Cultural Physics of Defamiliarization, Learning, Consciousness, and Metaphors

In this chapter, following a contextualization and problematization of new theoretical instruments and research challenges, I investigate the role of defamiliarization/familiarization dynamics in the Discourse-Knowledge Interface (DKI), namely, according to Van Dijk, the construction of symbolic capital. These complex dynamics will be discussed considering four inter-related theoretical frameworks, i.e., the Threshold Concepts Theory (TCT), the Revised Bloom Taxonomy (RBT), my previous scholarly work on Regimes of Metaphor and Metaphor Field-Loop Theory (MELT model), as well as Hameroff and Penrose’s “Orchestrated Reduction” model (OrchOR). The final goal of this study is to establish fundamental pillars that will critically contribute to assembling a theoretical perspective for the study of cultural physics. The potential for this new field-in-the-making to provide valuable insights into cultural practices will be illustrated through the case study of George Rousse’s installation “Puntos de Vista” (Points of View, 2018).