Vasocomputation (overview)
Hypothesis: the body stores and manipulates predictions as patterns of vascular tension. These tensions can freeze neural dynamics short‑term, and prolonged holds can 'latch,' biasing future perception/action.
ELI5 — simple story
Predictions feel like tiny 'holds' in the body. This model says those holds are literally patterns of vascular tension that can stick if we keep holding them.
Building on previous concepts
Now we see the full picture: taṇhā creates compressions (CVH) that get held (VCH) and can latch (LHH), storing Active Inference predictions in vascular tension affecting SOHMs via hemo-neural coupling.
Concepts you've learned so far:
Felt experience
What does this concept feel like in the body and behavior? Read, notice, then try.
At the experiential level, vasocomputation explains taṇhā—the grabby reflex toward or away from sensations. This grasping creates felt tension that corresponds to vascular compression patterns. When we notice this grabbing in real-time, we can choose to release it, reducing both subjective suffering and physiological tension.
Active Inference provides the computational framework: brains generate predictions and act to make them true. Vasocomputation proposes that these predictions are literally held as patterns of vascular smooth muscle contraction, creating a physical substrate for predictive processing.
Mechanism
What the animation teaches: The three hypotheses form a cascade: CVH compresses ambiguity → VCH holds the result → LHH makes it persistent. Each circle represents a different timescale: CVH (milliseconds), VCH (seconds-minutes), LHH (minutes-years).
Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) throughout the body can contract and relax, modulating local blood flow and neural activity. The three core hypotheses (CVH, VCH, LHH) describe how these contractions implement prediction holding, disambiguation, and long-term biasing.
Try it
Reflection: For the next few minutes, notice any areas of bodily tension. Can you connect these to specific thoughts, predictions, or emotional states?
This helps develop awareness of the mind-body connection central to vasocomputation.
Try it: Try consciously relaxing an area of tension while maintaining the same thought or emotional state.
Notice if releasing physical tension affects your mental state or the persistence of thoughts.
Full Integration
See how all three mechanisms (CVH, VCH, LHH) work together in real-time:
Final Stage: Full Vasocomputation Integration
All three mechanisms work together: CVH compresses ambiguity, VCH holds patterns, LHH creates lasting biases.