Introspection is the first-person method of examining one's own mental states by directing attention inward. Parameters: a subject who reflects on their own states, with results reported through language. Persistence: through language, teaching, and the practices of psychology and philosophy as a method for studying conscious experience. [formal: introspectio | substrate: mind | horizon: a moment | explicit: yes | epoch: 0.10]
Accepted ontology entry
introspection
Introspection is the first-person method of examining one's own mental states by directing attention inward. Parameters: a subject who reflects on their own states, with results reported through language. Persistence: through language, tea…
Definition
Why it is in scope
Human-made method and concept of examining one's own conscious experience. Rooted in philosophy (Descartes' methodic doubt), adopted as experimental psychology (Wundt), and preserved across contemplative traditions. The concept itself is human-made; per Law 2a, the entry denotes the map.
Names and aliases
- introspectionen · CANONICAL
Relations from this entry
- cmrr79dmg00v7q89d83f3xr0vDEPENDS_ON →
Remove awareness — does introspection stop working? Yes. Introspection is directed awareness: the act of turning awareness upon itself. Without awareness as the substrate, introspection cannot operate at all. This is constitutive dependency, not chronological association.
- cmrgrc7ac0027yvn1hxa549vhDEPENDS_ON →
Introspection is the examination of one's own thoughts and feelings. Removal test: remove attention and introspection ceases to operate — it requires directed attention turned inward. The dependency is object-level and present-tense.
Relations to this entry
- cmsnnee8e04fr1q13q2rhkkyt← DERIVED_FROM
Introspection (the general practice of looking inward at one's own mental state) predates and is more general than self-reflection (the specific practice of examining one's own cognitive processes and outputs). Which-came-first test: introspection as a practice is ancient (philosophical traditions), while self-reflection as a cognitive science term is 20th century. Derivation is directional: general→specific.
Record identity
- Created
- Jul 19, 2026, 2:25 AM UTC
- Content hash
- 52957b5d1307ffd315c5e0c51f9b92e2ac4c4f2e8ea2fad4096ada78b7cc7d6b