A task-based theory of knowledge and consciousness using recursive conceptual networks
🌀 Recursive Conceptual Networks: Task-Based Theory of Knowledge About eight months ago, I hit a point where I knew something had to change. I needed to get better—sharpen my thinking, organize my mind more effectively. One of my core weaknesses stood out: working memory.
I started noticing how my brain adapted, using spatial and verbal reasoning to weave narratives that helped with recall and organization. That observation turned into a meditative practice: I broke knowledge down into concepts.
I pictured a celestial model—setting a concept as a central sun, with other concepts orbiting it. Each of those orbiting concepts had three smaller spheres circling them: elements, configurations, and constraints. I came to believe all concepts are built from these essential building blocks. I’d hold as many of these structures in my mind as I could, adjusting their "orbital mechanics" to strengthen my mental clarity.
That image stuck with me.
Months later, a friend and I were deep in a conversation about knowledge graphs—specifically, how to navigate them efficiently without having to traverse the entire graph just to retrieve knowledge on a specific topic. I sketched my idea out on a napkin like a lunatic, explaining that while modeling concepts as a celestial system might not be practically usable, the core was this: Concepts are composed of elements, configurations, and constraints.
He rightly pointed out that this doesn’t solve infinite recursion. That’s when it hit me: what actually organizes concepts and makes them coherent is task orientation. Tagging concepts with task signatures could allow the network to self-organize relative to user queries.
I don’t think he’s going to use it. Honestly, probably no one will. Who the hell am I, right? But I do believe it’s a useful conceptualization. Maybe it’ll find its place, maybe it’ll push something forward. That’s reason enough for me to dive deeper and see where the rabbit hole leads.
A few days later, I wrote this paper to explain my rationale and lay out my theory of knowledge as clearly as I could. I did my best to credit the brilliant minds whose research laid the groundwork.
If you’re reading this, feel free to leave feedback, comment, challenge it, improve it—carry the torch of gnosis further than I can.
💡🔥🚀🌍 FOR HUMANITY. 🌍🚀🔥💡
📧 Contact: evantspurrell@hotmail.com