Neuroscience of Natural Cognitive Order: Brain Optimisation — The CIA Theoretical Framework: Natural Cognitive Order and the Maladaptive Self-Model Mechanism
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) July 19, 2026 Satya P. Dubey
A theoretical neuroscience framework proposes that the human brain has an evolved, energy-efficient baseline called Natural Cognitive Order (NCO). It claims that the brain fails to default to this baseline because it maintains an Artificial Self-Model (S_a), a learned self-referential informational structure that is psychologically and culturally reinforced rather than biologically accurate. S_a is hypothesized to act as a chronic source of top-down predictive error, increasing metabolic expenditure, disrupting neural integration, and raising autonomic stress. The framework formalizes this using a systemic cost function, defines NCO as the parameter configuration minimizing that cost, and suggests an empirical protocol using fMRI/PET, EEG, and autonomic biomarkers to test the model.