The Neuron: An Atom of the Prognostic Mind

his article is part of a series dedicated to exploring the neurophysiological foundations of the "Integrated Theory of Mind" (Leonardi 2025), which places the experience of the acting/perceiving subject at the center of understanding the mind. Moving beyond purely mechanistic descriptions, the model introduces three primary functional spheres – the "I Act," the "I Socialize," and the "I Think" – whose fundamental operational mode is anticipation/verification, guided by top-down (internal anticipations) and bottom-up (sensory data) flows. Supporting these spheres are two omnipresent Cardinal Principles: the Holistic Self (HS) and the Quantum Self (QS), responsible respectively for the synthesis of forms and the differentiation of figures and their relationships. All of this is orchestrated by the Prognostic Mind (Prognostica Mens), the unifying principle of constant prediction and verification. These principles manifest through Cognitive Morphogenesis (CM), which governs the synthesis and differentiation of cognitive information without a fixed hierarchical dominance, and Articulatory Morphogenesis (AM), which regulates the dynamics of motor and sensory control based on dominance/sub-dominance between physical elements. In this paper, we delve into the most elementary level of the nervous system: the single neuron. We will analyze how neurons and sensory receptors, such as the alpha motor neuron, the gamma motor neuron, and the muscle spindle, can be interpreted within this predictive framework, clarifying their roles as vehicles for top-down and bottom-up flows and as substrates of CM and AM. We will also discuss whether a "holistic neuron" or "quantum neuron" exists, concluding that, although the Selves are emergent properties of complex networks, the characteristics and interactions of individual neurons contribute differentially to holistic or quantum processing, laying the groundwork for a deeper understanding of the neural architecture of the predictive mind.