A Stratified Ontology (𝑅 = 𝑃 × 𝑁): Reconciling Physical Determinism with Human Experience

Current interpretations of General Relativity and the 4D Block Universe (Eternalism) present a fundamental conflict between physical theory and human experience: if the spacetime manifold is static and complete, the phenomenological experience of flowing time and agency is often dismissed as illusory. This conflict is increasingly prominent in contemporary science, where consciousness is often deemed an epiphenomenon separate from fundamental reality. This paper argues that such tension arises not from physical laws, but from an implicit “Single-Layer Totality” ontology which conflates existence with physical description. To resolve this, a Stratified Reality Model is proposed, defined by the equation 𝑅 = 𝑃 × 𝑁, aligned with the dual-layered reality framework in Chang, 2025/2026. In this framework, 𝑃 (Potential) represents the static, high-dimensional configuration lattice of all physically possible states, while N (Navigator) represents the agency of realization functioning within a distinct, persistent informational stratum (𝐼2) capable of accumulation and realignment. Eternal Reality (𝑅) is identified not as a pre-existing place, but as the dynamic event of realization occurring at the coupling of a Potential Node (𝑃) and Navigational Agency (𝑁). This dual-layered reality ontology validates human experience — specifically the emergence of time from information asymmetry — without requiring modifications to the standard formalism of physics.