What is Agency
The meta process is what happens when I want to make sure that I always remain reflectively consistent. Then I conjure up a special kind of self-modification which desires to remember to do itself, and to continue to hold on to enough power to always win. I aspire to make this meta process an automatic part of myself, so that my most accurate simulation of any of my future trajectories already automatically includes self-consistency.
What this tormented person called his meta-process, I call agency. It is a rather uncommon quality among people. People act according to some implicit set of goals or a nebulous life plan, and especially if you’re an employee or student, your decision making is mostly externalized by some form of social structure. But for becoming a Mentat we need to develop strong agency first. We need to be able to make hundreds of decisions, computations and a various cognitive manipulation every day. For this we need to develop the kind of mental strength, that make such operations feel natural and easy rather than draining and confusing. Therefore, we need a harmoniously structured mind system, that is highly flexible, consistent and performant. So how do we get that?
Module Creation
We categorize each of our own conscious thoughts, impulses that reach consciousness and those mental impressions we can only sense, if we listen for them intentionally.
We call the resulting categories modules. How many modules do we need? Too many modules, and our model becomes too complex. Too few and our model becomes too simplistic to properly account for the various brain network factions that need to be wrangled to work together harmoniously to a common goal. Give the module a name, that concisely explains what it represents.
Agent Creation
Create agents as representatives for each modules’ interests (think of those critters like a mix between Chaos Magic Servitors and Tulpas). Anthropomorphize each agent to a degree that makes sense and figure out what personality it should have. Feel free to use an archetype or a fictional character. Name the agents.
Initializing and Working with the Agents
All agents will need their preferences satisfied, and complaints that need to be addressed. To a reasonable degree, of course. Limited resources mean, that you will have to prioritize. Most needs cannot be addressed immediately, so schedule time for their fulfillment during the day. Assure that each module gets a minimum of attention and care, which will go a long way towards internal harmony, coherence and self-trust.
Initialization Block
improvised initialization
Ask each agent what it wants. If it does not know, provide it something, that shows good faith. Often other agents can provide a solution or insight, as modules are entangled and interact a lot.
explicit/habitual initialization
It quickly becomes expedient to make checklists for each agent. The checklists contain quick actions to do immediately for instant gratification and longer tasks to schedule for. Of course, the agents will still have input, but having memorized checklists helps anchor expectations.
rollcall before action
The point of this system is not to talk about your feelings all day, but to enable fluid action, without internal resistance. Go over your goals and schedule for the day and quickly ask each agent for their assent.
Action Block
Go do stuff with a clear, unified mind.
Recoherence Block
review after action
After your workday is done, review it. If expectations were unrealistic or had too little margin for error, so that you felt short of your goals, ask the agents for advice on what to do next. If some modules came too short in their specific needs, allocate more time in the schedule for the next day and/or renegotiate.
refactoring block
Make changes to your modules or agents as needed. Especially as you are getting started with the practice, and do not sufficiently understand your own mind system, you won’t be able to stay coherent throughout the whole day. Once you notice this, enter the recoherence block earlier. If you notice yourself being too confused/agitated/mentally exhausted/incoherent/distracted for any of that, simplify your schedule for the rest of the day and schedule the refactoring block for later in the day, when you will have mentally recovered. Do whatever you need to, to assure that you are.
Starter Modules
A time module, that oversees timekeeping/scheduling for the current day and whatever your time horizon beyond that is.
A physicality module that represents physical processes and whose agent is in charge of physical wellbeing/comfort/pain/muscles/activities/ergonomics/diet etc.
A thinking module, that represents and manages internal narrative.
Progression
This model is too simplistic to be useful. But it’s a good start to practice the multi-mind perspective. As you gain familiarity with this way of thinking, you will adapt, and intermittently refactor to scale up complexity for more capability and simplify for more reliability. You will make lots of mistakes and learn to fix them.
Advanced Modules
Split the thinking module into TPN/SN/DMN.
Establish thought modality modules, most likely Audio and Visual.
Predictive Processing modality modules for top-down/bottom-up communication and Intention → Expectation, Observation → Reaction.
Add a long-term memory module, later split it up into categories of memory.
A module that is related to mood regulation and neurotransmitter balance. (currently I use the Amygdala-associated module, as that structure is related to long term emotional memory and emotional processing)
A grab bag module of all the processes and parts of yourself, that you do not fully comprehend or know how to integrate via modularization. The agent explains them and gives advice on how to handle them.