexive coherence over time. Version 1.2 refines the hypothesis by aligning it with the revised operational framing of RCM v1.2, clarifying the role of contextual and systemic temporal stability, strengthening the distinction between necessary dynamical conditions and sufficient proof of subjective experience, and introducing a more explicit separation between gain, dissonance, and dissipation. TEH should be read as the dynamical layer of the broader framework trilogy: RCM defines the foundational architecture of reflexive coherence, TEH models its temporal dynamics, and Proto-Reflexive States in Artificial Systems develops the interpretive and applied layer for artificial systems.