🎛 Mode Determination
Modes are driven by invariant strain, drift magnitude, cadence pressure, and attention volatility. They reveal whether the system is absorbing pressure, destabilizing, cascading, or rebuilding.
🧩 The Six MSM Modes#
The MSM defines six behavioral modes:
- Stable — low strain, coherent narratives, balanced attention
- Tension — early strain, rising volatility, pre‑drift conditions
- Drift — directional movement across the substrate, weakening invariants
- Cascade — runaway amplification, narrative churn, overloaded distribution
- Collapse — structural failure, narrative breakdown, attention crash
- Reconstruction — deliberate rebuilding of coherence and signal integrity
Modes are not tied to specific basins; any basin can exhibit any mode depending on structural pressure.
🧭 Inputs to Mode Determination#
The Analyzer determines mode using four primary signals:
- Invariant strain — how close the system is to breaking physics constraints
- Drift magnitude — how quickly the system is moving across the substrate
- Attention volatility — spikes, churn, or burnout
- Cadence pressure — acceleration or compression of temporal rhythms
These signals combine to reveal the system’s behavioral state.
📐 Mode Logic#
Stable#
The system is structurally aligned:
- Low invariant strain
- Low drift
- Moderate or low attention volatility
- Cadence within carrying capacity
Stable systems absorb pressure without destabilizing.
Tension#
Early signs of instability:
- One or more invariants showing moderate strain
- Attention volatility rising
- Cadence beginning to accelerate
- Drift detectable but small
Tension is the precursor to drift.
Drift#
Directional movement across the substrate:
- Invariant strain increasing
- Drift magnitude above threshold
- Narrative or distribution wobble
- Attention patterns becoming irregular
Drift indicates the system is leaving its current attractor.
Cascade#
Runaway amplification and overload:
- High attention volatility
- High cadence pressure
- Distribution–Attention Fit breaking
- Narrative coherence collapsing
- Drift accelerating
Cascade is a high‑energy, unstable mode.
Collapse#
Structural failure:
- Multiple invariants broken
- Narrative coherence near zero
- Attention crashes after overload
- Cadence destabilized
- Drift magnitude unpredictable
Collapse often precedes stagnation or reconstruction.
Reconstruction#
Deliberate stabilization:
- Signal integrity rising
- Narrative coherence improving
- Cadence slowing
- Attention stabilizing
- Drift decreasing
Reconstruction is the only mode that moves the system toward stability.
🧬 Mode Thresholds#
Mode thresholds are determined by combinations of:
- Invariant strain levels
- Drift magnitude categories
- Attention volatility patterns
- Cadence acceleration or compression
Examples:
- Moderate strain + low drift → Tension
- High strain + directional drift → Drift
- High A volatility + high T + broken invariants → Cascade
- Low A + low T + low N → Collapse
- Rising S + rising N + slowing T → Reconstruction
Modes are not binary; they reflect structural patterns.
📦 Output: MediaModeState#
The Analyzer returns:
{
mode: string,
driftMagnitude: number,
dominantInvariant: keyof MediaInvariantState
}
- mode — the behavioral state
- driftMagnitude — how fast the system is moving
- dominantInvariant — the invariant contributing most to strain
This output feeds directly into transition detection and longitudinal analysis.
