Cognitive Arrest (Brain Stop) and Rupture in Neural Data Through Repetition and Pressure: A Theory of Interrupted Awareness and the Possibility of Liberation
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) May 1, 2026 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19940247 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Cognition Phenomenology philosophy Consciousness Perception Repetition rhetorical device Cognitive systems Artificial neural network Cognitive psychology Cognitive science Neural activity Natural archaeology |
| Key points | Proposes that 'Cognitive Arrest' describes a state where awareness is trapped in repetitive neural patterns, and that rupture of this cycle through intense pressure or pain may allow emergence of 'pure awareness.' |
Abstract
This paper introduces the concept of Cognitive Arrest (Brain Stop) as a condition in which the natural flow of awareness becomes interrupted within recorded, repetitive, and conditioned neural patterns. In this state, instead of moving freely in the present moment, awareness becomes trapped in past emotional data, engrams, and anxiety-based loops. Through the selective amplification of stressful events and their repeated representation, the brain assimilates the external world to the past and keeps the individual in a repetitive and low-awareness mode of life. The paper further argues that intense pressure, the collapse of previously dominant neural structures, or psychological pain can create a rupture in this cycle and open the possibility for the emergence of a freer and calmer level of awareness; a level referred to here as pure awareness. This model stands at the intersection of philosophy of consciousness, cognitive psychology, and the phenomenology of awareness.