```markdown
---
author: Rowan Brad Quni
email:
[email protected]
website: http://qnfo.org
ORCID: 0009-0002-4317-5604
ISNI: 0000000526456062
robots: By accessing this content, you agree to https://qnfo.org/LICENSE. Non-commercial use only. Attribution required.
DC.rights: https://qnfo.org/LICENSE. Users are bound by terms upon access.
export_type: FINAL_PRODUCT
generation_timestamp: 2025-07-01T12:13:57.636Z
project_name: "1 4 The Power of Natural Units"
autologos_process_plan_active: false
autologos_process_settings:
mode: global_autonomous
paragraph_show_headings_preference: false
initial_prompt_summary: "Input consists of 2 file(s): Autaxys Defined.md (application/octet-stream, 20.3KB); Frequency as the Foundation.md (application/octet-stream, 29.0KB)."
final_iteration_count: 41
max_iterations_setting: 40
prompt_input_type: files
prompt_source_files:
- Autaxys Defined.md
- Frequency as the Foundation.md
model_configuration_at_finalization:
model_name: 'Gemini 2.5 Flash Preview (04-17)'
temperature: 0.15
top_p: 0.90
top_k: 14
title: Frequency as the Foundation
aliases:
- Frequency as the Foundation
modified: 2025-07-04T20:52:00Z
---
## m=ω
**Matter, Energy, Information, and Consciousness as a Unified Process Ontology of Reality**
**Version:** 2.0.3
**Date:** 2025-07-04
[Rowan Brad Quni](mailto:
[email protected])
Principal Investigator, [QNFO](https://qnfo.org)
ORCID: [0009-0002-4317-5604](https://ORCID.org/0009-0002-4317-5604)
### Abstract
This document introduces a novel **process ontology**, proposing that reality is fundamentally a dynamically **self-generating and self-organizing system**. This intrinsic, irreducible drive towards self-organization through continuous activity is termed **Autaxys**. The universe is conceptualized as a foundational, dynamic medium or substrate undergoing continuous, iterative **processing** orchestrated *by* Autaxys. Observable phenomena do not arise as static entities composed *of* substance, but as dynamic relational **patterns** *within* and *of* this fundamental medium, created and sustained by its intrinsic process. From this perspective, the universe operates as a fundamentally **computational system**, where the dynamic medium serves as the substrate, the processing represents the ongoing computation, and Autaxys is the inherent principle or engine driving and structuring this computation that generates and sustains all phenomena.
A central tenet emerging directly from this process ontology and the principle of Autaxys is a **frequency-centric view of reality**. Within the fundamental dynamic medium, all phenomena—from fundamental fields and elementary particles to complex systems—are understood as dynamic relational patterns characterized by intrinsic **processing frequencies** or rates of change. This perspective reveals a profound connection between General Relativity ($E=mc^2$) [Einstein, 1905] and Quantum Mechanics ($E=\hbar\omega$) [Planck, 1900, 1901; Einstein, 1905]. Using natural units ($\hbar=1$, $c=1$), these established equations lead directly to the fundamental identity $m=\omega$. This identity, a mathematical consequence of accepted physics when unit conventions are removed and illuminated by the process ontology, asserts that in a unit system aligned with nature’s fundamental constants, a pattern’s rest mass is numerically identical to its intrinsic angular frequency.
Illuminated by this process ontology and the principle of Autaxys, the $m=\omega$ identity compels a reinterpretation of mass. Mass is viewed not as inert substance but as a stable, resonant state—a self-sustaining standing wave pattern—within the fundamental dynamic medium. It represents the energy and informational complexity of this pattern, fundamentally determined by its characteristic processing frequency, specifically the Compton frequency ($\omega_C$) [Compton, 1923]. Physical entities are thus dynamic, information-theoretic patterns, suggesting the universe operates as a fundamentally **computational system** processing frequency-encoded information. Mass signifies stable, self-validating information structures within this cosmic computation, solidified and maintained by the dynamics of the fundamental process orchestrated by Autaxys. This perspective effectively dissolves traditional dualisms (e.g., information vs. substance, discrete vs. continuous) by asserting that dynamic relational patterns processed within the fundamental medium *are* the fundamental ontological basis; information and substance, discreteness and apparent continuity, are unified as inherent aspects of these patterns and the Autaxic process that sustains them.
This framework offers significant explanatory power: accounting for the cosmic drive towards increasing complexity inherent in Autaxys and the mathematical elegance of physical laws, providing a conceptual bridge between GR and QM by interpreting both as descriptions of the fundamental medium’s dynamics at different scales orchestrated by Autaxys, and suggesting specific, testable predictions related to the fundamental properties of the dynamic medium and the Autaxic process. The validity of this perspective is assessed by its **comprehensive coherence**: logical consistency (self-organization/Autaxys, dissolution of paradoxes via processing within the dynamic medium), explanatory breadth (unifying phenomena, explaining $m=\omega$, bridging GR/QM, accounting for complexity/laws), compatibility with empirical observation (reinterpreting data, proposing testable predictions), and capacity as a productive foundation for future inquiry. The framework yields specific, potentially falsifiable predictions concerning signatures of fundamental processing granularity, detection of intrinsic medium resonances, anomalies in extreme regimes, and context-dependent variations in emergent parameters.
### 1. Introduction: Bridging Relativity and Quantum Mechanics through Energy via a Process Ontology
The early 20th century saw the emergence of two foundational pillars of modern physics: General Relativity (GR) and Quantum Mechanics (QM). While remarkably successful in describing the universe at vastly different scales—GR detailing spacetime and gravity at large scales, and QM governing matter and energy at the smallest scales—these theories are deeply interconnected through the concept of energy. This paper explores this shared foundation through the lens of a novel **process ontology** where reality is fundamentally a dynamic, **self-generating and self-organizing system** termed **Autaxys**, unfolding within a fundamental dynamic medium via continuous processing. From this perspective, the physical universe is a **computational system** where fundamental processes, driven by Autaxys, generate and sustain observable reality, revealing a profound, inherent relationship between mass and frequency.
#### 1.1 Two Perspectives on Energy: Mass vs. Oscillation
Special Relativity, most famously expressed as $E=mc^2$, quantifies the immense energy ($E$) contained within mass ($m$), even at rest ($E_0 = m_0c^2$) [Einstein, 1905]. This perspective treats energy, in this context, as a potential for activity inherent in a stable configuration (mass). In contrast, Quantum Mechanics, particularly via the Planck-Einstein relation $E=hf$ (or $E=\hbar\omega$ using angular frequency $\omega=2\pi f$), portrays energy as fundamentally dynamic and oscillatory. This view posits that energy is directly proportional to frequency ($f$ or $\omega$) through Planck’s constant ($h$ or $\hbar$) [Planck, 1900, 1901; Einstein, 1905]. It sees energy not as static substance but as vibration, action, or process, supported by phenomena like the Ultraviolet Catastrophe and the photoelectric effect. These two successful yet seemingly disparate views of energy—one grounded in stable configurations (mass, $mc^2$) and the other in dynamic action ($\hbar\omega$)—describe a wide array of phenomena across different scales. Within the framework of a process ontology driven by Autaxys, they are seen not as contradictory but as complementary aspects of a single underlying reality that is fundamentally dynamic, constituted by patterns and processes *of* and *within* a fundamental computational medium orchestrated by Autaxys.
#### 1.2 The Bridge Equation: $\hbar\omega_C = m_0c^2$
A fundamental principle of the physical universe is its internal consistency. When describing the same physical system, the two established expressions for energy must be equivalent. For a pattern with rest mass $m_0$ existing within the fundamental dynamic medium, its rest energy is given by Einstein’s mass-energy equivalence as $E_0=m_0c^2$ [Einstein, 1905]. According to quantum mechanics, the energy associated with the intrinsic dynamics of this pattern corresponds to an intrinsic angular frequency $\omega_C$ (the Compton frequency [Compton, 1923]) such that $E_0=\hbar\omega_C$ [Planck, 1900, 1901; Einstein, 1905]. Equating these two expressions yields the fundamental “Bridge Equation”:
$\hbar\omega_C = m_0c^2$
This equation is not merely a theoretical curiosity; it is empirically validated by fundamental physical processes. Phenomena such as particle-antiparticle annihilation, where mass is completely converted into energetic photons of a specific frequency, and conversely, pair production, where energetic photons convert into mass, occur precisely as this equivalence predicts. The remarkable simplicity and elegance of this equation hint at a deeper, more fundamental connection between mass and frequency than is immediately apparent in standard units.
#### 1.3 The Veil of Constants: $\hbar$ and $c$ as Parameters of the Dynamic Medium and Autaxys
The intrinsic simplicity and elegance of the relationship between mass and frequency are often obscured in standard units by the presence of fundamental constants $\hbar$ and $c$. These constants serve as conversion factors, translating quantities into human-defined units like kilograms, meters, and seconds. They function essentially as arbitrary scaling factors that conceal the deeper, intrinsic, and scale-free relationship between fundamental physical quantities. $\hbar \approx 1.055 \times 10^{-34}$ J·s is the reduced Planck constant, the fundamental quantum of action, establishing the link between energy and angular frequency ($E=\hbar\omega$). [NIST, Planck constant] $c = 299,792,458$ m/s is the universal speed limit of causality and information propagation, acting as the conversion factor between mass and energy in $E=mc^2$. [NIST, Speed of light in vacuum] These constants frequently appear together in fundamental equations, hinting at a deep, unit-transcendent relationship between quantum action, electromagnetism, and the structure of spacetime, famously seen in the dimensionless Fine-Structure Constant ($\alpha = e^2/(4\pi\epsilon_0\hbar c)$). Within a process ontology, the numerical values of $\hbar$ and $c$ are interpreted not just as artifacts of our unit choices, but more profoundly as **intrinsic scaling parameters of the fundamental dynamic medium** and the **Autaxic process** driving its ongoing computation. They define the fundamental “grammar” or operational constraints of reality’s self-organization and computation (Autaxys), acting as universal conversion factors required to translate quantities between human-defined units and the natural units where fundamental relationships are revealed. They characterize the medium’s inherent granularity ($\hbar$) and the maximum rate of interaction/propagation within it ($c$), dictated by the dynamics orchestrated by Autaxys.
#### 1.4 The Power of Natural Units to Reveal Fundamental Identity
To remove the arbitrary scaling imposed by human-defined units and reveal the fundamental structure and inherent equivalences within physical laws, theoretical physicists often use **natural units**. This involves setting fundamental constants to unity (1), effectively recalibrating our measurements to align with nature’s intrinsic scales. A system particularly relevant to this discussion sets:
- The reduced Planck constant $\hbar = 1$.
- The speed of light in vacuum $c = 1$.
In this natural unit system, physical equations simplify dramatically, and quantities that have different dimensions in standard units—such as mass, energy, momentum, time, length, and frequency—acquire the same dimension. This simplification explicitly reveals inherent equivalences and deep relationships hidden by the constants in standard units, providing a powerful tool for exploring the core principles of a process ontology.
### 2. The Process Ontology and Frequency as the Foundation
Within the framework of natural units ($\hbar=1$, $c=1$), and profoundly illuminated by a process ontology where reality is fundamentally a dynamically **self-generating and self-organizing system** (Autaxys), the relationship between mass and frequency is revealed not merely as a proportionality, but as a simple, elegant identity. This identity highlights a core principle of a frequency-centric view of reality, rooted in dynamic computational processing *within and of* the fundamental dynamic medium orchestrated by Autaxys.
#### 2.1 The Fundamental Dynamic Medium, Processing, and Patterns (Autaxys)
A **process ontology** defines reality not based on static substance but on intrinsic, irreducible **self-generation and organization** through continuous, iterative processing. This inherent self-generation and organization is termed **Autaxys**. This processing unfolds within and of a fundamental, dynamic medium or substrate. This fundamental dynamic medium is the active substrate where ongoing processing occurs, akin to a universal computational field or substrate of information flow. The universe’s fundamental activity is this continuous computation, orchestrated by Autaxys, generating and sustaining all phenomena.
Within this framework, **dynamic relational patterns** within the fundamental dynamic medium, generated and sustained by this processing, are the fundamental basis of reality. These patterns are not objects *in* the medium but stable configurations or structures *of* the medium itself, defined by the relationships and dynamics of the processing activity. They are the outputs of the Autaxic process. The principle of Autaxys provides the inherent drive and structure for the dynamic medium to process information and self-organize into these stable patterns. It is the engine and architect of cosmic computation, providing the rules and impetus for the ongoing genesis and maintenance of reality.
Flowing directly from this process ontology, the principle of Autaxys, and the understanding of reality as constituted by dynamic relational patterns within the fundamental dynamic medium, a central tenet is a **frequency-centric view of reality**. Within this medium, all phenomena, regardless of their scale or complexity, are dynamic relational patterns characterized by intrinsic **processing frequencies**—the tempo at which these patterns manifest and maintain themselves through continuous computation. These frequencies represent the rate of change, interaction, and self-maintenance of the patterns within the dynamic substrate. They are the manifestation of the Autaxic process *within* specific stable configurations.
#### 2.2 Revealing the Identity: Mass and Frequency Unified ($\omega_C = m_0$)
Setting $\hbar = 1$ and $c = 1$ in the fundamental energy relations derived from quantum mechanics and relativity:
From quantum mechanics (Planck-Einstein relation for energy of intrinsic oscillation): $E = \hbar\omega_C \implies E = (1)\omega_C \implies E=\omega_C$
From relativity (Mass-Energy Equivalence for rest energy): $E=m_0c^2 \implies E = m_0(1)^2 \implies E=m_0$
Equating these two expressions for the rest energy of the same system immediately yields the powerful identity:
$\omega_C = E_0 = m_0$
This identity, $\omega_C = m_0$ (or simply $\omega = m$ when referring to rest mass and Compton frequency in natural units), is the central revelation: in a system of units aligned with nature’s intrinsic operational parameters dictated by Autaxys, a stable physical pattern’s rest mass ($m_0$) is numerically identical to its intrinsic angular frequency ($\omega_C$). This is not a proposal for a new physical law but a powerful re-framing and re-interpretation of established physics, made explicit by the removal of arbitrary unit conventions and illuminated by the process ontology. It unveils a fundamental connection obscured by the dimensional scaling factors $\hbar$ and $c$. It strongly suggests that mass and frequency are not fundamentally distinct concepts but are rather different facets or measures of the same underlying physical quantity: the characteristic tempo or rate of the fundamental process orchestrated by Autaxys that defines and sustains a given stable pattern. The apparent complexity of the relationship $hf = mc^2$ in standard units is an artifact of our chosen system of measurement; the underlying physical relationship is the simple identity $\omega_C = m_0$ in natural units. In this sense, $\hbar$ and $c$ function as universal conversion factors required to translate quantities between human-defined units and the natural units where this intrinsic identity holds, reflecting their role as fundamental scaling parameters of the underlying dynamic computational process orchestrated by Autaxys.
### 3. Physical Interpretation: Mass as a Resonant State of Fundamental Patterns
The $\omega_C=m_0$ identity, viewed through the lens of a process ontology where reality is composed of dynamic patterns within and of a fundamental dynamic medium via Autaxys, necessitates a fundamental shift in our understanding of mass. It is not an inert “stuff” but rather a dynamic, resonant state or a stable, self-sustaining configuration within the fundamental dynamic medium. This interpretation finds resonance with concepts in Quantum Field Theory (QFT), which can be understood as describing fundamental fields emerging from the dynamic substrate of reality orchestrated by Autaxys, permeating spacetime. [Huggett & Weingard, 1994; Teller, 1995; Weinberg, 1995]
#### 3.1 Resonance, Stability, and the Pattern Hierarchy
The frequency $\omega_C$ in the identity $\omega_C=m_0$ corresponds specifically to the **Compton frequency** ($\omega_C = m_0c^2/\hbar$ in standard units) for a massive pattern. The Dirac equation, a cornerstone of relativistic quantum mechanics, predicted a rapid, oscillatory motion for a free electron at this characteristic frequency, known as **Zitterbewegung** (“trembling motion”) [Dirac, 1928]. Within this process view, this predicted oscillation is interpreted as a direct manifestation of the intrinsic processing tempo of the localized pattern that constitutes the massive particle, occurring at its Compton frequency [Compton, 1923]. This provides theoretical support from established physics for the fundamental frequency-mass link posited by this perspective, finding further support in recent experimental simulations of Zitterbewegung in condensed matter systems and trapped ions [Meiron & Oron, 2015; Weinfurtner et al., 2011; Zych et al., 2011; Uhlmann et al., 2024].
This leads to the concept that elementary particles are not structureless points but are stable, self-sustaining **standing waves** or localized resonant patterns within the fundamental dynamic medium, analogous to the stable harmonic modes of a vibrating string. Their observed stability arises from **resonance**—a state of perfect, self-sustaining synchrony of their intrinsic processing dynamics at their specific Compton frequency within the larger medium. These stable resonant modes, favored and solidified by the process of pattern formation and stabilization orchestrated by Autaxys, are precisely what we observe as elementary particles. They are patterns favored during dynamic pattern formation due to their optimality and robustness within the constraints and grammar of the medium’s computational process, a result of ongoing Autaxic processing. The principle of Autaxys actively drives the dynamic medium to explore possible configurations and solidify those that exhibit stable, resonant self-maintenance.
This perspective offers a compelling explanation for the observed **particle mass hierarchy**—the existence of distinct, quantized masses for elementary particles. This hierarchy is interpreted as a discrete spectrum of allowed, stable resonant frequencies or patterns that the underlying fundamental dynamic medium, or the quantum fields that emerge from it via Autaxys, can sustain. Each type of elementary particle corresponds to a unique harmonic mode or resonant state of the fundamental dynamic medium or emergent fields. Its mass is a measure of the energy and informational complexity of that specific pattern, directly proportional to its resonant frequency ($m_0 = \omega_C$ in natural units). Unstable particles, in contrast, are interpreted as transient, dissonant states or non-resonant excitations within the fundamental dynamic medium that decay rapidly into stable, lower-energy (and thus lower-frequency) configurations via the Autaxic process, seeking stable resonant states. [Griffiths, 2019; Workman et al., 2022; Zenczykowski, 2015]
#### 3.2 The Dynamic Substrate: The Fundamental Medium and Vacuum Energy
The fundamental substrate for these vibrations and patterns is the dynamic medium itself, where ongoing computational processing (Autaxys) occurs. The inherent dynamic nature of this medium naturally gives rise to what are described in QFT as fundamental **quantum fields** that permeate spacetime. [Huggett & Weingard, 1994; Teller, 1995; Weinberg, 1995] QFT views the universe not as empty space containing particles, but as interacting fields; even the vacuum, the lowest energy state, is not truly empty but is understood as a plenum of ceaseless **zero-point energy** fluctuations [Milonni, 2019; Rocha, 2024]. This energetic vacuum state is interpreted as the fundamental dynamism of the medium itself, a manifestation of ongoing processing orchestrated by Autaxys even in apparent “emptiness.” Its properties are indirectly observable via phenomena like the **Casimir effect**, which arises from vacuum fluctuations [Casimir, 1948; Lamoreaux, 1997]. The existence of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation, often interpreted as the “afterglow” of the Big Bang, can also be seen as evidence of a pervasive, energetic background medium resulting from the fundamental Autaxic process [Penzias and Wilson, 1965].
This energetic vacuum (the fundamental dynamic medium in its baseline dynamic state) is the universal computational substrate from which everything emerges via Autaxys. Particles are interpreted as localized, quantized excitations—“quanta”—of these emergent fields or, more fundamentally, stable, specific patterns within the fundamental dynamic medium itself. [Griffiths, 2019; Workman et al., 2022; Zenczykowski, 2015] These patterns emerge dynamically from the zero-point background through Autaxys, specifically those patterns favored and solidified by the processes of selection and stabilization inherent to Autaxys. The “Universal Frequency Field” could be understood as this pervasive, vibrating tapestry of emergent fields, or more fundamentally, the dynamic medium itself, where frequency characterizes the rate of change, interaction, and self-maintenance of the relational patterns through processing orchestrated by Autaxys.
The origin of mass for many elementary particles, particularly through the **Higgs field** and **Higgs mechanism**, is reinterpreted within the frequency-centric process view. [Griffiths, 2019; Workman et al., 2022] Interaction with the pervasive Higgs field (understood as a specific state or configuration of the fundamental dynamic medium that strongly promotes pattern solidification and persistence through Autaxys) is seen as introducing an “impedance” or resistance to the oscillation and propagation of emergent fields or fundamental patterns. A massless excitation, like a photon (interpreted as a highly dynamic pattern with minimal interaction with the solidification-promoting state), propagates at the speed $c$ because its underlying oscillation is unimpeded by the solidification-promoting dynamics of the Higgs state. Interaction with this solidification-promoting state introduces “drag,” localizing the excitation into a stable, lower-velocity standing wave (a more persistent pattern). This localization and resistance to change is what we perceive as inertia, or mass. Patterns interacting more strongly with this solidification-promoting state experience greater “impedance,” resulting in higher rest mass ($m_0$) and, consequently, a higher intrinsic Compton frequency ($\omega_C = m_0$ in natural units), reflecting the increased processing (Autaxys) and informational complexity required to maintain these more persistent, localized, and energetic patterns within the fundamental dynamic medium. This reinterpretation suggests that the Higgs field is not just a background field giving mass, but a manifestation of the Autaxic process itself, specifically the aspect that favors and solidifies certain patterns, providing the "computational resources" or dynamic stability needed to sustain higher-frequency/higher-mass configurations. Mass, therefore, is a measure of the interaction strength with this solidification-promoting aspect of Autaxys, which is directly linked to the intrinsic processing frequency of the pattern.
### 4. Implications, Explanatory Power, and Testable Predictions
This process ontology and the resulting frequency-centric view of reality, encapsulated by the $m=\omega$ identity in natural units, offer a powerful framework for reinterpreting fundamental physics and exploring new avenues of inquiry. It provides a unified conceptual basis for phenomena described by both General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics, viewing them as descriptions of the dynamics and emergent patterns within the fundamental computational medium orchestrated by Autaxys. Furthermore, it suggests specific implications and potentially falsifiable predictions that distinguish it from standard interpretations and guide future empirical investigation.
```