- Introduction
- Theoretical Foundations & Research Context
- 1. On the Anthropology of Disgust and Decay
- 2. On the Physics of Entropy and Syntropy
- 3. On Syntropy in Living Systems
- 4. On Cultural Blindness and “Propriety”
- Darwin, C. (1881). The Formation of Vegetable Mould, through the Action of Worms, with Observations on their Habits. John Murray.
- The Role of the ‘Reproduction’ 乃 Character in Chinese Writing: 282 Characters and 59 Definitions
- Entropy and Negentropy Principles in the I-Theory
- Syntropy and Sustainability: A Summary
- Disgust: The Body and Soul Emotion in the 21st Century
- Putrid Meat in the Tropics: It Wasn’t Just For Inuit
- Shame, Vulnerability, and the Fear of Being Seen
Introduction
This section presents key texts, papers, and philosophical inquiries that resonate with my artistic practice. Each entry includes a brief summary with emphasis on its metaphysical and philosophical implications, especially concerning entropy, negentropy, the cycle of life, and the reconciliation of humanity with nature.
Theoretical Foundations & Research Context
Introduction: Thinking at the Margins
My research is built on a fundamental premise: the most profound cultural shifts often begin at the margins of accepted thought. The dominant paradigms that have shaped our modern worldview—a strict division between mind and body, culture and nature—have led us to our current state of ecological and psychological alienation. To diagnose and heal this “Primal Rupture,” we cannot rely solely on the tools that helped create it.
Therefore, my theoretical framework is consciously constructed through a critical dialogue with scientific and philosophical ideas that exist just beyond the mainstream. I am drawn to theories of entropy, negentropy, and syntropy because they offer a physical and biological language for the cycles of death and rebirth that our culture has learned to fear and deny. While some of these sources may be contested within their home disciplines, their power lies in their metaphorical and diagnostic potency. They provide the necessary vocabulary to articulate a reality that our dominant cultural narratives have rendered invisible: that decay is not an end, but a sacred transformation.
This is not a rejection of rigor, but a pursuit of a different kind of rigor—one that values systemic insight and the ability to connect disparate fields over strict adherence to disciplinary silos. The following works are not presented as unquestionable dogma, but as vital provocations that have provided the essential scaffolding for my own cosmology of “Re-membering Eden.”
📚 Key Influences & Parallel Research
1. On the Anthropology of Disgust and Decay
Speth, J. D., & Eugène, M. (2022). Putrid Meat in the Tropics: It Wasn’t Just for Inuit.
PaleoAnthropology, 2022(2).
🔗 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/364794172_Putrid_Meat_in_the_Tropics_It_Wasn%27t_Just_for_Inuit
- Their Core Thesis: Challenges the Western assumption that disgust toward decomposition is a universal biological response. Provides evidence that tropical populations also consumed aged meat, arguing that disgust is largely culturally conditioned. It links this conditioned disgust to psychological defenses against mortality awareness, as outlined in Terror Management Theory.
- My Synthesis & Departure: This paper provides the empirical backbone for my concept of the “Labyrinth of Taboos.” It proves that our revulsion to decay is not an innate truth but a cultural construct. My artistic practice, particularly in works like Venus Incarnis, functions as a direct intervention into this conditioning. By creating a safe, ritualized space to engage with decomposition, my work seeks to weaken the link between decay and mortality terror, instead reframing it as a site of “Syntropic” regeneration and “Material Divinity.”
2. On the Physics of Entropy and Syntropy
Isa, H. H., & Dumas, C. (2020). Entropy and Negentropy Principles in the I-Theory.
Journal of High Energy Physics, Gravitation and Cosmology, 6, 165-183.
🔗 https://doi.org/10.4236/jhepgc.2020.62020
- Their Core Thesis: Proposes entropy (disorder, repulsion) and negentropy (order, attraction) as fundamental, complementary forces that govern quantum interactions and shape reality.
- My Synthesis & Departure: This paper provides a physical metaphor for the dual forces I identify in the psycho-cultural realm. My work translates this physics into a cultural diagnosis: the “Primal Rupture” is our cultural obsession with the entropic force (decay as loss) and our blindness to the syntropic force (decay as regeneration). My concept of “Material Divinity” is the sacred presence within this syntropic process.
3. On Syntropy in Living Systems
Di Corpo, U., & Vannini, A. (2014). Syntropy and Sustainability: A Summary.
PaleoAnthropology, 2022(2).
🔗 https://upsol.academia.edu/UlisseDiCorpo
- Their Core Thesis: Defines syntropy as a counter-force to entropy, representing life, order, and complexity. It argues living systems must minimize entropy and maximize syntropy, a process involving both material and “invisible” needs like meaning and connection.
- My Synthesis & Departure: This work provides a crucial biological foundation for my artistic interventions. My projects (Venus Incarnis, Worms Altar) are designed as “syntropic probes”—tangible systems that demonstrate the maximization of syntropy. The “invisible needs” they describe align with my concepts of “Refined Knowing” and the “Oceanic Feeling,” which are necessary for healing our cultural disconnection.
4. On Cultural Blindness and “Propriety”
Ball, J. (2023). “The Role of the ‘Reproduction’ 乃 Character in Chinese Writing: 282 Characters and 59 Definitions.”
Open Journal of Modern Linguistics, 13, 663-691.
🔗 https://doi.org/10.4236/ojml.2023.135040
- Their Core Thesis: Argues that academia exhibits a “systematic blindness” to the reproductive symbolism in the 乃 phonetic component, enforced by cultural “propriety.”
- My Synthesis & Departure: Ball’s methodology is a direct model for my own. She exposes how a culture can refuse to see what is visually present. I apply this same lens to the “Taboo of Decomposition.” We are conditioned not to see the sacredness in decay. My work, like Ball’s, makes the invisible visible by systematically naming and illustrating what “propriety” tells us to ignore.
mamam
Darwin, C. (1881). The Formation of Vegetable Mould, through the Action of Worms, with Observations on their Habits. John Murray.
📌 Summary & Key Insights
- Earthworms as Ecosystem Architects – Darwin redefines worms as vital agents of soil formation, consuming organic matter and excreting nutrient-rich castings that renew soil fertility.
- Decay as Regeneration – Worms accelerate decomposition, integrating plant/animal material into soil and driving cyclical renewal. Darwin frames decay not as grotesque but as a “sacred” process essential to ecological health.
- Sensory Intelligence – Worms exhibit sensitivity to vibrations, light, and tactile stimuli, challenging assumptions of their simplicity. Darwin documents their deliberate leaf-dragging behaviors, revealing unexpected agency.
- Time and Humility – The monograph emphasizes the transformative power of small, incremental actions over millennia, dismantling hierarchies of significance in nature.
💡 Relevance to My Practice
- Reclaiming Decay – Darwin’s work directly challenges cultural aversion to decomposition, framing it as a generative force. This aligns with your theory’s call to re-sanctify decay and reject shame around bodily entropy.
- Interconnectedness – His emphasis on worms’ role in ecological cycles mirrors your “Re-⚭-membering” concept, where fracture (decay) becomes the basis for healing (renewal).
- Anti-Hierarchy – By elevating worms-a symbol of revulsion-to ecological heroes, Darwin subverts anthropocentric hierarchies, paralleling your critique of human alienation from nature.
- Trauma of Awareness – Darwin’s worms literalize the “buried truth” of decomposition, acting as unconscious gardeners of the very processes humanity represses. Their work in darkness echoes your exploration of subconscious cultural taboos.
Thesis Resonance:
Darwin’s worms embody the “misinterpretation” of decay as shameful. Their ceaseless recycling of organic matter offers a model for reconciling humanity’s trauma of bodily awareness-not as a Fall, but as participation in nature’s eternal recomposition.
The Role of the ‘Reproduction’ 乃 Character in Chinese Writing: 282 Characters and 59 Definitions
📖 Ball, J. (2023). “The Role of the ‘Reproduction’ 乃 Character in Chinese Writing: 282 Characters and 59 Definitions.” Open Journal of Modern Linguistics, 13, 663-691.
🔗 Read the full paper
📌 Summary & Key Insights
The academic establishment has systematically dismissed the semantic content of phonetic components, refusing to acknowledge that the 乃 (reproduction) character carries deep biological meaning across 282 characters.
- Biological reality is visually present
- Cultural conditioning creates systematic blindness
- Academic frameworks reinforce the denial
- “Propriety” becomes the mechanism of suppression
💡 Relevance to My Practice
The “Hidden in Plain Sight” Phenomenon:
Jennifer Ball’s research reveals a systematic blindness to reproductive symbolism that perfectly parallels my Taboo of Decomposition.
The reproductive symbolism is literally visible but culturally suppressed through “propriety” – like my theory on Taboo of Decomposition mechanism.
- Ball (2023) – Chinese character reproduction taboo evidence
- Medina-Sauza et al. (2019) – Earthworm regeneration science
- Santoyo (2022) – Bacteria-root symbiosis
- Martin (2015) – Endosymbiotic cellular fusion
Entropy and Negentropy Principles in the I-Theory
📖 Isa, H. H., & Dumas, C. (2020). Entropy and Negentropy Principles in the I-Theory.
🔗 Read the full paper
📌 Summary & Key Insights
- Introduces Entropy (disorder, repulsion) and Negentropy (order, attraction) as fundamental forces in the universe.
- Proposes that these forces govern quantum interactions and shape reality.
- Suggests a deep connection between entropy and the weak force, and negentropy with the strong force, linking physical principles to broader existential themes.
- Raises metaphysical implications about balance, destruction, and creation, aligning with the themes in my work.
💡 Relevance to My Practice
This paper connects to my exploration of entropy and negentropy within the cycle of life and decomposition. The tension between dissolution and order is at the heart of Venus Incarnis, reflecting the fundamental forces described in the I-Theory.
Syntropy and Sustainability: A Summary
Source: Di Corpo, U., & Vannini, A. (2014). PaleoAnthropology, 2022(2). Retrieved from https://upsol.academia.edu/UlisseDiCorpo
📌 Summary & Key Insights
This paper explores the concepts of entropy and syntropy, particularly in relation to energy transformation and living systems. It highlights Luigi Fantappiè’s work, which contrasts syntropy (representing life, order, and complexity) with entropy (disorder and death) . The paper defines energy as a constant, divided into syntropic (concentrated) and entropic (dispersed) states, expressed as 1 = Syntropy + Entropy . Living systems need to minimize entropy and maximize syntropy to sustain themselves, aligning with sustainability principles . The paper also discusses the laws of thermodynamics, noting that life evolves towards greater complexity, challenging the entropy-centric view . The paper further delves into the role of supercausality and complementarity, vital needs theory, and provides an example of healthcare services to DMD patients . It concludes by suggesting that sustainability requires considering both visible and invisible needs, shifting from a mechanistic cause-and-effect paradigm to a supercausal paradigm.
- Challenging Entropy: This paper introduces the concept of syntropy as a counterforce to entropy, the tendency toward disorder and decay. Syntropy represents convergence, complexity, and life-generating order.
- Energy Transformation: Energy exists in two states: syntropic (concentrated) and entropic (dispersed). Living systems minimize entropy and maximize syntropy to sustain themselves.
- Retrocausality: Syntropy is governed by retrocausality (effects preceding causes), making it difficult to observe directly, unlike entropy, which follows causality.
- Complementary Forces: Entropy and syntropy are complementary polarities of the same unity, constantly interacting.
- Water’s Role: Water, with its unique hydrogen bonds, facilitates the flow of syntropy, making it essential for life.
- Vital Needs: Living systems require both material needs (combating entropy) and invisible needs (cohesion, love, and meaning) to thrive.
- Sustainable Practices: True sustainability requires considering both visible and invisible needs, as demonstrated by examples in healthcare.
💡 Relevance to My Practice
This paper provides a scientific framework for my exploration of the cycle of life, death, and decay. It supports my argument that reconnecting with syntropy is essential for healing the “Primal Fracture”, and embracing “Material Divinity”.
📖 Di Corpo, U. (2025). The Theory of Vital Needs and the Law of Syntropy: A New Paradigm for Life Sciences and Social Systems. [Source: Academia.edu] https://upsol.academia.edu/UlisseDiCorpo
📌 Summary & Key Insights
- Dual Laws of Entropy and Syntropy
Building on Luigi Fantappiè’s 1941 discovery, Di Corpo elaborates on two fundamental, symmetrical laws governing the universe:- Entropy (en = diverging, tropos = tendency): Governs classical causality, energy dissipation, disorder, and degradation.
- Syntropy (syn = converging, tropos = tendency): Governs retrocausal phenomena, energy concentration, differentiation, complexity, and life’s organization.
- Life as a Retrocausal Process
Contrary to classical cause-effect paradigms, life is driven by final causes located in the future, meaning living systems are influenced by future states-a concept supported by recent experiments using Random Event Generators (REGs) showing anticipatory physiological responses. - Theory of Vital Needs
Di Corpo extends syntropy to human well-being, proposing that life depends on satisfying both:- Material needs: Food, water, shelter, hygiene-counteracting entropy.
- Immaterial needs: Meaning and love-essential for increasing syntropy and psychological health.
Emotional signals like hunger, thirst, depression, and anxiety serve as alarms indicating unmet vital needs.
- Critique of Mechanistic Science and Social Paradigms
The dominance of cause-effect thinking and entropic laws in science and policy contributes to crises in economics, society, and individual health. Di Corpo advocates for a supercausal paradigm embracing syntropy to address these systemic failures. - Implications Across Disciplines
The theory calls for profound reforms in biology, psychology, medicine, economics, and social organization, emphasizing non-duality and holistic integration of cause and retrocausal forces.
💡 Relevance to My Practice
- Reframing Decay and Renewal
Di Corpo’s syntropy concept resonates with my theory’s emphasis on reclaiming decomposition as sacred and regenerative, challenging the linear, entropic worldview that fuels shame and alienation from the body. - Integrating Material and Immaterial Needs
The vital needs framework provides a useful lens for understanding the interplay between physical decay and psychological states like shame, depression, and anxiety, enriching my exploration of human embodiment and cultural denial. - Supporting a Spiral Cosmology
The retrocausal dimension of syntropy aligns with my Spiral Cosmology, where past and future, decay and regeneration, fracture and healing interact dynamically rather than linearly. - Challenging Dominant Paradigms
This work reinforces the necessity of moving beyond mechanistic, cause-effect models that marginalize decomposition and entropy, advocating for a science and culture that embraces complexity, non-duality, and the sacred cycles of life.
Disgust: The Body and Soul Emotion in the 21st Century
📖 Rozin, P., Haidt, J., & McCauley, C. (2009). American Psychological Association.
📌 Summary & Key Insights
- Disgust as a Neglected Emotion – While Darwin included disgust in his list of emotions, it was largely overlooked in psychology, overshadowed by fear and anger. Researchers avoided disgust due to its focus on food and bodily functions, making it seem less relevant to broad psychological theories.
- Disgust and Mortality – Following Becker’s Denial of Death (1973), disgust is theorized as a defense mechanism against mortality awareness. Terror Management Theory suggests disgust helps humans distance themselves from thoughts of death.
- Animal Nature and Disgust – Humans recoil from reminders of their animal nature, including eating, excreting, sex, body interiors, and death. This is a symbolic way of maintaining the illusion that humans are “more than animals.”
- Cultural Suppression of Disgusting Realities – Societies develop rules to suppress reminders of the body’s vulnerability, including toilet training, hygiene norms, and taboos around bodily exposure and decomposition.
💡 Relevance to My Practice
This study underlines the cultural and psychological forces that reject decay and the organic body, themes central to my artistic exploration. The link between disgust and mortality denial directly informs my work on Venus Incarnis and broader critiques of society’s aversion to decomposition.
Putrid Meat in the Tropics: It Wasn’t Just For Inuit
📖 Speth, J. D., & Eugène, M. (2022). PaleoAnthropology, 2022(2).
📌 Summary & Key Insights
- Disgust as a Neglected Emotion – While Darwin included disgust in his list of emotions, it was largely overlooked in psychology, overshadowed by fear and anger. Researchers avoided disgust due to its focus on food and bodily functions, making it seem less relevant to broad psychological theories.
- Disgust and Mortality – Following Becker’s Denial of Death (1973), disgust is theorized as a defense mechanism against mortality awareness. Terror Management Theory suggests disgust helps humans distance themselves from thoughts of death.
- Animal Nature and Disgust – Humans recoil from reminders of their animal nature, including eating, excreting, sex, body interiors, and death. This is a symbolic way of maintaining the illusion that humans are “more than animals.”
- Cultural Suppression of Disgusting Realities – Societies develop rules to suppress reminders of the body’s vulnerability, including toilet training, hygiene norms, and taboos around bodily exposure and decomposition.
- 💡 Relevance to My Practice
- This study underlines the cultural and psychological forces that reject decay and the organic body, themes central to my artistic exploration. The link between disgust and mortality denial directly informs my work on Venus Incarnis and broader critiques of society’s aversion to decomposition.
- Challenges the assumption that putrid meat consumption was unique to Arctic communities, showing that tropical populations also consumed aged meat.
- Argues that disgust toward decomposition is culturally conditioned, shaped by Western dietary norms rather than universal biological responses.
- Highlights the role of microbiomes in shaping dietary adaptation, where exposure to decayed food allowed traditional populations to metabolize what modern societies reject as inedible.
💡 Relevance to My Practice
This research supports my exploration of cultural aversions to decay, reinforcing the idea that sterility is not a universal ideal but a constructed preference. The findings align with my critique of excessive sanitation and the Western fear of decomposition in my work.
Shame, Vulnerability, and the Fear of Being Seen
📖 Brown, B. (2010). The Gifts of Imperfection.
📌 Summary & Key Insights
- Explores how shame and vulnerability shape human behavior, particularly in relation to creativity and self-expression.
- Argues that fear of judgment and rejection leads people to suppress their authentic selves.
- Introduces the concept of wholeheartedness, advocating for embracing imperfection as a source of strength.
💡 Relevance to My Practice
This work is crucial in understanding procrastination as a shame response, particularly in relation to my piece Jonah in the Fish. The reluctance to reveal difficult truths, as seen in Jonah’s story, mirrors Brené Brown’s insights into vulnerability and fear of being seen.:
Katerina Tsebeli 