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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The human central nervous system must stay continuously engaged with goal ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀driven activity in order to sustain stable cognitive and affective functioning. This is ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀a biological constraint, supported by what we currently understand about ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀dopaminergic reward circuitry, which is structured not around the attainment of ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀goals but around the pursuit of them. When this drive is denied expression and an ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀organism capable of intricate problem-solving is placed in an environment that ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀offers neither problems to solve nor agency over its own circumstances, the ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀system will generate its own objects of attention.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Like an iris in the dark expanding to let in more light, the mind expands its search ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀for acceptable information, lowers its standards and finds patterns in noise, stories ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀in random occurrence, and meaning in the incidental features of whatever ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀environment it has been confided to. When structured input is removed, the brain ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀will hallucinate structure. Plummeting into the absence of purposeful activity, the ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀brain will contrive purpose, desperately latching on to whatever substrate is ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀available to a vivid degree that feels indistinguishable from genuine discovery.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀These conditions, and the so-called surrogate activities they inevitably produce, ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀have become psychotic ambient features of industrialized life. Features generated ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀not by deliberate prescription but by accumulated logic of economic and ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀technological systems that solve for efficiency, comfort, and risk reduction while ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀inadvertently stripping from daily life the very thing the nervous system cannot do ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀without.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀We are, as a species, parsing wallpaper at extraordinary scale.

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