Title:
Beyond Mechanistic Cognition: Toward a Post-linear Framework of Cognitive Development

Authors:
Dr. Robb Shawe, Aslak Molvaer, USA

Abstract:

Dominant models of cognition have been shaped by mechanistic and reductionist assumptions that conceptualize mental processes as linear, decomposable, and computationally analogous systems. While these models have provided analytical clarity and methodological rigor, they encounter limitations when applied to environments characterized by complexity, uncertainty, and continuous interaction.

This article introduces a post-linear framework of cognition that reconceptualizes cognitive processes as dynamic, relational, and temporally integrated. Rather than treating cognition as a sequence of discrete operations, the framework emphasizes the interaction of multiple cognitive potentials operating simultaneously across time and context.

The analysis examines the limitations of mechanistic cognition, including its reliance on linearity, modular decomposition, and machine-based metaphors. It then develops an alternative perspective grounded in four principles: superposition, entanglement, relational embedding, and developmental trajectory.

The article argues that cognition should be understood as a probabilistic and emergent field rather than a deterministic processing system. This shift enables a more comprehensive understanding of how cognition operates under real-world conditions and provides a foundation for analyzing cognitive vulnerability, adaptation, and resilience.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.51505/ijaemr.2026.11228