Articulatory Morphogenesis: The Motor Foundation of the Prognostic Mind

This article explores articulatory morphogenesis as a fundamental process generated by the "I Act" within the framework of the Integrated Theory of the Prognostic Mind. Starting from the premise that the nervous system evolved to meet motor demands, we propose that articulation in its broadest sense (from bodily movement to phonoarticulation) is the primary domain in which basic cognitive principles manifest: the Holistic Self (SO) and the Quantum Self (SQ). The "I Act" orchestrates articulatory morphogenesis by applying the dominance/sub-dominance principle, guiding the SO in the unitary "whole/parts" synthesis and the SQ in managing "part-part" interactions and sequential positioning. Numerous concrete examples will be provided at various levels of articulatory morphogenesis, from the fine articulation of fingers to complex gait, and up to the specific processes of phonoarticulation (phonological features, phones, syllables, and words). We will discuss the crucial role of the Prognostic Mind's anticipation/verification cycle, with its top-down and bottom-up flows, in shaping and refining articulatory morphogenesis, highlighting alpha motoneurons, gamma motoneurons, and neuromuscular spindles as key players. We will conclude that human phonoarticulation represents an evolved and specialized extension of general articulatory morphogenesis, foreshadowing the capabilities of abstract thought.