(Note to authors: Edit this document not in the wiki, but rather in the graph, at :JwGnhoHw23PfCIyp:.)
All human information-processing states are valid -- stillness, observation, memory, imagination, expression (writing), search (reading), sharing.
Meditation is sometimes described as inner stillness, a peace, a restful state of pure perception, without words, perhaps even without the self.
That inner stillness is real, and available -- and it fits in a bigger context of cognitive experiences.
Sometimes we use words, and sometimes we don't, and both states are valid. And really it's more than "both" -- in the mind there is a whole spectrum of expression. Sometime we perceive objects, feelings, implications, or memories, without putting them into words. (Sometimes perception does not even get that far: we might detect aspects of something, without integrating the aspects into a single "thing" to recognize.)
The transition of a perception from nonverbalized to verbalized is a learnable, mutable skill. It is possible, for instance, through self-awareness and investigation, to overcome a habit of prejudice. Simple study transforms the self.
Expressing something in words makes it easier to remember and process. Short, concise expressions are particularly easy to remember. That is part of why condensing your notes is a good learning strategy.
Somewhat opposite to that, expression also makes it easier to let go of something. The unresolved feeling after an awkward encounter, for instance, can be usefully interpreted as a subconscious call to action: "Something went wrong, self-programming opportunity available, behavioral change needed." To identify the problem, "merely" putting it into words, is often to find greater peace.
Once an idea is expressed in words, it can be recorded, and grouped with other expressions. It might be a waste of time to record every idea, but equally, it is a waste of ideas to record none of them.
Sometimes there is a goal, and sometimes there is none. Sometimes the goal is simply to feel. Sometimes it is to express and record; sometimes it is to read, discover and use information from yourself and others. What you have written, and what exists on the Internet, are both valid objects of inquiry, and Semantic Synchrony lets you join those two webs.
Process an idea until it is done, rewriting it and connecting it to others. Then zoom out, consider the mandala of surrounding expressions. Whatever the previous focus was, the mind can now wander across a convenient list of its neighbors. Or jump to something farther away in the graph, using text search. Or ignore the recorded data altogether, returning to inner stillness.
Economists and others will tell you that you are equal to your information: your beliefs, your preferences, your choices. Those things are all rewritable. It's not even difficult: Study yourself, your feelings, your habits, your choices, etc., and you will literally transform your identity. It's a mechanical process! Just write some things down, label them, read what others have written under the same labels; just mess with your data, and you will transform yourself.
By sharing those meditations, we can help each other transform as a group, faster and more completely than anyone acting alone could. [Don't worry, sharing in Semantic Synchrony is optional. Moreover it offers a very granular concept of privacy, so sharing is not an all-or-nothing choice; you can wade into it gradually.]