Continuity and Uniqueness of Consciousness: Logical Paradoxes and a Hypothesis of Additional Biophysical Degrees of Freedom

Consciousness remains one of the most profound unsolved problems in science, particularly regarding the persistence of a unique self across disruption, duplication, or time. Existing frameworks—Global Neuronal Workspace Theory (GNWT), Integrated Information Theory (IIT), and Orchestrated Objective Reduction (Orch-OR)—describe mechanisms of awareness but fail to explain continuity and uniqueness of subjective identity. This paper integrates neuroscience, quantum biology, and philosophy through three thought experiments—brain revival, molecular reassembly, and synthetic replication—to expose logical paradoxes in current models. A new hypothesis is proposed: continuity and uniqueness of consciousness may depend on additional biophysical degrees of freedom beyond classical neural dynamics. The framework offers testable predictions for anesthesia, meditation, and quantum-coherence studies. By bridging empirical neuroscience and contemplative science, it provides a structured and falsifiable approach to one of nature’s deepest mysteries—the enduring continuity of consciousness.