Theory of Knowledge

Artificial Intelligence

Knowledge Is Dead?! Long Live Knowledge!

Gregg Henriques Ph.D. on June 5, 2025

AI isn’t killing knowledge. It is transforming how we justify what we know. UTOK offers a framework to guide this evolution toward coherence, not chaos.

AI isn’t killing knowledge. It is transforming how we justify what we know. UTOK offers a framework to guide this evolution toward coherence, not chaos.

Mindfulness

A New Lens on Mindfulness

Gregg Henriques Ph.D. on May 26, 2025

A new lens on mindfulness: Track how your energy investment, relational dynamics, and narratives shape your life.

A new lens on mindfulness: Track how your energy investment, relational dynamics, and narratives shape your life.

Cognition

Mapping the Mind With 4 Common-Sense Categories

Gregg Henriques Ph.D. on May 20, 2025

What is the mind, really? This post offers a common-sense layered map to help you see how your inner world fits together in doing, feeling, thinking, and talking.

What is the mind, really? This post offers a common-sense layered map to help you see how your inner world fits together in doing, feeling, thinking, and talking.

Intelligence

Defining Consciousness, Mind, and Their Relation

Gregg Henriques Ph.D. on February 28, 2025

Can you have a mind without consciousness? Consciousness without a mind?

Can you have a mind without consciousness? Consciousness without a mind?

Consciousness

The Plasma Ball Metaphor for Consciousness

Gregg Henriques Ph.D. on February 15, 2025

Comparing consciousness to a plasma ball can help us better understand key aspects of subjective conscious experience.

Comparing consciousness to a plasma ball can help us better understand key aspects of subjective conscious experience.

Cognition

Is the Mind Invisible?

Gregg Henriques Ph.D. on February 7, 2025

Although many in science think of the mind as being an invisible cause of behavior and experience, this blog explains why this is not quite right and much of the mind can be seen.

Although many in science think of the mind as being an invisible cause of behavior and experience, this blog explains why this is not quite right and much of the mind can be seen.

Philosophy

Science, Psychology, and the Human Psyche

Gregg Henriques Ph.D. on January 31, 2025

The relationship between science, psychology, and the human psyche is puzzling. UTOK, the Unified Theory of Knowledge, is a system that can help us make sense of the confusion.

The relationship between science, psychology, and the human psyche is puzzling. UTOK, the Unified Theory of Knowledge, is a system that can help us make sense of the confusion.

Health

Understanding the Illness-Wellness Continuum

Gregg Henriques Ph.D. on December 20, 2024

Here's how to think about well-being on the wellness-illness continuum that consists of four nested dimensions of subjective feeling, functioning, context, and values.

Here's how to think about well-being on the wellness-illness continuum that consists of four nested dimensions of subjective feeling, functioning, context, and values.

Philosophy

Mindedness Is to Psychology What Life Is to Biology

Gregg Henriques Ph.D. on December 13, 2024

Psychological science has long struggled to effectively define its core subject matter. The concept of mindedness gives us a new, effective solution to this puzzle.

Psychological science has long struggled to effectively define its core subject matter. The concept of mindedness gives us a new, effective solution to this puzzle.

Philosophy

Splitting the Hard Problem of Consciousness in Two

Gregg Henriques Ph.D. on November 15, 2024

The hard problem of consciousness, which has framed consciousness research for a generation, needs to be split in two.

The hard problem of consciousness, which has framed consciousness research for a generation, needs to be split in two.

Identity

It's About Our Identity, Stupid!

Gregg Henriques Ph.D. on November 8, 2024

Personal Perspective: To understand why Trump is both loved and hated, we need to understand identity and character in America.

Personal Perspective: To understand why Trump is both loved and hated, we need to understand identity and character in America.

Philosophy

What Happened to the Stratification View of Nature?

Gregg Henriques Ph.D. on November 1, 2024

Stratification theories layer the natural world from the inanimate to the animate to the animal to the human. They used to be popular, but no longer. Can they make a come back?

Stratification theories layer the natural world from the inanimate to the animate to the animal to the human. They used to be popular, but no longer. Can they make a come back?

Therapy

The Common Core of Psychotherapy

Gregg Henriques Ph.D. on October 25, 2024

Psychotherapy is more about a healing process than it is matching a specific intervention to a specific problem. This blog describes the common core of that process.

Psychotherapy is more about a healing process than it is matching a specific intervention to a specific problem. This blog describes the common core of that process.

Philosophy

A Simple Map of Reality

Gregg Henriques Ph.D. on October 16, 2024

How to use a "map of reality" for classifying things in the world.

How to use a "map of reality" for classifying things in the world.

Neuroticism

Bumps, Bruises, and Loops: The Path to Neurotic Suffering

Gregg Henriques Ph.D. on September 17, 2024

What causes psychological suffering? This post frames it in terms of bumps, bruises, and loops. Learning to see this pattern is the first step in reversing it.

What causes psychological suffering? This post frames it in terms of bumps, bruises, and loops. Learning to see this pattern is the first step in reversing it.

Cognition

No, Human Consciousness Is Not a Result of Magic Mushrooms

Gregg Henriques Ph.D. on July 29, 2024

We know the key tipping point that resulted in human consciousness, and it was not consuming magic mushrooms.

We know the key tipping point that resulted in human consciousness, and it was not consuming magic mushrooms.

Consciousness

The Hard Problem of...Psychology?

Gregg Henriques Ph.D. on July 20, 2024

Is the new science of consciousness making progress? There are reasons to doubt. A new path can be found considering the problem of psychology.

Is the new science of consciousness making progress? There are reasons to doubt. A new path can be found considering the problem of psychology.

Consciousness

The Three Loops of Human Consciousness

Gregg Henriques Ph.D. on July 15, 2024

What is the best way to think about human consciousness? This post helps you understand it seeing it as three loops.

What is the best way to think about human consciousness? This post helps you understand it seeing it as three loops.

Consciousness

Unpacking the Consciousness Suitcase

Gregg Henriques Ph.D. on July 6, 2024

This blog unpacks the consciousness suitcase, dividing it up into creature consciousness, subjective consciousness, and self-consciousness, and providing over 30 definitions.

This blog unpacks the consciousness suitcase, dividing it up into creature consciousness, subjective consciousness, and self-consciousness, and providing over 30 definitions.

Environment

The Crisis of Psychology and the Nature of Consciousness

Gregg Henriques Ph.D. on July 4, 2024

Research into the fundamental nature of consciousness is split off from psychological science. This is a bad idea.

Research into the fundamental nature of consciousness is split off from psychological science. This is a bad idea.