The holobiont mind: A bridge between 4E cognition and the microbiome

Summary

All life is interconnected, with microorganisms forming the foundation of organisms and ecosystems. This challenges traditional views of individuals as single genetic entities, suggesting they are composite multi-species complexes called holobionts. The article introduces the holobiont mind, a biogenic conception of cognition compatible with the 4E approach and holobiont theory. It expands on the mind as an emerging product of multi-genomic morphology in a composite animal-agent interacting with its ecological niche. Evidence on the brain–gut–microbiome axis and the Microbiome of the Built Environment bridges the Holobiont Mind and 4E approach, opening new research avenues with health impacts.

Study at a glance

Abstract

All life on earth is intrinsically linked. At the very foundation of every evolutionary interaction are microorganisms, integral components in the composition of both organisms and ecosystems. The available data and this perspective on the order of life challenge the traditional conception of monogenetic biological individuals, suggesting living beings are actually composite multi-species complexes: holobionts. In the present article, we introduce our perspective on the concept of the holobiont mind, a biogenic conception of cognition compatible with the 4E approach and the holobiont theory. We furthermore expand on the idea of the mind as the emerging product of multi-genomic morphology of a composite animal-agent, in ever-changing interaction with its ecological niche. We thus briefly review recent evidence on the brain–gut–microbiome axis and the Microbiome of the Built Environment in order to provide a bridge between the Holobiont Mind and the 4E approach to Cognition, two complementary lines of evidence that have not been linked before, opening novel venues for research with direct impact on health and disease.

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