active draft. a technical sketch. general, before special —alignment, before distraction

intro

Hello Bryan,

So—I’m not done on the dependent origination meta analysis—though similarities with some of the methods of this project are clear (which is very cool, thank you).

Dependent origination is an esoteric term which I would never have thought to investigate – I have no doubt that this is also the case for arbitrarily many of the causally implicated phenomena I describe and weave together throughout this project, and in particular this piece.

This piece is ambitious, and potentially a sensitive matter for many—a fictional exploration of an evolutionary origin for depression ^[ And more ], based on a speculative reverse engineering of neuronal functionality, to a coherent (eventually complete) account, and an abstract causal architecture of consciousness.

Noting your (public) personal history, technical perspective and research, and noting that some of your interintellect colleagues are psychologists—I wonder whether any of you are able to point out established terms or concepts for any of the ideas framed here, so that I might further reconcile, reference, and-or correct, where conflict occurs.

and simply, I would very much value any feedback on this treatment of an obviously delicate matter of concern

I’ll front load an essential caveat—i very much understand that the individual circumstances of those who suffer depression are unique and personal, which I cannot speak to holistically, of course—though despite that, there must be something common to all, and I am speaking to that commonality. Further, I am speaking to an intermediate tier of phenomena, between the behaviours and the content of thought, and the implementation of the brain.

I am pointing at the system, not the signal. At the general case, of a dependent origination of depression.

framing

For framing, this piece will amalgamate a number of different pieces of exploratory fiction from the larger work, and follows the earlier diagrams 2-4 ^[ Https://mastodon.online/@causalmechanics/110040131729114979 ], after a jump to the ’logical system of mind’ ^[ Shown in 4/6 ] whereby a number of fictional narratives describe the incremental evolution of cognitive function, via hypothetical ancestors of humans, surviving territory—the environment and then others ^[ This piece is an amalgamation of a few sketches: the notion of zonal ban is discussed proper when considering an amphibian shared ancestor ~100m years ago, but precursors are implied here, for reasons which are discussed; the minimal viable requisites for conscious are built from first principles, based on the functional effect of various neuronal mechanics, and speculatively placed ~500m ago, although possibly ~538m years ago around the cambrian explosion, for reasons. This piece considers the precursor of zonal ban in the earlier timeframe, because the functional requirements later discussed ought be present. None of the functionality discussed hinges on these dates. Initial research is favourable though. Further discussion on the dates and origination of current form and function in notes ].

As a catch-up, the sequences described in 2-4 (when completed, I suggest):

  • Can be shown to intersect with meditation practice, including metta, and cognitive or emotional behavioural therapy (CBT ECBT)
  • Can be speculatively related to brain implementation: memory reconsolidation, etc
  • Describes an intermediate stage of cognitive mechanics, before behaviour, between the content of thought, and brain implementation (this simplification is developed and refined over later stages) ^[ Where Sam Harris points out ‘conscious is distinct from its contents’, he implicates a system signal distinction. This intermediate stage describes that system ]
  • Is directly experienceable cognitive mechanism, and can be tested

Ahead of this piece in the larger work, further notions have been introduced:

  • Additional brain implementation is introduced: representational maps – place, grid cells, and what follows ^[ This is introduced proper when considering an amphibious shared ancestor ~100m years ago, but precursors are implied here, for reasons which are discussed ]; also notions like evolutionary segmentation, and repurposing, and more
  • The origins of conceptual-thought are being discussed, with neuronal functionality adding conditionality to the material employment of ’embodied messaging language’, a primitive of biological autonomy (and a precursor to emotion) ^[ The interplay between one particular aspect of embodied messaging language (pulsed sustainable messaging) and the electro-mechanics of neuronal activity is found to be profoundly impactful to lived experience (and is already implicated in 2-4, metta, and CBT and ECBT) ]
  • Embodied go refers to a material chemical release (later go-code: candidates are glucose/ atp or similar): pulsed, sustainable messaging (for reasons)
    • Implements movement intensity
    • Articulation control becomes neuronal: initially fixed pattern; then plural; learned; adaptive, etc
    • Together directly cause muscular movement, coordination, and locomotion
  • Embodied stop interrupts go, attenuates go-code release, through to cessation, and can suppresses articulation signals
    • Increases time for additional sensory operation
    • Reduce risk of misadventure
    • Is energy efficient, etc
    • Abrupt stop (inanimation) can help avoid detection
    • ^[ For pre-conceptual autonomy, anthropomorphised care, caution, or freeze (abrupt stop, inanimation) is implemented by autonomous slowing of pace by attenuating go-code, with increasing pain to interrupt present actions however stimulating they may be, through to acute embodied mechanics of ffs-just-stop! ]
  • Pre-conceptual cognition
    • Does not yet include the mechanism of 2-4
    • Is simpler autonomy (simpler mechanics)
    • Is the foundation of modern human cognition, which is built upon, not replaced
    • As such, is instructive to modern phenomenological experience
  • Mechanistically summarised:
    • Stimulus detected
    • If associated with persisted memory, memory recalled
    • If memory has associated emotional flag, invoke
    • If invoked, embodied state primed
      • Embodied messaging language (pulsed, sustainable messaging)

finally, getting to the point…

the sketch

Consider, that we don’t yet have the means to objectively conceptualise: cognition is mechanically evaluated autonomy. Where autonomous response directly follows the intensity of any invoked emotional flag (along with neuronal articulation) (not yet conscious).

Consider that over time, persistence of significant stimuli has evolved, to compose relational maps of significant things ^[ Does not need to be place cells yet, but a precursor ].

As stimuli from any location ^[ Are detected, interpreted, and ] implicate a route, a basic look ahead might be implemented by evaluating degree of separation from present location. Such that, where nearby locations are significant, we might be influenced by that significance sooner, should evolution increase the scope of relational map under evaluation at each step ^[ Discussed later ].

Consider threats in adjacent locations: whereby a persistent threat may cause a extended area to be effectively off-limits ^[ Look ahead implements avoidance for fixed locations ].

this implementation will be termed ‘zonal ban’

Consider predators, which move independently of an environment, such that fixed environmental flags are unsuitable. Excessive territory may become marked as off-limits, with an unnecessary reduction of survivable territory.

zonal bans, like all functionality, requires conditionality

Threat and predators may be periodic occurrences, seasonal or rare: such that off-limit areas become seasonally or circumstantially threat free. Corrective cascades evolve, to reset the emotion flag of zonally banned areas; re-allowing access to previously blocked resources, which improves the circumstances of survival.

zonal reset, as a cascade across associated neurones

Consider this pre-conceptual functionality evolving sufficient potency for fully autonomous biological survival—go like your life depended upon it—stop like your life depended upon it—do not go there, like your life depended upon it.

Now consider the next segmentation, to independently track non fixed territory: others, predators, and later intangible aspects of those things; objective concepts; dependent origination, even.

Consider this segmentation of our environmental context; such that all conceptual thought is composed by the very same associated maps, and emotional flag mechanism, and the very same autonomous processes, protections, cascades, and responses.

Now consider the self, as the default conceptual context.

And consider the effect, day-to-day, moment-to-moment, of sufficiently intense or sufficiently many adjacent negatively associated memories resulting in zonal bans within the default map of all conceptual concerns, crossing thresholds which begin to trigger embodied stop.

Now consider the circumstances and the spectrum of burnout, depression, chronic fatigue and chronic pain.

ok, will stop here for now.

notes

omitted or incomplete

rapid conclusion

  • To conclude this exploration a little better
    • Consider the above mechanism in light of 2-4
    • Now consider human therapy, self-help like meditation, coping strategies, life, where we so often do things to feel good while doing other things (learning, operating, thinking), framed as means to avoid negative flags throughout operation within contexts which we have to do, or minimise when already make us feel down
  • These ideas come from a larger piece, so it isn’t obvious how much I need to share to explore this discussion with others
  • I think this may be enough for engineering minds to put pieces together, but can add more if necessary

still to cover

  • Describe significance of difference between eml and electro-mechanics, eml bleed over (find better term!) between sequential thoughts
    • The mechanism of metta, therapy, etc
  • This also causes problems, when we feel bad, we might imprint that emotional flag on arbitrarily any thoughts which arise and overlap prior, maintained eml
    • Over time, when this passes thresholds of intensity or adjacency, we operationally experience embodied stop on the default context
      • Noting (burnout can occur on alternate context)
  • Embodied directives:
    • Embodied directives refer to non-conceptual communications of intent, localised to the chest area, which can be identified and refined by meditation practice
    • ^[ Crucial note: for 2-4, emotional state must be embodied, not simply conceptualised. A methodology to develop this is discussed ]
  • Embodied stop
    • The effect of muscular suppression near a cliff, for example
    • Later referred to as alarm, with candidate chemical adrenaline (skipped here for brevity)
  • Embodied action
    • Only locations which invoke particularly intense significance must be avoided at all costs
    • Abrupt go, is a last resort
  • ‘How we feel while we’re thinking’
    • This really is fundamental to our lived experience, and all others, whom poses the minimum viable architecture for consciousness

on dates

  • For simplicity, this fictional piece considers zonal developments pre-segmentation, with segmentation to non-fixed and conceptual phenomena copying all functionality, but in reality segments can evolve the same functionality after the event ^[ Off the top of my head, fingernails: where limbs are segmentations, with the tip segmenting into a hand; early hands iterated through to claws, then nothing, then for primates, finger nails. Newly evolved functionality across prior segmentations. Again, nothing pivots on this order of evolution yet ]
  • There’s a philosophical back and forth
    • Early discussions on maps initially targeting ~100m years ago
    • And later discussion on shared ancestors of humans and octopi, ~500m years ago, nematode
      • Minimum viable requisites for
        • Learning
        • Conscious base
        • Adaptive autonomy
        • Alignment between neuronal mechanics and reality
    • And noticing a proximity to cambrian explosion ~538m years ago
      • With a discussion on how body diversification follows ability to survive in new locations, with new physical demands on survival, which follows minimal viable reality-aligned adaptive learning and autonomy (primitive forms of, obviously

that isn’t so important to this discussion on functionality, and how we can trace simple (minim viable) neuronal mechanics to account for complex (anomalous) modern human circumstances

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