Contemporary Western accounts of consciousness often treat the mind and environment as separate processes. In contrast, evidence from non-Western traditions—such as Kabbalah—illustrates more interactive models of mind–environment engagement (Varela et al. 1991; Sendor 1994; Hutchins, 2010). The extensive cross-cultural research on consciousness, coupled with the lack of definitive scientific outcomes, underscores the need for a culturally pluralistic approach to its study.

Drawing on principles from biological systems to model continuous feedback between an organism and its environment, we employ both closed-loop and open-loop paradigms to highlight the differences between Western and non-Western approaches. In other words, continuous feedback mechanisms—akin to those observed in modeling of biological systems (Bettinger & Friston, 2023)—can be represented through a coupling scheme that characterizes the dynamics between mind and environment. Notably, the convergence of insights from the natural sciences and traditional consciousness studies reveals a critical epistemological intersection.

Inspired by this transdisciplinary intersection, we propose a theoretical framework termed the Ecological Approach to Consciousness (EAC). This framework addresses the limitations of contemporary paradigms by integrating non-dualistic, multicultural, physical, biological, and ecological perspectives. The EAC posits that the mind and environment engage in mutually constitutive relationships, forming an interdependent whole. By incorporating diverse cultural perspectives, alternative models of mind–environment relationships emerge, and modeling these dynamics within a coupling scheme provides a robust framework for capturing the closed-loop, reciprocal processes that characterize natural phenomena.