Quick Note

This is an introductory post about myself and findings of my deep introspection. As thus, I want to be up front about what this post is and isn't.

A quick explanation of who I am. I'm a researcher with a background in cancer research, genetics, and antibody discovery. I have no formal training in psychology or neuroscience. I'm a scientist that's really good about observing things, including my own mind, apparently.

This is simply a first-person introspective account about how my mind appears to organize itself, worded as best as I can. It's not a neuroscience paper or a clinical diagnoses. I am not claiming superiority or uniqueness. I know that introspective reports are unreliable. Humans can be imperfect observers, but nonetheless, observational findings are still useful if introduced with proper epistemic humility, which I hope I've achieved here.

I've sat with the knowledge of my introspection for years and hadn't shared it with anyone because I didn't know who to share it to. I was uncertain if anyone could understand what I'm explaining. So, I've never mentioned it to anyone. It was only recently did someone introduce me to this forum, where I realize introspective thoughts like mine can be shared and be freely discussed. It was an amazing discovery to me as I didn't know such a place existed.

I'm writing this post as an offering of information that has been useful to me, and might be useful for others. I offer it as something that can be compared to other experiences, or even as a target for critique and refinement.

Overview

After many years of deep introspection, I've discovered that I appear to have a naturally-occurring multi-layer cognitive architecture with what I can only describe as "fixed spatial positions". Each component occupies a consistent location in my mental space. I did not deliberately construct this and it is not, to my knowledge, pathological. It's simply how my mind has organized itself. Through one particular event that occurred recently, which I will get to, I was able to obtain a clear map of the structure.

The architecture has three layers and I'll describe each one in greater detail. I want to point out that the names for the layers are my own because I find them descriptive. It's not something I believe maps to any formal psychological framework.

The Architecture

Layer 1: Executive Function

This layer is where the active ...

Bullitt33

Bullitt33