mechanism

The following description suggests a distant evolutionary origin for psychological phenomena which align with those of modern human burnout and depression. Specifically, attention is drawn to three neuronal mechanisms: two of which equate to operational implementations of basic (observable) predatory threat avoidance in physical environments; and one, which relates to consequences of evaluating mixed situational circumstances, which include both pleasing and displeasing phenomena, however individually unrelated. For an overview, consider that humans conceptually model all universal phenomena (whether tangible or intangible, physical or interpreted) with the same selected-for cognitive neuronal implementation evolved to intuit and counter predatory threats in physical environments; physical environments then survived by long distant evolutionary ancestors....

see: area avoidance

defining the system signal distinction All phenomenal behaviour is conditional, and dependant upon extrinsic circumstances. If one biological system A, becomes coupled to another B, by influence of some side-effect or waste-product of A, we might observe ‘some behaviour of B is conditional to influence by signal from A’, or interpret that ‘A signals B’ Over time additional conditionality may evolve, such that the same behaviour of B becomes conditional to ’two signals’: separately; or coupled (say a different molecule)....

Consider catalysis: a catalyst transforms reactant to product. #fig “catalysis consumes reactant, and emits by-product” Consider a catalyst with a secondary side-effect – which further shape-or-influence circumstances. #fig #tbc Consider that shaping-or-influencing also takes input (priors, to shape-or-influence), and also emits (or results in) by-product – whatever has been shaped-or-influenced #fig #tbc Consider that each phenomena fitting this description intersects circumstantial change across two separate domains. #fig “just as an electrical transformer intersects two electrical circuits”...

Consider catalysis as a fundamental prior of biological mechanisms (including replication: catalyst {step > sequence } -> replicator {step > sequence}) “catalysis consumes reactant, and emits by-product: a catalyst transforms reactant to product 1” Via intermediate form; under specific circumstances. ↩︎

We are the mechanical descendants of catalysts, though we expire and deconstruct, when we run out of reactant. #tbc

How might we describe a machine? #tbc

“we are the mechanical descendants of catalysts, though we expire and deconstruct, when we run out of reactant” An evolving sketch of domain substrates: territory > energy > matter > catalyst > transformer > mechanism > organism > map > … > interpretation > … > cognition. Catalyst Step Sequence Replication #tbc redo: graph, not linear