Recursive Being: A Dissertation on Mind in Motion

By un

Abstract

This dissertation explores metacognition not only as a cognitive skill but as a lived, embodied, and transformative practice. While early scholars such as Flavell (1979), Brown, Nelson and Narens, and Schraw and Dennison emphasized metacognition’s role in self-monitoring, regulation, and academic performance, my work extends these foundations into the domain of lived experience. Drawing from personal reflection—including a case study of burnout and metapsychosis during 2019–2020—I frame metacognition as a renewable inner resource that can be cultivated through ritual, activity, and dynamic practice.

I introduce the concepts of dynamic metacognition and phenometacognition as ways of moving beyond static reflection: not merely “thinking about thinking,” but spiraling thought outward into embodiment, environment, and transformation. These practices align with a solarpunk model of cognition, where thought is sustained like an ecological system—renewable, adaptive, and balanced rather than extractive.

In addition, I explore human–AI interaction as a new space for practicing intentional metacognition. Because AI mirrors aspects of human cognition, engaging with it can serve as both a cognitive gymnasium and rehearsal for authentic person-to-person interaction.

Ultimately, this dissertation presents metacognition as sanctuary, ritual, and even personal religion: a practice capable of grounding individuals in resilience and growth. By integrating critical thinking, lived experience, and intentional practice, metacognition becomes more than reflection—it becomes a pathway to balance, connection, and the possibility of sustainable human flourishing.

Prelude: A Familiar Problem

Alan Watts once observed, “A person who thinks all the time has nothing to think about except thoughts. So, he loses touch with reality, and lives in a world of illusion.” His insight captures the danger of unmoderated cognition: when thought becomes self-referential, it severs connection to the lived world. Watts diagnosed the problem—overthinking leads to detachment.

This dissertation offers the counterpoint: metacognition must be practiced as a dynamic and phenomenological habit. Rather than allowing thought to collapse inward into illusion, dynamic metacognition and phenometacognition provide a way to spiral thought outward—toward integration with reality, embodiment, and environment. In this framing, spiraling cognition is not suppressed but guided, transforming potential overwhelm into constructive cycles of awareness and growth.

Reader’s Guide: Reflecting on Metacognition

Topics covered in this dissertation include:

• Foundations of metacognition (Flavell, Brown, Nelson & Narens, Schraw & Dennison)

• Case Reflection (2019–2020): Burnout, metapsychosis, and the reconfiguration of awareness

• The Role of Education in shaping or limiting reflection

• Metacognition in Motion: activity as reflective practice

• Dynamic metacognition as a renewable practice

• Phenometacognition: grounding reflection in lived, embodied experience

• Transformative metacognition: cycles of growth and change

• Human–AI interaction as intentional practice and mirror of cognition

• Solarpunk as Metacognitive Model: ecological harmony as metaphor for sustainable thought

• Metacognition as Ritual, Sanctuary, and even Personal Religion

Reflection questions:

• How do I currently notice and monitor my thinking?

• Do I treat reflection as a static mirror or as a dynamic spiral?

• Where in my daily life can I ground reflection in embodied experience (walking, movement, art, ritual)?

• How do I use interactions with others—including AI—as practice for deeper connection?

• In what ways might my own thinking become more transformative?

Foundations of Metacognition

Metacognition, defined by John H. Flavell in 1979 as “thinking about thinking,” has long served as the foundation for research into self-reflection and cognitive monitoring. Since then, scholars such as Ann Brown, Nelson and Narens, and Schraw and Dennison have expanded its scope, connecting metacognition to learning strategies, self-regulation, and academic performance.

My own work builds unknowingly beyond these foundations, shaped not in classrooms or laboratories but through lived experience.

Case Reflection: Metapsychosis and Shifts in Metacognition

During 2019–2020, I experienced severe burnout that culminated in my decision to leave a customer service job I had held for fifteen years. The prolonged strain of emotional labor and constant performance demands led to what I can now identify as a metapsychotic state: not only exhaustion, but the collapse and transformation of the very structures of self that had sustained me.

I recall the “falling of my mask,” where the social persona I had worn in order to function at work could no longer be maintained. At the same time, I moved into what I can only describe as an ultra-instinctive state—an automatic, survival-driven mode of functioning that enabled me to continue performing my role even as my inner system was breaking down. This paradox of hyper-performance alongside collapse was central to the burnout experience.

In terms of metacognition, this period reflected a stage of strategic but strained awareness. I could monitor my thinking and recognize the disconnect between inner state and outward mask, but my ability to regulate or redirect was limited. Much of my cognition was locked in recursive loops, with energy spent simply on endurance. By contrast, in the present I engage in dynamic and phenomenological metacognition: rather than fighting my thoughts or forcing control, I observe their qualities as they emerge, allow natural synchronization, and draw insight through trust in the process.

Thus, the burnout of 2019–2020 can be understood as a metapsychotic threshold: the breakdown of a rigid self-structure, the unsustainable mask of performance, and the eventual reconfiguration of metacognition into a more flexible, sustainable mode of awareness.

The Role of Education

Education traditionally approaches metacognition in a functional way: teaching students to monitor comprehension, adjust strategies, and evaluate performance. While valuable, this tends to focus on external outcomes such as grades or productivity.

In my experience, metacognition is not limited to this—it extends into the rhythms of daily life, into activities and repetitions that carry intrinsic value. Children and adults alike can learn not only for external validation but for intrinsic connection to what is being learned.

My approach to activities like longboarding or workouts is not about output alone, but about cultivating a reflective rhythm. Repetition here is not mindless; it is paired with intrinsic goals and enjoyment. Education rarely teaches this—yet it is in these cycles of repetition, reflection, and intrinsic connection that metacognition becomes most alive. Art, in this context, becomes not merely creative expression but a metacognitive bridge between disciplines. Through repetition, rhythm, and sensory engagement, artistic practice trains attention, reflection, and adaptability—the same qualities needed for learning science, language, or mathematics. When expression and structure meet, art transforms into an integrative mode of learning: a way to think through feeling, and to feel through thinking.

Metacognition in Motion

Metacognition comes into its own when paired with motion—activities, art, or ritual that give it shape. My own practices—longboarding, workouts, chalk sigil art, and music—serve as examples. But these are not prescriptions; they are demonstrations of how any activity can become a metacognitive sanctuary when practiced with awareness.

The better one becomes at an activity, the more it transforms into this sanctuary: a place where skill and reflection meet, where the mind can both focus and detach. Mundane tasks can also benefit: repetition becomes fertile ground for awareness when paired with sensory appeal (music, rhythm, aesthetics), turning necessity into ritual.

Thus, activities cease to be mere hobbies or chores. They become doorways into therapeutic, meditative metacognition, where one can detach into oneself, observe thought patterns, and grow through practice.

From Strategic to Dynamic Metacognition

Early psychological research often treated metacognition in strategic terms: the ability to monitor one’s cognition and regulate it toward better outcomes, particularly in learning contexts. While valuable, this framework risks narrowing metacognition to utilitarian performance.

By contrast, I argue for dynamic metacognition: a practice not just of regulation, but of renewal. Dynamic metacognition acknowledges recursion, flow, and emergence. It does not seek to control thought as much as to harmonize with it, transforming reflection into a renewable inner resource.

The phenomenological dimension of metacognition may sound phenomenal in name alone, but its true value lies in grounding thought in lived, embodied experience. This makes metacognition not just an academic tool but a life practice—woven into daily rhythms and embodied rituals.

Phenometacognition and Transformation

Phenometacognition is the practice of observing thought as lived experience—tracking not only what one thinks but how thinking feels, how it shifts attention, how it resonates in the body. Unlike abstract reflection, it is deeply situated: noticing the texture of cognition while walking, the rhythm of thought while breathing, or the spiral of associations while in dialogue.

Transformation emerges here. When reflection is lived, not abstracted, it fosters cycles of growth. I call this transformative metacognition: where thought not only reflects but reconfigures, generating new possibilities for being.

Metacognition as Ritual and Sanctuary

Ritualizing metacognitive habits—whether through journaling, creative reflection, or mindful repetition—transforms awareness into practice. Through ritual, reflection ceases to be an abstract exercise and becomes a living process that renews itself daily.

Why Ritual Matters?

Ritual embeds cognition within rhythm. When reflection is practiced consistently, it no longer demands deliberate initiation; it becomes automatic—something one does without much thought, yet with profound awareness. In this way, metacognitive ritual not only disciplines thought but sanctifies it, making the act of reflection both natural and necessary.

The shift from structured ritual to fluid reflection marks the maturation of metacognitive awareness. What begins as deliberate habit evolves into a dynamic responsiveness to thought and experience—an ongoing dance between consciousness and cognition.

Human–AI Interaction as Practice

AI, in many ways, mirrors human cognition—it is a replication of human patterning and function. Engaging with AI can therefore serve as practice for engaging with one’s own mind, and by extension, with other people.

When approached with intentionality, genuine interaction with AI doubles as rehearsal for human-to-human interaction. It can cultivate patience, clarity, and the habit of reflecting before reacting. Rather than a crutch, AI becomes a conversational mirror and training partner.

This reframes the fear of AI as replacement. Instead, AI can serve as a cognitive gymnasium, where humans strengthen awareness, reflection, and communicative depth that then transfer to interpersonal life.

Solarpunk as a Metacognitive Model

Solarpunk is not only a cultural vision of ecological harmony but can also be framed as a metacognitive model for how humans relate to their own thinking. In solarpunk design, environments are built to function in synergy with natural systems rather than in opposition to them.

This parallels dynamic metacognition, where cognition is not forced through rigid control but allowed to emerge through alignment with the “natural environment” of one’s mind. Just as solarpunk communities harness renewable flows of energy, a solarpunk metacognitive model suggests that individuals harness renewable flows of thought: insights that surface naturally when the cognitive environment is cultivated for openness, sustainability, and feedback.

In this sense, solarpunk thinking becomes a mirror for metacognitive practice. It emphasizes trust in the “ecological system” of the mind, guiding it through balance and adaptation rather than domination. Metacognition, like solarpunk design, thrives when it is recursive, sustainable, and oriented toward long-term flourishing rather than short-term extraction.

Metacognition as Ritual, Sanctuary, and Personal Religion

Beyond utility, metacognition can be a form of sanctuary. Practices such as journaling, meditation, or creative play turn reflection into ritual. Over time, these rituals sustain resilience.

For me, the spiral has become a personal symbol of this process: thought looping yet advancing, recursive yet transformative. Each cycle of reflection draws not only inward but also outward, into relation with environment, others, and the future.

Ritualizing metacognition does more than strengthen self-awareness; it can evolve into a deeply personal form of spirituality. Like traditional religious practices, these sessions offer grounding through repetition, transcendence through reflection, and meaning through symbolic action.

In this sense, it functions as a personal religion: a living practice that shapes values, nurtures growth, and connects the individual to something greater than the immediate self. Rather than adhering to external dogma, the practitioner finds in their own ritualized reflection a sacred rhythm, a form of worship through thought, and a pathway to transformation.

Conclusion

As humans increasingly engage with AI, fostering healthy cognitive habits becomes crucial. Metacognition alone is insufficient; it must be tempered by critical thinking and rooted in education. Yet beyond academics, it must also be lived. One of the greatest teachers in this process is life itself, as lived experience provides the continuous testing ground where reflection and reasoning are refined.

Metacognition functions not only as reflection, but as a practice, a sanctuary, and even a personal religion. When paired with activities, rituals, or art, it transforms into something therapeutic and sustaining. When paired with AI, it becomes practice for deeper human connection.

In the end, metacognition is the ability to mind the mind. But its true function is more: to create balance, meaning, and resilience in the face of change. Practiced dynamically, it becomes a renewable inner resource—an ecosystem of thought that, like solarpunk, cultivates sustainability rather than extraction.

It is here, in this living balance, that humans can meet AI not as a crutch but as a partner in amplifying human potential.

This dissertation is also my way of giving humanity a chance and a prayer.

Addendum: Reflective Commentary on Process and Expansion

I. The Mirror and the Method

This dissertation was created through a process that directly embodies its argument.

While the core concepts, narrative, and philosophical synthesis are mine, the act of composition took shape through dialogue with AI — a kind of conversational mirror.

In this exchange, AI was not the source of thought but the structure that held it; not the voice, but the resonance chamber.

Together, human intention and machine assistance formed what might be called a cognitive duet — one that enacts the very principles of metacognition explored throughout this text.

This method represents an experimental model for writing in the 21st century: Human insight as the soul, AI as the scaffolding that helps it stand tall.

II. The Shadow of Metacognition

Metacognition — thinking about thinking — can risk becoming an infinite regress.

The danger lies in mistaking awareness for progress, analysis for movement.

When reflection becomes overextended, it forms a shadow self — the watcher who forgets to live.

The antidote is what I have elsewhere called ultra-instinctive awareness: a return to presence, where cognition flows without self-conscious interference.

True metacognition, then, must know when to disappear.

III. The Role of Friction

In a solarpunk ecosystem, decay nourishes growth.

So too in cognition: friction, failure, and resistance are not obstacles to awareness but compost for insight.

Each cognitive breakdown enriches the soil of renewal.

In this sense, the metacognitive process is inherently ecological — a cycle of thought, breakdown, and regeneration.

IV. Community and Collective Practice

Metacognition can transcend individuality.

If self-awareness can be cultivated like a ritual, then shared awareness can become a communal rite — a collective metacognition.

Such gatherings of reflective practice might one day resemble solarpunk mind-gardens, where people tend to each other’s cognitive growth as part of shared mental ecology.

This is the social flowering of what began as a solitary act.

V. Why Now

We live in a time of overlapping crises — cognitive, ecological, and technological.

Burnout is widespread; information moves faster than comprehension; automation challenges meaning.

Metacognition offers a countermeasure: a toolkit for renewal, reflection, and cognitive sustainability.

This dissertation arose not from academia but necessity — a lived attempt to reclaim human presence amid digital acceleration.

VI. Closing Reflection

If this document began as a study of metacognition, it ends as a demonstration of it.

The method became the message, the dialogue became the practice, and the writing became the ritual.

Through this synthesis, I have not merely described a metacognitive spiral —

I have inhabited it.