Glossary of Key Terms
Up-hierarchy
A term coined by John Heron to describe how people make collective meaning together. It refers to distributed sensing that leads to collective sensemaking, where decisions are reported upwards as actions taken, rather than downwards as instructions to be followed.
Proximal
In the context of up-hierarchy, “proximal” refers to processes or elements that are near the action and in a local context.
Distal
In the context of up-hierarchy, “distal” refers to processes or elements that are further away from the action and involve more generalized or abstract information.
Prior
In process philosophy, “prior” replaces terms like “earlier” or “before” to indicate a primary or leading element in a process, emphasizing the importance of a starting point.
Posterior
In process philosophy, “posterior” replaces terms like “later” or “after” to denote an element that comes after a prior element in a process, highlighting the flow of events.
Latent
Refers to a potential or dormant state within a process, suggesting that even in the posterior phase of one wave, the seeds of the next wave are already present.
Microgenetic Process Theory
Jason W. Brown’s theory that explains human experience as a continuous flow of micro-level processes, emphasizing the dynamic and emergent nature of perception, cognition, and action.
4E Cognitive Neuro-Phenomenology
A framework in cognitive science that emphasizes the embodied, embedded, enactive, and extended nature of cognition, highlighting the interconnectedness of mind, body, and environment.
Holarchy
A concept that describes systems composed of nested hierarchies, where each level is both a whole in itself and a part of a larger whole.
Interaction Metaphor
A metaphorical framework that helps us understand complex concepts by relating them to familiar interactions or processes.
Generative, Organismic Processes
Processes that involve growth, development, and self-organization, characteristic of living systems, where the whole is seen as prior to the parts.