A Structural Model of Meaning Generation and Consciousness Based on the Information Universe Hypothesis

This paper presents an integrative model of how meaning is generated and transformed into conscious experience, grounded in the hypothesis that information—not matter—is the foundational substrate of the universe. Drawing on the "It from Bit" paradigm (Wheeler, 1990), this study redefines reality as a structure of meaningful differences. The model we propose combines three frameworks: the Information-Based Universe theory, Gibson's Affordance Theory, and Baars' Global Workspace Theory of consciousness.Meaning generation is conceptualized as a five-stage loop: (1) sensory reception of environmental differences, (2) contextual structuring into information, (3) unconscious competition among meaning structures, (4) selection and conscious broadcast via the global workspace, and (5) behavioral or conceptual feedback into the system. This model is tested against case studies from institutional design, economic behavior, and creative expression, showing how meaning structures shape and are shaped by cognitive, cultural, and systemic filters.By synthesizing theories across philosophy, cognitive science, and information theory, this paper offers a unified framework for describing both subjective awareness and social meaning-making. The model is applicable to natural phenomena, AI architecture, and symbolic systems. We argue that all phenomena may be reframed as structured, selected, and embodied differences within a universal information flow.