Two Layers of Human Intelligence: Bodily Intelligence and Conscious Intelligence

Two Layers of Human Intelligence: Bodily Intelligence and Conscious Intelligence | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Biological Sciences - Article Two Layers of Human Intelligence: Bodily Intelligence and Conscious Intelligence Bryce Towne This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7907954/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Observation has outpaced understanding in intelligence research. We propose a substrate-agnostic, constraints-first account—intelligence as resource-rational control under limits on time, computation, and communication—and a two-layer human ar- chitecture: Bodily Intelligence (BI) (complex, adaptive, learnable control without con- temporaneous conscious governance) and Conscious Intelligence (CI) (choices shaped by consciously accessed reasons and counterfactuals). CI is broader than conscious log- ical reasoning (which we regard as foundational for CI); it also includes metacognitive regulation, counterfactual evaluation, value/goal deliberation, and consciously accessed justificatory control. Empirically, we outline repeatable, cross-substrate methods: stan- dardized resource accounting (time/compute/communication), perturbation-rich tasks (dual manipulations and online premise-perturbation), performance–resource curves and CI↔BI switch-cost mapping, parity tests across humans/animals/AI with logged compute, and governance criteria distinguishing algorithmic from conscious explicit- ness. These yield reproducible resource–performance and dose–response signatures that support BI/CI as a common yardstick for cumulative, cross-substrate science. Biological sciences/Neuroscience/Cognitive neuroscience/Intelligence Biological sciences/Neuroscience/Cognitive neuroscience/Decision Physical sciences/Mathematics and computing/Computer science Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7907954","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Biological Sciences - Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":532918746,"identity":"6ccf754f-a948-43fa-98e6-f4aa13ab7e51","order_by":0,"name":"Bryce Towne","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABFklEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACAziL+WADmOYHEQkFhLVIMLAlNoL1SILIBANcGlC0JDCCtRgcQLUdA5hLnzH88HGHTR0/G3P7g49td+SMz69O/PDAgEGeX+wAVi2WfTnGkjPPpElItjE2Ns5se2ZsduPtZgmgwwxnzk7A7rAzPGbMvG2HJQzuNzY28247nLjtxtkNIC0JBrfxaPnb9l/C4BgjWEv95hlnN/8gqIWx7QBcS4IBf+82vLZY9rAVS/aeSZacCfTLzJn/DhvOuMG7zSLBQAKnX8x5mDd++LnDjp+fjf3Bhw9nDsvz95/dfPNHhY08vzR2LQwMHAYMkAiBAQmwSgkcykGA/QGaFv4DeFSPglEwCkbBSAQAJ3lkkrkaTlkAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1618-8904","institution":"Yiwu Industrial \u0026 Commercial College","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Bryce","middleName":"","lastName":"Towne","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-10-20 17:40:24","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":{"humanSubjects":false,"vertebrateSubjects":false,"conflictsOfInterestStatement":false,"humanSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false,"humanSubjectConsent":false,"humanSubjectClinicalTrial":false,"humanSubjectCaseReport":false,"vertebrateSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false},"doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7907954/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7907954/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":104781666,"identity":"81ccd602-e0b5-470a-87ae-0d0bf6d1c4c9","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-17 07:56:07","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1715949,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Article File","description":"","filename":"BI292.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7907954/v1_covered_d32bf3de-42ae-4e65-bbce-693eb45fd289.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"There is \u003cb\u003eNO\u003c/b\u003e Competing Interest.","formattedTitle":"Two Layers of Human Intelligence: Bodily Intelligence and Conscious Intelligence","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7907954/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7907954/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"Observation has outpaced understanding in intelligence research. 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