Thoughtseeds: A Hierarchical Model of Embodied Cognition in the Global Workspace

Cognition emerges from dynamic interactions of self-organizing units of embodied knowledge called thoughtseeds within the Global Workspace of consciousness. The thoughtseed framework integrates evolutionary theory, neuronal packets, and the Free Energy Principle into a hierarchical model of cognitive states comprising Neuronal Packet Domains, Knowledge Domains, thoughtseed networks, and meta-cognition. This hierarchy, mediated by nested Markov blankets and reciprocal message passing, allows thoughtseeds—coherent neural activity patterns—to compete for dominance in the Global Workspace, with the dominant thoughtseed shaping conscious experience and guiding behavior. An illustrative mathematical framework grounded in active inference and dynamical systems theory models thoughtseed dynamics and their contribution to the unitary nature of consciousness, offering potential applications in understanding consciousness, attention, and decision making.

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Abstract

The emergence of cognition requires a framework that bridges evolutionary principles with neuro-computational mechanisms. This paper introduces the novel “thoughtseed” framework, proposing that cognition arises from dynamic interactions of self-organizing units of embodied knowledge called “thoughtseeds” within the Global Workspace of consciousness. By leveraging evolutionary theory, neuronal packets, and the Free Energy Principle, we propose a hierarchical model of cognitive states comprising Neuronal Packet Domains (NPDs), Knowledge Domains (KDs), thoughtseed networks, and meta-cognition. This hierarchical interplay, mediated by nested Markov blankets and reciprocal message passing, facilitates the emergence of thoughtseeds as coherent neural activity patterns that guide perception, action, and learning. Thoughtseeds, posited as fundamental units of thought, compete for dominance within the Global Workspace, with the dominant thoughtseed shaping conscious experiences and guiding behavior. We present an illustrative mathematical framework grounded in active inference and dynamical systems theory to model thoughtseed dynamics and their contribution to the unitary nature of consciousness. This biologically grounded model offers a novel approach to understanding the organizing principles and emergence of embodied cognition, with potential applications in consciousness, attention, and decision making.