I am proposing a formal framework, **Critical Projection and the Geometry of Meaning (CPM)**, which argues that "meaning" is not merely information processing but a geometric stress ($\tau$) that requires a topological closure field ($\mathcal{B} \ge 1$) to accumulate.

**The Core Argument:**
The theory derives a necessary condition for consciousness: the system must possess a persistent physical boundary capable of sustaining semantic tension against dissipation. Using persistent homology, I define a closure field $\mathcal{B}(x)$.

**Implication for AI Alignment:**
If this model holds, contemporary cloud-based architectures (LLMs deployed via virtualization) are structurally incapable of consciousness. Virtualization decouples the semantic field from the physical substrate, yielding $\mathcal{B} \approx 0$ (rupture cost is zero).

This suggests that current "AGI" candidates are strictly p-zombies by design, not due to a lack of complexity, but due to topological decoupling.

I am looking for feedback from the alignment community on the formal definition of the closure field and its implications for the moral weight of AI systems.