A neural framework for the origin of meaning: network dynamics, context and the hippocampus

Abstract

How does the brain generate meaning from the continuous flow of sensory input? We propose that meaning is not the product of isolated regions or circuits but an emergent property of large-scale recurrently connected networks in which the hippocampus plays a pivotal role. Drawing from cognitive science, developmental studies and systems neuroscience, we outline five key principles by which the brain constructs meaning. (i) Network-level emergence: meaning arises from the coordinated activity of distributed hubs, with the hippocampus serving as a central node that binds activity across modalities and timescales. (ii) Reentrant processing: bidirectional hippocampal-cortical loops allow prior experience to continuously inform new perception, enabling prediction, disambiguation and context-sensitive interpretation. (iii) Dynamic stability: hippocampal computations help maintain attractor-like network states that stabilize semantic representations while retaining flexibility to incorporate novelty. (iv) Grounding and multi-level integration: by linking embodied sensorimotor experiences with abstract symbolic relations, meanings remain anchored in real-world invariants yet extend to higher-order concepts. (v) Context-dependency: through its role in relational binding, the hippocampus dynamically modulates meaning as a function of task demands, prior knowledge and emotional states. By integrating microcircuit dynamics with global network organization, we argue that meaning reflects the brain's capacity to stabilize and flexibly reconfigure distributed states in response to ongoing input and goals. This synthesis highlights the hippocampus as indispensable for transforming sensory input into coherent, context-rich meaning across the lifespan. This article is part of the theme issue 'The role of hippocampal predictions in cognition: bridging perception and memory'.