Non-local Aspects of Cognition

Cognition may extend beyond the individual mind and beyond spatiotemporal locality. The article first reviews established externalist views—extended mind, distributed cognition, and multiscale enaction—that challenge the idea that cognition is solely internal to a subject. It then examines a more controversial non-local dimension: extrasensory perception (ESP). The reality of ESP is suggested by non-reductive theories of consciousness and supported by significant experimental results, with historical roots including references in the Yoga Sutra. The article presents experimental tests and theoretical modeling for ESP, discusses why the scientific community generally rejects it despite evidence, and argues that this rigorous field deserves attention in cognitive science.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This article explores non-local aspects of cognition in two main directions, respectively contradicting the idea that 1) the term ‘cognition’ exclusively refers to the cognitive subject’s intrinsic mental aptitudes and that 2) it is exclusively centred on the subject’s spatial and temporal localization. Following 4E cognition, the first direction mentions quite reasonable externalist and multiscale aspects of cognition by referring in turn to Clark’s and Chalmers’ concept of extended mind, social cognition, Hutchins’ concept of distributed cognition, and Laurent’s multiscale enaction model. The second direction to be explored puts into question the spatio-temporal locality of cognition since it refers to the possibility of extra-sensory perception (ESP). The reality of ESP is suggested by non-reductive solutions to the problem of consciousness, and it is supported by very significant experimental results. The millenary interest in ESP will be mentioned, with a special focus on Hinduism for its explicit reference in the Yoga Sutra. Some significant experimental tests aimed to show its existence and some hints for building a theoretical modelling of it will then be presented. Reasons why the reality of ESP is generally rejected by the scientific community despite numerous significant experimental results, as well as philosophical justifications and theoretical advances, will be discussed. This article pays particular attention to the second sense of ‘non-local’, based on the possibility of ESP, in so far as this disturbing but rigorous scientific field of research is almost completely ignored by current studies in cognitive science.