Thoughtseeds: Evolutionary Priors, Nested Markov Blankets, and the Emergence of Embodied Cognition

The emergence of cognition requires a framework that bridges evolutionary principles with neurocomputational mechanisms. This paper introduces the "thoughtseed" framework, proposing that cognition arises from the dynamic interaction of self-organizing units of embodied knowledge called "thoughtseeds." We leverage evolutionary theory, "neuronal packets," and the "Inner Screen" hypothesis within Free Energy Principle, and propose a four-level hierarchical model of the cognitive agent's internal states: Neuronal Packet Domains (NPDs), Knowledge Domains (KDs), thoughtseeds network, and meta-cognition. The dynamic interplay within this hierarchy, mediated by nested Markov blankets and reciprocal message passing, facilitates the emergence of thoughtseeds as coherent patterns of activity that guide perception, action, and learning. The framework further explores the role of the organism's Umwelt and the principles of active inference, especially the generative model at each nested level, in shaping the selection and activation of thoughtseeds, leading to adaptive behavior through surprise minimization. The "Inner Screen" is posited as the locus of conscious experience, where the content of the dominant thoughtseed is projected, maintaining a unitary conscious experience. Active thoughtseeds are proposed as the fundamental units of thought that contribute to the "content of consciousness." We present a mathematical framework grounded in active inference and dynamical systems theory. The thoughtseed framework represents an initial but promising step towards a novel, biologically-grounded model for understanding the organizing principles and emergence of embodied cognition, offering a unified account of cognitive phenomena, from basic physiological regulation to higher-order thought processes, and potentially bridge neuroscience and contemplative traditions.