The BEP Somatic Field Theory: Heart, Autonomic Dynamics, and the Energy Dimension of Conscious Systems

This preprint introduces BEP Somatic Field Theory (SFT), a theoretical framework that extends the BEP principle (Belonging–Energy–Prediction) by grounding the Energy dimension of cognition in embodied physiological regulation. The model proposes a Somatic Field, denoted S(t), representing the organism’s moment-to-moment autonomic and interoceptive regulatory state, which constrains the cognitive policies available to an agent. Within this framework, Energy is defined as regulatory bandwidth rather than arousal or motivation, with heart rate variability (HRV) treated as an observable index of underlying somatic dynamics rather than a causal driver of cognition. The theory introduces a state-dependent gating mechanism (the Courage Operator) through which Energy and Belonging jointly determine whether agents engage in evidence-based belief updating or shift toward stabilizing modes characterized by synchrony, narrative coherence, and conformity. The paper advances a multi-scale account linking bioelectric micro-fields, organism-level somatic regulation, cognitive mode selection, and social interaction, and extends this analysis to Human–AI interaction (the “Fourth Field”), where interaction style can modulate perceived safety and regulatory load, thereby shaping cognitive outcomes. Explicit, falsifiable predictions are provided, including nonlinear regime switching between cognitive modes, conditional access to evidence-based updating, compensatory interactions between Belonging and Energy, physiological signatures of policy selection, reversibility through regulation and safety manipulation, and measurable effects of AI interaction design on human cognition. This work positions BEP Somatic Field Theory as a unifying, testable framework bridging physiology, cognition, social dynamics, and human–AI systems, and is intended as a foundation for future empirical, clinical, and computational investigation.