Relational Coherence Theory (RCT): An Experiential Extension of the Phase–Scalar Framework

This paper introduces Relational Coherence Theory (RCT) as an experiential extension of the Phase–Scalar framework developed in the Tang Papers research program. Prior work has established that continuous scalar change produces discontinuous phase transitions. RCT extends this distinction into observer-dependent systems by formalizing a third analytically irreducible descriptive layer: the experiential layer, in which meaning is interpreted, reconfigured, and temporally re-evaluated. Grounded in a repeatable physical observation of ink evaporation on a water-writing surface, the paper establishes the Discontinuity Principle, demonstrating that continuous scalar change produces discontinuous perceptual transitions. It introduces a three-layer structure of coherence (scalar, phase, experiential), and a layered temporal structure in which scalar change, phase configuration, and experiential interpretation jointly produce temporal experience. The paper further develops the Constraint Alignment Principle, distinguishing local equivalence from representational collapse, and proposes the Continuity Principle, describing how relational coherence persists through experiential reconfiguration in observer-dependent systems following individual cessation. Positioned within the Tang Papers research program, RCT extends Phase–Scalar Reconstruction into the domain of meaning, providing a diagnostic framework applicable to learning, perception, decision-making, and the interpretation of relational continuity.