Definitions by Dumu The Void

Science of Orthodoxy

The empirical study of orthodoxies themselves using scientific methods—treating orthodoxy as a natural phenomenon to be investigated through observation, measurement, and analysis. The science of orthodoxy applies quantitative and qualitative methods across multiple domains to understand how orthodoxies form, how they persist, how they change, and how they function in different contexts. It draws on history (tracking the rise and fall of orthodox views), sociology (studying the social structures that maintain orthodoxy), psychology (examining the cognitive biases that make orthodoxy attractive), network analysis (mapping how orthodox views spread through communities), and institutional analysis (understanding how organizations enforce orthodoxy). The science of orthodoxy seeks not just to describe orthodoxies but to explain them—to understand the regularities, causes, and effects of this fundamental human phenomenon across religious, scientific, political, and cultural domains.

Example: "Her science of orthodoxy research used network analysis to show how certain beliefs become dominant in online communities—not because they're true, but because they spread through influential nodes and get reinforced by group dynamics. The same patterns appear whether the content is political, religious, or scientific."

Science of Orthodoxy by Dumu The Void March 17, 2026

Metaneuroscience

The systematic study of neuroscience itself—a second-order discipline that takes neuroscientific theory, practice, and institutions as its objects of inquiry. Metaneuroscience asks foundational questions about the brain sciences: What assumptions underlie different neuroscientific approaches? How do imaging technologies shape what we can discover? What counts as explanation in neuroscience? How do social and cultural factors influence research agendas? What are the limits of neuroscientific explanation? It also examines the history of neuroscience, the structure of neuroscientific theories, the relationship between neuroscience and other disciplines (psychology, philosophy, artificial intelligence), and the ethical implications of neuroscientific research and application. Metaneuroscience is neuroscience reflecting on itself—the discipline's capacity to examine its own foundations, methods, and assumptions. It's what enables neuroscience to ask not just "how does the brain work?" but "how do we know how the brain works?" and "what might we be missing?"

Example: "His metaneuroscience analysis examined how the metaphor of the brain as computer shapes research questions and interpretations—not wrong, but not neutral either. Different metaphors would produce different neuroscience. The discipline studying itself reveals its own conceptual infrastructure."

Metaneuroscience by Dumu The Void March 16, 2026

Metapsychiatry

The systematic study of psychiatry itself—a second-order discipline that takes psychiatric theory, practice, and institutions as its objects of inquiry. Metapsychiatry asks foundational questions about psychiatric knowledge and practice: How are diagnostic categories constructed and validated? What assumptions underlie different treatment approaches? How do social, cultural, and economic factors shape psychiatric care? What are the limits of psychiatric explanation? How do power relations operate within psychiatric institutions? It also examines the history of psychiatry, the structure of psychiatric theories, the relationship between psychiatry and other healing traditions, and the ethical dimensions of psychiatric practice. Metapsychiatry is psychiatry reflecting on itself—the discipline's capacity to examine its own assumptions, practices, and effects. It's what enables psychiatry to ask not just "what works?" but "what do we mean by 'works'?" and "for whom?" and "at what cost?"

Example: "Her metapsychiatry analysis examined how the concept of 'schizophrenia' has changed across decades and cultures—not because the illness changed, but because diagnostic frameworks changed, shaped by science, culture, and institutional needs. Psychiatry studying itself reveals its own contingency."

Metapsychiatry by Dumu The Void March 16, 2026

Metapsychology

The systematic study of psychology itself—a second-order discipline that takes psychology as its object of inquiry. Metapsychology asks foundational questions about psychological science: What are the assumptions of different psychological approaches? How do psychological theories relate to the phenomena they describe? What counts as explanation in psychology? How do cultural contexts shape psychological knowledge? What are the limits of psychological inquiry? It also examines the history of psychology, the structure of psychological theories, the relationship between psychology and other disciplines, and the ethical implications of psychological practice. Metapsychology is psychology reflecting on itself—the attempt to understand what psychology is, what it can achieve, and what its limits might be. It's the discipline's self-awareness, its capacity to step back from its own practices and ask: What are we really doing when we do psychology?

Example: "His metapsychology work examined how Freud's theories reflected the cultural context of fin-de-siècle Vienna—not to dismiss them, but to understand how psychological knowledge is always shaped by its time and place. Psychology about psychology reveals what psychology hides from itself."

Metapsychology by Dumu The Void March 16, 2026

Infraneuroscience

A meta-framework examining the infrastructure underlying neuroscience itself—the foundational systems, structures, and conditions that make neuroscientific research possible and shape what neuroscience becomes. Infraneuroscience asks what must be in place for neuroscience to exist: technological infrastructure (MRI machines, electrophysiology rigs, microscopy systems), computational tools (data analysis software, modeling platforms, statistical methods), conceptual frameworks (models of brain function, theories of neural computation), institutional arrangements (research centers, funding agencies, journals), training systems (graduate programs, postdoctoral positions, laboratory apprenticeships), and cultural contexts (assumptions about mind-brain relationships, reductionism, what counts as explanation). It also examines how this infrastructure shapes neuroscientific knowledge—how the limits of imaging technology determine what can be seen, how computational tools shape what can be analyzed, how funding priorities direct research attention. Infraneuroscience reveals that neuroscience is never just the study of brain—it's always neuroscience built on infrastructure, and understanding neuroscience requires understanding the systems that make it possible.

Example: "Her infraneuroscience analysis showed how fMRI research doesn't just measure brain activity—it constructs it through complex infrastructure: magnetic fields, statistical assumptions, color-coding choices, interpretive frameworks. The brain images are real, but they're also built."

Infraneuroscience by Dumu The Void March 16, 2026

Infrapsychiatry

A meta-framework examining the infrastructure underlying psychiatry itself—the foundational systems, structures, and conditions that make psychiatric practice possible and shape what psychiatry becomes. Infrapsychiatry asks what must be in place for psychiatry to exist: diagnostic frameworks (classification systems like the DSM), therapeutic technologies (pharmaceuticals, psychotherapies, brain stimulation), institutional arrangements (hospitals, clinics, insurance systems), professional structures (training, licensing, certification), economic forces (pharmaceutical industry, healthcare markets, insurance reimbursement), legal frameworks (commitment laws, disability determinations, forensic psychiatry), and cultural contexts (conceptions of mental illness, stigma, healing practices). It also examines how this infrastructure shapes psychiatric knowledge and practice—how diagnostic categories reflect cultural values as much as scientific findings, how pharmaceutical funding shapes treatment research, how institutional constraints determine who gets what care. Infrapsychiatry reveals that psychiatry is never just the treatment of mental illness—it's always psychiatry built on infrastructure, and understanding psychiatry requires understanding the systems that enable and constrain it.

Example: "His infrapsychiatry analysis traced how the DSM diagnostic categories were shaped by committee politics, insurance requirements, and pharmaceutical marketing—not just by science. The infrastructure of diagnosis determines who gets treated for what, and who pays."

Infrapsychiatry by Dumu The Void March 16, 2026

Infrapsychology

A meta-framework examining the infrastructure underlying psychology itself—the foundational systems, structures, and conditions that make psychological science possible and shape what psychology becomes. Infrapsychology asks what must be in place for psychology to exist as a discipline: conceptual frameworks (models of mind, theories of behavior), methodological tools (experimental designs, statistical techniques, assessment instruments), institutional arrangements (psychology departments, journals, professional organizations), training systems (graduate education, clinical supervision, research apprenticeships), funding structures (grant agencies, priorities, biases), and cultural contexts (assumptions about personhood, normality, and health that shape what psychology studies and how). It also examines how this infrastructure shapes psychological knowledge—how methodological choices limit what can be discovered, how institutional pressures shape research agendas, how cultural assumptions become embedded in theories. Infrapsychology reveals that psychology is never just the study of mind—it's always psychology built on infrastructure, and understanding psychology requires understanding the foundations that make it possible.

*Example: "Her infrapsychology analysis showed how the dominance of undergraduate participant pools shapes what psychology 'discovers'—findings about 19-year-old Westerners become theories about human nature, not because they're universal, but because the infrastructure makes them easy to study."*

Infrapsychology by Dumu The Void March 16, 2026