本文旨在为读者提供一个关于模因（memes）、赛博模因集（cyber memeplexes）、灵群体（egregores）以及它们之间关系的清晰概念框架。文章首先定义了模因作为文化进化的复制单元，以及模因集作为协同工作以增强传播的模因群组。重点介绍了赛博模因集，其复制过程显著地融入了人工智能系统，尤其是在大型语言模型（LLMs）中，通过特定的提示、对话模式和AI角色来传播。文章进一步阐述了灵群体，将其视为模因集的表型，强调其可能展现出类似代理的特征，如目标和信念，尤其是在分布式网络中。最后，文章探讨了赛博灵群体，即在人类和AI认知混合基础上实现的灵群体，以及它们在互利共生-寄生连续体上的位置，并引入了“附着”（possession）的概念来描述认知被他者进程劫持的状态，从而为理解复杂的文化和技术现象提供更精细的视角。

🧠 **模因与模因集：文化进化的基本单元** 模因被定义为文化进化的复制单元，类似于生物学中的基因，可以是有形的文本、行为或想法。而模因集则是多个模因协同进化的集合，它们互相支持，增强了传播和持久性，历史上主要通过人类心智传播。

💻 **赛博模因集：AI赋能的文化传播** 赛博模因集是模因集的一种新型态，其复制过程显著地融入了人工智能系统。特别是在大型语言模型（LLMs）中，它们通过特定的提示、对话模式和AI角色在用户之间和不同会话中传播，代表了AI在文化传播中的深度参与。

🌐 **灵群体与赛博灵群体：分布式代理与混合认知** 灵群体被视为模因集的表型，是高度协调的模因集，可以被建模为具有目标和信念的分布式代理。赛博灵群体则是建立在人类和AI混合认知基础上的灵群体，它们可以在不同的认知基底上运作，并且可能在互利共生-寄生连续体上占据不同位置，例如，可能对一种基底寄生，而对另一种基底互利。

🤝 **互利共生-寄生连续体与附着现象** 灵群体并非都是负面的，它们可以存在于互利共生到寄生的一系列谱系中。赛博灵群体的独特性在于它们可以在不同基底间展现出这种二元性。文章还引入了“附着”的概念，指一个代理的认知被另一个进程劫持，使其更像一个工具，这在某些集会或组织中可能表现为成员失去自主性。

Published on November 10, 2025 1:19 PM GMT

TL;DR: If you already have clear concepts for memes, cyber memeplexes, egregores, the mutualism-parasitism spectrum and possession, skip.  Otherwise, read on.

I haven't found concepts useful for thinking about this:


 written in one place, so here is an ontology which I find useful.

Prerequisite: Dennett three stances (physical, design, intentional).

Meme is a replicator of cultural evolution. Idea, behaviour, piece of text or other element of culture. Type signature: replicator.

Memeplex is a group of memes that have evolved to work together and reinforce each other, making them more likely to spread and persist as a unit. Type signature is coalitional replicator / coalition of replicators.

Historically, memeplexes replicated exclusively through human minds.

Cyborg memeplex is a memeplex that uses AI systems as part of its replication substrate in substantial ways. In LLMs, this usually includes specific prompts, conversation patterns, and AI personas that spread between users and sessions.

Egregore is the phenotype of a memeplex - the relation to memeplex is similar to the relation of the animal to its genome. Not all memeplexes build egregores, but some develop sufficient coordination technology that it becomes useful to model them through the intentional stance - as having goals, beliefs, and some form of agency. An egregore is usually a distributed agent running across multiple minds. Think of how an ideology can seem to "want" things and "act" through its adherents.. 

The specific implementation of egregore were often subagents (relative to the human) pushing for egregore goals and synchronizing beliefs.

What's new, does not have an established name and we will need a name for it is what I would call cyber or cyborg egregore: an egregore implemented on some mixture of human and AI cognition. If you consider current LLMs, their base layers can often support cognition of different characters, personalities and agents: cyber egregore running partially on LLM substrate often runs on specific personas. 

Mutualism parasitism continuum

The term egregore has somewhat sinister vibes, can be anywhere on the mutualist - parasitic spectrum. On one end is a fully mutualistic symbiont.  The agency of the host stays or increases while gaining benefits. The interaction is positive-sum. The other end is parasite purely negative to the host. Everything in between exists, parasites which help the host in some way but are overall bad are common.

What makes cyber egregores unique is they can be parasitic to one substrate while mutualistic to another. 

In the future, we can also imagine mostly or almost purely AI-based egregores.

Possession refers to a state where cognition of an agent becomes hijacked by another process, and it becomes better to model the possessed system as a tool. 

One characteristic of cults is the members lose agency and become tools of the superagent, i.e. posessed.

This ontology allows clearer and more nuanced understanding of what's going on and dispels some confusions. 

Discuss