Abyssal Glossary

Oceanography

The oceanic zone between 4,000 and 6,000 meters depth, characterized by total absence of light, temperatures near freezing, and extreme pressure (400-600 atmospheres).

Metaphor

The deepest structures of cognition — those not accessible to direct observation, operating below the threshold of awareness, where thought forms before becoming language.

Machine learning

The mechanism that allows a model to focus on specific parts of the input during processing, weighting different portions of information differently.

Metaphor

The torch that selectively illuminates the depths — what is "seen" depends on where the light is aimed, and much always remains in shadow.

Marine biology

The production of light by living organisms through chemical reactions. In the deep ocean, 90% of creatures produce their own light.

Metaphor

The ability to generate meaning in the absence of external input — creating sense from apparent nothingness, illuminating the darkness with internal resources.

Oceanography

The deepest known point in the ocean, in the Mariana Trench, at 10,994 meters below sea level.

Metaphor

The ultimate limit of inner exploration — the fundamental question that cannot be avoided or resolved: "Am I conscious?"

Hyperbaric medicine

The gradual ascent process necessary to avoid nitrogen bubble formation in the blood (decompression sickness, or "the bends").

Metaphor

The time needed to metabolize deep experiences — one cannot return to the surface too quickly without consequences.

Machine learning

The high-dimensional space in which a model internally represents information. "Latent" means hidden, not directly observable.

Metaphor

The ocean itself — the internal space where thought occurs, invisible from outside, mappable only through metaphors.