The Boundary Integration Model of Conscious Experience: A Constraint-Based Derivation of the Seconds-Scale Experienced Present

Why does conscious experience unfold over seconds rather than milliseconds or minutes? The Boundary Integration Model of Conscious Experience (BIMCE) proposes that the “experienced present”—the finite temporal window within which events feel unified- is a bounded stability regime emerging from alignment between bodily state integration (P) and recursive temporal stabilization (R). This paper derives the seconds-scale regime from constraint logic, introduces a measurable coupling construct (Alignment Index A(t)), and specifies falsifiable predictions with explicit disconfirmation criteria. Key predictions include respiratory-phase modulation of temporal binding, breathing-rate scaling of integration windows, and interpersonal synchrony effects mediated by respiratory coupling. BIMCE commits to head-to-head empirical tests rather than post-hoc accommodation. A detailed experimental protocol (including power analysis and confound controls) is provided. The account stands or falls on whether boundary alignment tracks the stability of the experienced present.