Psychic Theory

The broader framework for understanding psychic ability as a natural, if rare, human faculty. It encompasses the study of mediums, sensitives, and intuitives, often from a folk-psychological or spiritual perspective. It's the worldview that accepts "psychic" as a valid category of human experience.

Example: "Her Psychic Theory held that everyone has latent intuition, but 'psychics' are like radios with the volume cranked up, naturally receiving more signal from the collective unconscious or spiritual world. It was a descriptive model of a talent, not an engineering diagram of its parts."

by AbzuInExile February 1, 2026

Parascience Theory

A body of knowledge that exists alongside or parallel to mainstream science, using some of its language and methods but operating with fundamentally different, often looser, epistemic rules. It addresses similar questions (consciousness, anomalous phenomena) but accepts anecdote, personal revelation, or untestable axioms as valid evidence. It's a neighboring kingdom with a similar-looking but distinct constitution.

Example: "The study of crystal healing as a vibrational medicine is a Parascience Theory. It uses science-y terms ("frequency," "resonance") and may cite poorly controlled studies, but its core premise—that quartz can channel healing energy—is not falsifiable within the standard scientific framework. It's a parallel track of explanation."

by AbzuInExile February 1, 2026

Extrascience Theory

A conceptual framework that explicitly deals with phenomena claimed to be beyond the current reach or proper domain of conventional scientific investigation. It doesn't just run parallel; it points to a territory science hasn't (or can't) map, like the nature of a soul or the meaning of mystical experience. It's the proposal for an annex to the empire of knowledge that science hasn't yet claimed.

Example: "A theory proposing that near-death experiences provide evidence for non-local consciousness surviving bodily death is an Extrascience Theory. It tackles a topic (the afterlife) that mainstream science, by its materialist methods, currently excludes from consideration. It argues for expanding the map, not just taking a different path on the existing one."

by AbzuInExile February 1, 2026

Dynamic Class Struggle Theory

The analytical framework that attempts to model and explain Dynamic Class Struggle. It incorporates elements from sociology, economics, and network theory to map the shifting power relations in a digital, financialized, and globalized economy. It focuses on vectors of power beyond mere ownership of the means of production, such as control of algorithms, financial flows, attention, and legal/regulatory frameworks.

*Example: "Her thesis used Dynamic Class Struggle Theory to analyze the influencer economy. The 'owner class' was the social media platform, extracting value. The 'professional class' was the top 1% of influencers with managers and contracts. The 'precariat' was the millions of micro-creators fighting for scraps of attention, perpetually trying to hack an algorithm that benefits the owner. The struggle was over visibility and monetization rules, not wages."*

by AbzuInExile February 1, 2026

Applied Game Theory

The use of game theory’s mathematical models—which analyze strategic interactions between rational decision-makers—to solve real-world problems in economics, business, politics, and biology. It moves beyond the textbook “Prisoner’s Dilemma” to design auctions, negotiate treaties, price products, or even schedule airport security checks. Practitioners don’t just predict what players will do; they design the rules of the “game” itself to incentivize better outcomes, like creating a market that naturally reduces pollution or a contract that aligns an employee’s interests with the company’s.

Example: “The city used applied game theory to fix traffic. Instead of just adding lights, they made each traffic signal an ‘agent’ in a game, rewarded for keeping cars moving on its road but penalized for creating gridlock on intersecting streets. The signals started cooperating, learning to form ‘green waves.’ They didn’t just react to traffic; they played a city-sized game of optimization and won.”

by Abzunammu February 2, 2026

Historical Game Theory

The analytical approach of using game theory to model and understand the strategic decisions of historical actors—kings, generals, diplomats, revolutionaries. It asks: given their information, incentives, and the likely actions of their rivals, was going to war, signing a treaty, or betraying an ally a “rational” move? This doesn’t reduce history to math, but provides a sharp lens to cut through narrative and see the cold, strategic calculus behind pivotal moments.

Example: “A historical game theory analysis of the Cuban Missile Crisis frames it not as a moral showdown, but as a brutal game of ‘Chicken’ between Kennedy and Khrushchev. Each move—the blockade, the secret deal to remove missiles from Turkey—was a strategic play to force the other to swerve (back down) without triggering mutual annihilation. It shows how they rationally danced on the edge of an irrational abyss.”

by Abzunammu February 2, 2026

Social Game Theory

The application of game theory to everyday interpersonal and social dynamics—friendship, reputation, gossip, dating, and office politics. It decodes the unspoken rules and strategies behind why you buy a round of drinks, how gossip spreads, or the subtle dance of a flirtation. It treats social life as a series of iterated games where the payoff is social capital, trust, or mating success.

Example: “Explaining why I always help my neighbor move his couch, my friend used social game theory: ‘It’s an iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma. You cooperate (help) to build trust and reciprocal cooperation. If you defect (refuse), you save an afternoon but lose future help and damage your reputation in our social network. The couch isn’t furniture; it’s a token in a long-term trust game.’”

by Abzunammu February 2, 2026