Entropy, Integration, and Mind
Rethinking Mental Health
In our efforts to understand human behavior and mental health, it can be tempting to simplify our perspective, reducing the complexities of human experience to tangible metrics like biochemistry or neural activity. Yet, as thinkers from diverse disciplines have pointed out, such reductionism often fails to capture the full spectrum of what it means to be human, much less what it means to be well. Recently, I came across an exploration of this idea, "A View of Neurosis as Entropy," and it further clarified for me the prudence of embracing a multidimensional understanding of mental health.
Serendipitously, I encountered "A View of Neurosis as Entropy" just as I was also reading Steven Strogatz’s wonderful book Sync: How Order Emerges from Chaos in the Universe, Nature, and Daily Life. The synchronicity of these two discoveries felt like a remarkable opportunity for synthesis. Strogatz’s exploration of synchrony in complex systems suggests a complementary lens through which to understand the article’s insights into neurosis and psychological entropy. These reflections also brought to mind Daniel J. Siegel’s Mind: A Journey to the Heart of Being Human, which I read last year, particularly his profound ideas on integration. Together, these ideas begin to sketch the outlines (at least) of a coherent thesis: that mental health, like many self-organizing systems, is a dynamic interplay of entropy and integration, disorder and coherence.
Drawing inspiration from Ilya Prigogine’s work on self-organizing systems1, the article challenges the notion that human beings can be fully comprehended at a single level of description. Prigogine’s insights into how systems achieve order through interactions with their environment suggest an interesting framework for rethinking mental health. Specifically, thinking analogously in this way suggests an interpretation of neurosis—a term historically used to describe various psychological disturbances—not as a biochemical imbalance or a purely behavioral dysfunction, but as a form of psychological entropy.
This perspective resonates deeply for me with the ideas explored in Strogatz’s Sync. His work illuminates how complex systems—from fireflies flashing in unison to human heart cells beating in synchrony—achieve coherence through processes of self-organization. The parallels between these phenomena and the concept of psychological entropy suggest profound insights into how order and disorder may manifest within the human mind. In a similar way, Siegel’s focus on integration could be seen as further enriching this perspective, emphasizing that mental health is rooted in the ability to link differentiated elements into a functional whole—whether those elements are neural networks, emotional states, or relationships.
Ignorance as Information Sickness
Entropy, in the context of physics, describes the degree of disorder within a system. Applied to psychology, the concept takes on a more nuanced meaning. The article introduces the idea of "psychological entropy," framing it as an "information sickness." I see this sickness not as a result of a lack of information per se, but rather the inability to organize, integrate, and make sense of the information we encounter. In practical terms, psychological entropy manifests as blind spots, contradictions in thinking, and fragmented mental patterns that hinder our ability to function effectively.
Strogatz’s exploration of synchrony gives some hints at how to understand this phenomenon more clearly. Just as fireflies struggling to sync their flashes are in a state of disarray, one can imagine a mind experiencing psychological entropy as caught in a cycle of internal misalignment. The inability to harmonize competing thoughts, beliefs, and emotions mirrors the challenges faced by systems striving to achieve synchronization. Siegel’s work also underscores the importance of integration in resolving this misalignment—the linking of disparate elements to create a coherent and adaptive system.
Beyond Biochemistry and Behavior
Modern approaches to mental health treatment often emphasize either biochemical interventions, such as medications, or behavioral therapies aimed at altering specific actions. While I think these methods can be effective in certain contexts, they frequently address symptoms rather than root causes. By focusing solely on one level of human organization, such as the biological or the behavioral, I worry we risk oversimplifying the intricate web of factors contributing to mental health.
The concept of psychological entropy, enriched by Strogatz’s insights into self-organizing systems and Siegel’s emphasis on integration, suggests a way to think more holistically. Specifically, that neurosis arises not from any single source but from the interplay of multiple systems—biological, psychological, and social—operating out of sync. This perspective invites more integrative solutions, ones that account for the dynamic relationships between these levels of human experience.
Toward Integration and Complexity
One of the most profound implications of viewing neurosis as entropy, for me, is the call to embrace complexity. Human beings, much like self-organizing systems in nature, thrive not when every aspect of their existence is perfectly controlled but when they can adapt and reorganize in response to challenges. Neurosis, then, seems to me like a signpost—an indicator that a person’s internal systems are out of alignment and in need of reorganization.
Strogatz’s work reinforces this idea that synchronization is often achieved not through external control but through intrinsic adjustments and feedback loops within the system. Similarly, Siegel’s concept of integration highlights the process of linking distinct elements to form a harmonious whole. Perhaps then, effectively addressing psychological entropy involves fostering internal coherence by encouraging individuals to reflect, integrate, and realign their thoughts and emotions. Therapeutic methods that echo these principles, such as mindfulness practices, dialogical approaches, and relational therapies, seem to me like powerful tools for reducing psychological entropy by fostering coherence and integration within the mind.
The Human Element
At its core, this perspective challenges us to see mental health not merely as the absence of disorder but as the presence of integration. I am not dismissing current methodologies (necessarily), but rather trying to suggest an expanded and/or deepened understanding—to shift the focus from fixing what is broken to nurturing what is whole.
In the end, rethinking neurosis as entropy aligns with what I see as a broader view of humanity—one that honors the complexities of our existence and the countless ways in which we organize, adapt, and thrive. By embracing this perspective, I believe we can move toward mental health practices that are not only effective but also deeply humane.