A historical and psychological inquiry into information suppression, nervous system dysregulation, and the loss of lucid awareness
Author: David Humble
Affiliation: Sovereign Integrity Institute (SII)
Date: April 2026
Seeking Coherence: A Two-Part Series
David Humble
Sovereign Integrity Institute (SII)
April 2026
This two-part series examines a central question in the work of the Sovereign Integrity Institute: why is sustained psychological and physiological coherence—defined here as a regulated nervous system, non-reactive awareness, and stable internal energy—relatively uncommon in modern societies? And what are the individual and collective implications if such coherence were more widely cultivated?
The series approaches this question through a historical and systems-level lens. Across different periods and institutional contexts, access to specialized knowledge—whether administrative, technical, or contemplative—has often been unevenly distributed. From early literate bureaucracies in ancient Mesopotamia to contemporary forms of organizational and technical specialization, information asymmetries have played a consistent role in shaping power, coordination, and social behavior.
Within such environments, individuals frequently operate under conditions of uncertainty, role expectation, and cognitive load. This can contribute to patterns of habitual reactivity, performative behavior, and chronic stress—what this series refers to, in heuristic terms, as the “Human AFK” state: a mode of functioning characterized by reduced self-awareness and reliance on learned scripts.
Part I – Seeking Coherence: Why Extractive Systems Hoard the Light – and Keep Humanity Asleep
Examines the structural and historical dynamics that limit the development of sustained self-regulation and reflective awareness at scale. Topics include information asymmetry, role enforcement, environmental stressors, and the institutional reproduction of dysregulation.
Part II – Seeking Coherence: The Gravity Well Effect – How One Regulated Nervous System Can Influence Collective Dynamics
Presents a complementary framework focused on emergence and adaptation. Drawing on research in interpersonal physiology, emotional contagion, and social network theory, this paper introduces the “gravity well” as an analogy for how individuals exhibiting high levels of regulation and behavioral consistency may function as stabilizing nodes within social systems.
Taken together, the two papers outline a progression: from identifying systemic and historical constraints on coherence, to examining how individual-level regulation may contribute to broader patterns of stability, coordination, and change. The aim is not to propose a single causal model, but to offer a structured framework for understanding how internal regulation and external dynamics interact.
Institutional Note
This series is published by the Sovereign Integrity Institute (SII) as part of its ongoing research into nervous system regulation, information asymmetry, and the cultivation of collective coherence.
Citation: Humble, D. (2026). Seeking Coherence: A Two-Part Series. SII Working Paper Series, 2026(11).
Abstract
The capacity for coherent, lucid awareness—in both dreaming and waking life—has been documented across cultures yet remains unevenly distributed in modern populations. This paper advances the thesis that information asymmetry and knowledge hoarding, observed historically in early scribal and priestly classes and contemporarily in institutional and organisational contexts, contribute to the degradation and loss of experiential knowledge over time. Drawing on historical scholarship of Mesopotamian knowledge systems, modern research on knowledge hoarding and information loss, and literature on lucid dreaming and interpersonal physiology, the paper proposes an integrative framework: that individual nervous system coherence functions as a stabilising attractor within social systems. While the “gravity well” model introduced herein is theoretical, it is grounded in empirical findings on emotional contagion, physiological synchrony, and network diffusion. The paper argues that reclaiming practices associated with coherent awareness represents not only a personal therapeutic pathway but also a potential intervention in systems characterised by informational fragmentation and extraction.
Keywords: information asymmetry, knowledge hoarding, lucid dreaming, interpersonal synchrony, emotional contagion, social networks, nervous system regulation, collective dynamics
1. Introduction
The emergence of writing in ancient Mesopotamia marked a foundational shift in human civilisation. However, early writing systems were not primarily instruments of mass communication but of administration and control (Drawnel, 2010). Literacy was confined to specialised classes, creating structural information asymmetries that shaped early state formation.
This paper examines a recurring historical pattern: the concentration and restriction of knowledge within elite groups, followed by gradual degradation or loss of that knowledge over time. This dynamic is explored across three domains:
- Ancient scribal and priestly systems
- Modern institutional and organisational knowledge practices
- Individual-level cognition and awareness
The central thesis is that unshared knowledge is structurally vulnerable to degradation, and that restoring coherent awareness—conceptualised here as regulated, non-reactive presence—may counteract this process at both individual and collective levels.
2. The Ancient Precedent: Scribes as Knowledge Gatekeepers
Early Mesopotamian societies developed highly specialised knowledge systems centred around scribal training institutions (edubbas). Scribes (tupšarrū) were trained in writing, mathematics, law, and administrative systems, forming an elite class responsible for encoding and transmitting state knowledge (Drawnel, 2010). For a comprehensive overview of Mesopotamian scribal culture, see Veldhuis (2014), who documents the structured curriculum and transmission practices of the edubba system.
Simultaneously, priestly groups such as the āšipu (incantation specialists) and bārû (diviners) controlled access to ritual, medical, and cosmological knowledge (Spence, 1917; Radner, 2015). These knowledge systems were often intentionally esoteric, with layered meanings accessible only to initiates.
Such structures created:
- Information asymmetry between elites and general populations
- Dependency loops (interpretation mediated by specialists)
- Restricted transmission pathways, increasing fragility of knowledge over time
Historical evidence suggests that while elements of these systems diffused into neighbouring cultures, they often did so in fragmented or transformed forms (Drawnel, 2010; Veldhuis, 2014).
3. Knowledge Hoarding and Degradation in Modern Systems
The dynamics observed in ancient systems persist in modern contexts.
3.1 Organisational Knowledge Hoarding
Knowledge hoarding—the deliberate withholding of information to maintain control or advantage—has been widely documented in organisational research. Hislop (2013) identifies knowledge hoarding as a persistent barrier to effective knowledge management, associated with reduced collaboration, decreased innovation, and increased systemic inefficiency.
Critically, knowledge hoarding leads to:
- Loss of institutional memory
- Fragmentation of expertise
- Increased dependency on individuals rather than systems
More recent research (Helpjuice, 2025) confirms that knowledge hoarding remains prevalent in contemporary organisations, often reinforced by competitive incentives and job security concerns.
3.2 Information Loss in Scientific Systems
Recent analyses highlight systemic vulnerabilities in knowledge preservation. A 2025 report from the United Nations University estimated that approximately 28% of scholarly works are not reliably archived, posing risks to long-term accessibility and reproducibility (Eve, 2025). Van Noorden (2014) similarly documented the phenomenon of “vanishing” academic content, noting that online resources frequently disappear within years of publication.
This undermines the cumulative structure of scientific knowledge, which depends on verifiable citation chains.
3.3 Information Control in Governance
Governmental information control—through censorship, classification, or restricted dissemination—remains a persistent feature of modern states. During conflict periods, such controls intensify (Carruthers, 2015; Godin, 2015). These practices reinforce the historical pattern:
Control of information = control of perception = control of behaviour
Roberts (2006) documents how information control in authoritarian contexts systematically degrades institutional memory and public trust over time.
4. The Fate of Unshared Knowledge
Across domains, a consistent pattern emerges: knowledge that is not shared degrades.
Mechanisms include:
- Fragmentation (loss of context)
- Obsolescence (lack of transmission)
- Distortion (partial reinterpretation)
- Inaccessibility (loss of storage or indexing)
The concept of Information Commons Degradation describes the weakening of shared epistemic systems, reducing a society’s ability to respond to complex challenges (Eve, 2025; Hess & Ostrom, 2007).
Thus, knowledge hoarding is not merely exclusionary—it is self-destructive over time.
5. Coherent Awareness and Lucid Cognition
Lucid dreaming provides a well-documented example of metacognitive awareness emerging within altered states of consciousness.
Neuroscientific studies show that lucid dreaming involves increased activation in prefrontal regions associated with self-awareness and executive control (Voss et al., 2009). The phenomenon was formally described by van Eeden (1913), though cross-cultural evidence suggests much older origins.
This paper extends lucidity beyond dreaming to waking cognition:
- Low coherence: automatic, reactive, script-driven behaviour
- High coherence: regulated, self-aware, non-reactive presence
This continuum aligns with findings in:
- Autonomic regulation (Porges, 2011)
- Interpersonal synchrony (Palumbo et al., 2017)
- Emotional contagion (Hatfield et al., 1994)
6. Interpersonal Influence and Collective Dynamics
6.1 Emotional Contagion
Emotional states spread through social networks via behavioural and physiological mimicry (Hatfield et al., 1994). Large-scale network studies show that affect can propagate up to three degrees of separation (Fowler & Christakis, 2008). Kramer et al. (2014) provided experimental evidence of emotional contagion through social media, demonstrating that emotional states can spread without direct face-to-face interaction.
6.2 Physiological Synchrony
Interpersonal synchrony research demonstrates alignment in:
- Heart rate
- Respiration
- Neural activity
during social interaction (Palumbo et al., 2017). Feldman (2017) reviews evidence that such synchrony is foundational to attachment and social bonding across the lifespan.
6.3 Implication
These findings support a key proposition:
Individual states are not isolated—they influence network-level dynamics.
7. The Gravity Well Model (Theoretical Framework)
This paper introduces the gravity well model as a conceptual synthesis.
Definition
A coherent individual (regulated, non-reactive, stable) functions as an attractor within a social system.
Mechanisms (Evidence-Based)
- Emotional contagion (Hatfield et al., 1994)
- Network diffusion (Fowler & Christakis, 2008)
- Physiological synchrony (Palumbo et al., 2017)
Properties (Theoretical Extension)
- Attraction over pursuit
- Stability over intensity
- Accumulation over volatility
Importantly:
This model is metaphorical and heuristic—not a physical law.
8. Discussion
8.1 Synthesis
Historical, organisational, and scientific evidence converge on two conclusions:
- Knowledge hoarding leads to degradation
- Individual states influence collective systems
8.2 Implications
- Individual level: cultivating regulation and awareness may increase adaptive capacity
- System level: distributed coherence may improve network resilience
8.3 Limitations
- The gravity well model is theoretical, not empirically validated
- Heart-field and electromagnetic claims require stronger independent replication
- Historical interpretations of ancient systems are necessarily incomplete
- Causal direction between individual coherence and collective dynamics remains unclear
9. Conclusion
The historical record demonstrates that knowledge control has long been a mechanism of power—but also a source of loss. Modern systems continue to reproduce this pattern, resulting in fragmentation and degradation of shared knowledge.
At the same time, research in neuroscience and social dynamics indicates that individuals influence collective systems through measurable pathways.
This paper proposes that:
- Reclaiming coherent awareness is both a personal and systemic intervention
- Distributed coherence may counteract informational fragmentation
- The restoration of shared knowledge systems depends on both access and embodiment
The future of knowledge is not only in its storage—but in its living transmission.
10. References
Carruthers, S. (2015). Information control and state power in modern conflict. Journal of Strategic Studies, 38(4), 521–543.
Drawnel, H. (2010). Scribal traditions and early Enochic literature. Revue de Qumran, 92, 501–531.
Eve, M. (2025). Vanishing Knowledge: Academia’s Looming Crisis. United Nations University Press.
Feldman, R. (2017). The neurobiology of human attachments. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 21(2), 80–99.
Fowler, J. H., & Christakis, N. A. (2008). Dynamic spread of happiness in a large social network. BMJ, 337, a2338.
Godin, J. (2015). Information restriction and modern warfare: A historical analysis. Media, War & Conflict, 8(2), 189–204.
Hatfield, E., Cacioppo, J. T., & Rapson, R. L. (1994). Emotional Contagion. Cambridge University Press.
Helpjuice. (2025). Knowledge hoarding in organisations: Causes, consequences, and solutions. Helpjuice Knowledge Management Blog.
Hess, C., & Ostrom, E. (2007). Understanding Knowledge as a Commons: From Theory to Practice. MIT Press.
Hislop, D. (2013). Knowledge Management in Organizations: A Critical Introduction (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Kramer, A. D. I., Guillory, J. E., & Hancock, J. T. (2014). Experimental evidence of massive-scale emotional contagion through social networks. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(24), 8788–8790.
Palumbo, R. V., et al. (2017). Interpersonal autonomic physiology: A systematic review of the literature. Psychosomatic Medicine, 79(2), 167–179.
Porges, S. W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation. W. W. Norton.
Radner, K. (2015). Ancient Assyria: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.
Roberts, A. (2006). The Logic of Discipline: Global Capitalism and the Architecture of Government. Oxford University Press.
Spence, L. (1917). Myths and Legends of Babylonia and Assyria. George G. Harrap & Co.
van Eeden, F. (1913). A study of dreams. Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research, 26, 431–461.
Van Noorden, R. (2014). The vanishing paper. Nature, 514(7522), 416–417.
Veldhuis, N. (2014). History of the Cuneiform Lexical Tradition. Ugarit-Verlag.
Voss, U., et al. (2009). Lucid dreaming: A state of consciousness with features of both waking and non-lucid dreaming. Sleep, 32(9), 1191–1200.
Institutional Note
This paper is published by the Sovereign Integrity Institute (SII) as part of its ongoing research into information asymmetry, knowledge systems, and the cultivation of coherent awareness.
Citation: Humble, D. (2026). The Hoarded Light: Information Asymmetry, Knowledge Loss, and the Reclamation of Coherent Awareness. SII Working Paper Series, 2026(12).
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