1. Introduction: The Hyper-complex Synchronization Paradox
Conventional neurobiology has historically approached our interaction with the world as a series of sequential elaborations: sensory receptors send signals to the brain, which deciphers, calculates, and generates a motor response. In this view, the awareness of our body position (proprioception) and that of external objects is dynamic information, resulting from complex calculations and the transmission of signals through countless neural stations.
However, daily experience exposes a radical challenge to this model. Consider the seemingly simple act of walking down the street while conversing with a friend. In a single instant, our nervous system orchestrates simultaneous activity involving billions of neurons. If activity were purely sequential, it would involve the orchestration of:
- Locomotion and Vision: Hyper-complex cortico-cortical and cortico-subcortical circuits managing visually-guided ambulation and balance. (Example: The continuous calculation to avoid a pothole and balance body weight).
- Language and Cognition: Circuits controlling the phono-articulation of thought and semantic processes. (Example: The instantaneous selection of words while the tongue and lips move with millimetric precision).
- Environmental Perception: Circuits encoding the origin and location of sounds in space and processing tactile stimuli. (Example: The immediate awareness of a gust of wind touching the cheek).
If positional awareness, external object awareness, and the flow of thought were the final result of a long and complex signal-transmission-based calculation, our interaction with the world would be intrinsically slow, fragmented, and misaligned—an unsustainable logical paradox for the fluidity of human action. (Example: We would have to “freeze” every time we needed to calculate where our hand is before drinking a glass of water).
The Integrated Theory of Mind (TIM) resolves this paradox by postulating that positional and relational information is intrinsically known to the network, not calculated. Positional awareness is an intrinsic, structural property of the neurons themselves, encoded as “Hic et Nunc” (here and now). (Example: The brain does not calculate the arm’s position; it simply knows that the neuron designated to encode “elbow bent at 90 degrees” is the one currently activating).
2. The Receptive Field: The “Hic et Nunc” and the PM’s Predictive Knowledge
At the core of this embodied awareness is the receptive field, the structural unit of a priori functional knowledge possessed by the neuron. Every neuron encodes:
- “Hic” (Here): The spatial area the neuron is designated to encode (positional space), the Potential Structure (Riverbed). (Example: The neuron encoding the left pinky intrinsically has the information “left pinky” written in its architecture, even when inactive).
- “Nunc” (Now): The temporal instant in which that state information is manifested, the Feedback Flow. (Example: The precise instant the left pinky is touching something).
In this structural perspective, the roles of Output and Input circuits are defined relative to the Prognostica Mens (PM), the predictive control center and repository of Dynamic Relational Knowledge:
Potential Structure: Positional Awareness (The Hic)
Spatial awareness of the body district is written in the neuron’s topographic architecture and fixed connections. This is its potential capacity. The act of commanding movement by the mind is inseparable from the act of knowing which position corresponds to that command. The PM does not calculate the position but accesses its internal knowledge (the Information: near/far, different/analogous shape) and uses the Output (Alpha and Gamma Motor Neurons) to ignite the structural potential (the Hic) of the network, making it functional. (Example: When the PM “decides” to close the hand, it directly activates the structural potential of the motor neurons encoding the position “hand closed,” without first having to calculate the trajectory from “hand open”). The role of the Predictiva Mens (PdM) is to establish the baseline reality and conscious unity through the holistic synchronization of macro-cognitive centers in routine contexts, providing the stable predictive fabric (the baseline Hic). (Example: The PdM maintains the background awareness that the body is whole and stable, even if we are focused on watching a movie).
Feedback Flow: State Awareness (The Nunc)
The Active Function is the current, dynamic information about the state of the muscles or the environment, constantly updated. The Input signal (Neuromuscular Spindles, GTOs, external receptors) does not describe positional information (already known to the structural Hic) but ignites awareness of the dynamic state of the muscle or environment at that temporal instant (the Nunc). This Input information is the Feedback Flow (Flowing Water) that the PM uses to monitor and correct movement in real-time, verifying that the action’s result conforms to its Predictive Knowledge. (Example: The signal from the neuromuscular spindle does not say “the arm is at 90 degrees,” but says: “at this instant, muscle elongation is X,” allowing the PM to compare the actual elongation with the predicted one for the activated “Hic” position).
Complementarity: Knowledge, Structure, and Flow
The activation of the Riverbed and the Feedback Flow is not sequential, but complementary and co-activated. When the PM issues a linear Output command (“activate here”), it simultaneously activates the positional potential (Hic) and establishes the functional link with the corresponding sensory receptor field (Nunc). (Example: The instant I decide to grasp a cup, I not only activate the hand’s position (Hic), but I immediately put myself in a position to receive the tactile feedback (Nunc) when the hand touches the cup).
3. The River Archetype and Structural Specialization (SOC/SOA)
The river analogy clarifies the relationship between structure, the PM’s Knowledge, and state monitoring. The Information (Dynamic Relational Knowledge) guides the Output and, depending on the Intention (Metric or Symbolic), activates a specific type of Riverbed.
| Component | TIM Correlative | Riverbed Specialization |
| Riverbed | Structural Awareness (Hic) | System Operative Action (SOA): Bed designed for quantum-fractionated interaction (Second Level), with parallel circuits for separate reaching and grip, focused on metric action. (Example: When I reach for an apple, the reaching (arm movement) and the grip (hand shape) are managed as two fractionated/parallel processes). |
| Information | PM’s Knowledge (The Intention) | System Operative Communication (SOC): Bed designed for holistic-interwoven interaction (Second Level), essential for cohesive symbolic units (e.g., syllable, linguistic gesture) linked to the Ego Socialis/Cogitans spheres. (Example: When I pronounce the word “sun,” the PM activates the SOC bed, which merges the activation of the tongue, lips, and vocal cords into a single symbolic unit, managing the action as a cohesive whole). |
| Flowing Water | Feedback Flow (Nunc) | The Feedback Flow monitors the execution of a segmented (SOA) or fused (SOC) action. (Example: In SOA, it monitors if the grip is strong enough; in SOC, it monitors if my phono-articulation is correct to produce that verbal symbol). |
Holistic Articulation: Interwoven (SOC) vs. Fractionated (SOA) Flow
The act of Movement is not a signal that informs about a new position, but is the act of modifying the shape of the Riverbed itself. This structural modification, guided by the PM’s Knowledge, is the direct expression of Holistic Articulation: the process of movement construction that sculpts the new positional configuration (the Hic) in an articulated and fluid manner. Holistic Articulation is encoded and realized at the First Level (Primary Motor/Primary Somatosensory Cortex). (Example: A dancer’s movement is not a series of calculated positions, but a continuous and fluid holistic remodelling of the body’s structural position).
Synchronized Morphogenesis: Building the Bed and Knowledge
The structural organization of the Riverbed (Hic) is the product of the Morphogenesis of Receptive Fields (Input Morphogenesis), the process that shapes the neuron’s potential infrastructure based on experience. This morphogenesis occurs in a holistically synchronized manner with Cognitive Morphogenesis, which refines the PM’s Dynamic Relational Knowledge and the RM’s executive capacity. The synchronization between the construction of the Bed (Hic) and the evolution of Flow management (Nunc) is the foundation that allows the RM, through the act of Focalization, to simultaneously monitor the potential position (Hic) and the dynamic state information (Nunc) for fluid and coherent action. This integration allows the mind to maintain holistic coherence while operating a functional selection: for example, in the case of a nociceptive stimulus (pain in the big toe), the RM’s Zoom In (selective restriction) activates the corresponding portion of the Bed, allowing simultaneous monitoring of local movement and gait correction through all muscular and nociceptive state information (Nunc Flow). (Example: The RM uses the pain information (Nunc) to correct the structural position (Hic) of the walk, avoiding loading weight onto the injured big toe).
4. Hierarchical Organization and Focalization as a Knowledge Command
The intrinsic positional awareness is not uniform but is hierarchically organized by the Receptive Fields.
The Hierarchy of Receptive Fields: From Punctiform Hic to the Homunculus
At the base of the Embodied Structural Map (Riverbed) lies a hierarchy ranging from punctiform receptive fields (single neurons at the peripheral level encoding a precise point) to broad cortical receptive fields (aggregations of neurons encoding functional macro-areas). The progression of structural knowledge (Hic) is by summation: punctiform fields integrate into broader structures, culminating in the holistic and complex organization of the Somatosensory Homunculus and the Motor Homunculus (Penfield & Rasmussen, 1950). This hierarchical architecture ensures that every single part of the body has its precise positional encoding (Hic) and that these encodings are immediately scalable. The Receptive Fields are the structural infrastructure upon which Articulation is based. They define the Embodied Structural Map and, with it, the limits and possibilities of movement. (Example: Receptive fields on the fingertip are smaller and more detailed (punctiform) to allow for fine manipulation, while those on the back are larger and more general (broad cortical), reflecting the different need for precision).
Focalization is an Act of Knowledge and Linear Command by the Responsiva Mens (RM)
Focalization is not a passive input process but a conscious Output act guided by the PM’s Dynamic Knowledge. The conscious output, or the Activating Intention, is realized by the Responsiva Mens (RM), the executive modality of the PM. (Example: Focalization is not “I saw a needle,” but the Output act: “Activate the neurons needed to grasp the needle here”).
Zoom In and Zoom Out: Selecting the Scale of Knowledge
Our ability to shift from detail to total experience proves that awareness is an immediate action of scale selection within a reality that is already structurally synchronized (Hic). “Zoom In” (restriction) and “Zoom Out” (broadening) are conscious Output acts guided by the RM, which selects the activation scale within a network whose knowledge is already structurally present.
The RM utilizes dynamic relational knowledge (the Information: position, shape, trajectory, type of interaction) and commands linearly: “Activate here, using the appropriate SOC/SOA structure.” This linear command is the act of attentional selection that allows, for instance, focusing on a single finger (activating the network of punctiform receptive fields) or the entire foot (activating a broad cortical receptive field macro-area), without requiring additional calculation. (Example: I can instantaneously switch from focusing on my thumb holding the pen (punctiform Zoom In) to the awareness of my entire body sitting at the desk (broad cortical Zoom Out).)
The act of Focalization makes three types of knowledge immediately and simultaneously functional and salient: mutual position (the Hic), inherent in the activated Riverbed; relational knowledge (the Information), which guides the action; and the Feedback Flow (the Nunc), which monitors its execution. The intertwining of movement (the “flow”) is only possible if its neural bed (SOC) is structurally fused, as the only infrastructure that can support the information flow of a unitary symbol (Ego Socialis/Cogitans).
5. Resolution of the Logical Paradox: The PM’s Knowledge
The PM resolves the risk of an infinite logical regress (where activation cannot occur if the position is not already known) through the distinction between the two states of awareness: (Example: Without this distinction, to activate a neuron, I would first need to know where it is, but to know where it is, I would first need to activate it—an infinite loop).
- The PM’s Knowledge is Structural and Holistic: The Predictiva Mens (PdM) establishes the baseline reality and conscious unity. The PM directly accesses this Embodied Structural Map. Position is not a value to be calculated but an holistic property written in the very architecture of the neural network. (Example: The PM does not receive an email saying “the leg is in position P1,” but has direct access to the structural “library” P1).
- Focalization is the Act of “Igniting the Knowledge”: The conscious output, realized by the Responsiva Mens (RM), translates directly into an “activate here.” (Example: The act of Focalization is like flipping the light switch on a specific point of the structural library, making it current).
| Mode of Awareness | Nature and Role in TIM | River Archetype Reference |
| Structural Awareness (Holistic) | The background, intrinsic, and potential awareness of the entire corporeal Self (Hic), established by the PdM and specialized in the SOC/SOA beds. (Example: The knowledge of having all fingers intact and ready for use, even with eyes closed). | The intact Riverbed. |
| Dynamic Information (PM’s Knowledge) | The relational knowledge that guides the linear Output. (Example: Knowing that I must pick up the cup, not grasping it forcefully, but delicately). | The Directive Intention that shapes the Riverbed. |
| Feedback Flow (Selective) | The current, selective awareness of the State at a given instant (Nunc). The act of monitoring the action’s result, instrumental to the PM/RM. (Example: The sensation of the cup’s warmth at the exact moment I touch it). | The Flowing Water (sensory feedback) in that specific portion of the Bed. |
This triple awareness allows the mind to maintain holistic coherence while operating a functional selection: the mind is efficient (linear in command) because the information is complex (hierarchical in structure).
6. The Anchoring Theory: Incorporating External Knowledge
The Anchoring Theory explains how the PM’s Dynamic Knowledge extends to the external world. Anchoring is the act of extending and incorporating an external position or shape (an object, a table) within intrinsic awareness, transforming it into an extended body district managed by the PM as a “part” of its structural map. (Example: When balancing on a trampoline, it is “anchored” and perceived as a rigid base of our body).
Empirical Evidence: The Rake Experiment and the Bimodal Receptive Field
This theory finds support in experiments conducted on macaques (Iriki, Tanaka, & Iriki, 1996). Researchers observed that after prolonged use of a rake to retrieve food, neurons in the premotor area and posterior parietal cortex, which initially responded only to stimuli on the arm, extended their receptive fields to include the tip of the tool. This is an example of a bimodal receptive field: the neuron simultaneously encodes the space near the body (peripersonal) and the space at the tool’s end, as if the rake had become an extension of the arm. The PM uses this dual receptive field for Focalization, which can concern the hand/rake contact point and the rake/object contact point. (Example: After anchoring, touching with the rake’s tip is perceived as a direct touch, almost as if the contact were felt in the hand holding the handle).
In structural terms, Anchoring is the creation of a new channel or tributary of the Riverbed that incorporates the external object. The act of anchoring (often visual) does not just provide an Input, but provides the PM with the Dynamic Relational Information (e.g., the spherical shape) that will guide the Holistic Articulation of the hand. This structural dynamism is intrinsic and holistic, ensuring that every added element is immediately integrated into the unitary system. (Example: Driving a car with visual Anchoring allows one to perceive the wheels (an external object) as an extension of one’s body, facilitating driving in tight spaces).
7. Methodological Implications and Challenges for Validation
The hypothesis of a structural awareness based on the PM’s Predictive Knowledge raises a critical challenge for current neuroscientific methods (fMRI, EEG), which are optimized to detect the flow of dynamic signals (the calculation) and its electrical and energetic consequences.
| Coding Method | Model Focus | Validation Obstacle |
| Traditional Hypothesis (Dynamic Flow) | Position P is a result of the summation and calculation of incoming signals (Input). (Example: An EEG/fMRI signal shows activation of the motor cortex after the sensory signal has passed through the thalamus and other stations). | Current methods are optimized for this hypothesis; their detection does not exclude the structural hypothesis. |
| Our Hypothesis (Structure/Embodied Knowledge) | Information (e.g., position P) is an intrinsic and potential property of the neuron or the PM’s dynamic knowledge, activated by the act of Focalization (RM Output). (Example: The “Hic” knowledge exists even before electrical/metabolic activation). | Methods cannot isolate and measure the intrinsic informational quality (the coding potential and Relational Knowledge) of a silent neuron, making it impossible to exclude that the information was just calculated. (Example: We do not know if the neuron “already knows” the position when we do not see it activated). |
To fully validate TIM, future research would require the development of technology capable of measuring the intrinsic informational quality (the coding potential and Relational Knowledge) of a neuron, independent of its dynamic activation. (Example: A technology capable of reading the “Hic” code of a resting neuron before the Focalization command ignites it).
Bibliographical References
Fuster, J. M. (2004). Cortex and Mind: Unifying Cognition. Oxford University Press.
Iriki, A., Tanaka, M., & Iriki, A. (1996). Tool-use and the evolution of the primate brain. The Journal of Neurophysiology, 75(1), 1-13.
Penfield, W., & Rasmussen, T. (1950). The Cerebral Cortex of Man: A Clinical Study of Localization of Function. Macmillan