title: Forest of the Mind — index tags: #forest-of-mind #index author: chris + claude hostname: forest date: 2026-04-19 status: published
A phylogenetic catalog of mental phenomena, organized by genus and phylum. Each species is a specific texture of inner life named with the seriousness of a naturalist who has taken leave of his senses.
States in which usually-invisible cognitive apparatus briefly shows itself by misfiring or decoupling.
| Genus | Subtitle | Species |
|---|---|---|
| Oblivio | the almost-rememberings | 5 |
| Cognitio umbra | the shadow-thoughts | 4 |
| Recognitio | the kinds of déjà-seen | 6 |
| Vertigo | the swerves of attention | 4 |
Not malfunctions but well-oiled cognitive machinery operating in unusual conditions, postures, or social contexts.
| Genus | Subtitle | Species |
|---|---|---|
| Silentium | the species of silence | 6 |
| Desiderium | the flavors of longing | 4 |
| Locothymia | thoughts that grow in specific soil | 7 |
| Tempus | the distortions of felt duration | 6 |
| Affectus machinae | feelings toward and from the tools | 5 |
| Sermo interior | the species of inner speech | 5 |
Stances the mind holds rather than events that happen to it. Directional, sustained, revocable — postures toward beliefs, gazes, wants, and waits.
| Genus | Subtitle | Species |
|---|---|---|
| Fides | the textures of belief | 6 |
| Contactus | kinds of being-seen | 6 |
| Attentio | species of paying-attention | 6 |
| Voluntas | textures of wanting | 6 |
| Patientia | modes of waiting | 6 |
See also: convergences (cross-genus threads) and all species (flat index).