This work introduces empirically testable signatures for evaluating phenomenological invariants and irreversible commitments in systems that persist under irreversible time. Rather than relying on introspective access, internal representations, or subjective reports, the approach identifies observable structural markers with measurable consequences. Phenomenological invariants are indicated by necessity for coherence and by stability across contextual variation and perturbation. Irreversible commitments are indicated by asymmetric cost under attempted reversal and by the persistent inaccessibility of excluded alternatives. Together, these signatures provide a framework for experimentally probing theories of internal agreement and preference through behavioral and structural effects alone. The result is a methodology for empirical validation of foundational claims without assuming privileged access to internal semantics or experiential states.
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Riaan de Beer (2026) studied this question.
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