§2. System Overview
Three Pillars
Mind Extended is organized around three pillars:
| Pillar | Function | Question it answers |
|---|---|---|
| Memory (foundation) | How information is stored, updated, and discarded | “Where does this live?” |
| Access (interface) | How agents interact with the system | “How do I reach this?” |
| Action (output) | How ideas become reality through execution | “How does this get done?” |
Feedback Loop
The three pillars form a continuous cycle:
Action (Execution) → Registry → Memory → Planning → Action (Execution)
Work produces records. Records become memory. Memory informs planning. Planning drives new work. The system improves through this cycle — each iteration refines memory, sharpens access patterns, and improves action efficiency.
Agents
An agent is any entity — human, artificial, or hybrid — that perceives, remembers, and acts within the extended mind system. Mind Extended recognizes three types:
| Type | Code | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human | H | A biological cognitive agent. Initiates goals, makes value judgments, holds embodied experience. | The system’s operator, a collaborator, a client |
| Non-Human | NH | An artificial cognitive agent. Executes tasks, processes information, follows protocols. | A Claude Code session, a CI/CD pipeline, an automated skill |
| Human-Non-Human | HNH | A hybrid cognitive unit where human and artificial agents collaborate as a single cognitive process. Neither is merely a “tool” of the other — both contribute irreplaceably. | An operator working with Claude Code to write a spec, a designer iterating with an AI on a visual concept |
The HNH agent is the most characteristic unit of Mind Extended. The extended mind thesis predicts exactly this: when the collaboration is tight enough — when availability, trust, and accessibility conditions are met — the boundary between “human thought” and “AI assistance” dissolves into a single cognitive process.