Memeforms and the Fabric of Cultural Power

Internalizable Ideas and that we can Engineer for Better World

In the great web of coordination, where actions converge and intentions ripple across social fields, certain ideas, certain shapes of thought, embed more deeply than others. Some flicker like fireflies, bright but brief. Others take root. They do more than repeat; they transform. These are not just memes, but memeforms. I have written about memeforms in several of my essays now, and it is high time that we delve deeper into understand what is meant by this concept.

Memeforms are the memetic equivalent of architectural blueprints refined for habitation. They are not merely replicable; they are livable. They structure feeling, perception, and volition. They do not simply travel through networks, they settle into nervous systems and social habits, anchoring the continuity of meaning across individuals, collectives, and time.

These memeforms serve as the silent architects of social reality, embedding themselves in the fabric of consciousness and collective behavior. When properly internalized, they harmonize with the individual’s sense of self and the collective’s sense of belonging, guiding action and shaping perception. Just as a building provides structure and sanctuary for its inhabitants, memeforms offer a framework within which people can orient their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. The deeper their roots, the more resilient they become to external disruptions, allowing them to persist and evolve even as the world around them changes.

This essay expands the Coordination: the Fabric of Power (CfP) framework by situating memeforms at the intersection of cultural replication and internalization. It integrates memetics, cognitive science, and symbolic systems theory to articulate how certain cultural units become embedded threads in the collective fabric, and how their shape determines their force. These memeforms, unlike fleeting viral ideas, function as the foundational elements of social coherence and individual alignment, acting as conduits for collective purpose and individual empowerment. In this way, they weave the very patterns of power, influencing how coordination unfolds within systems of diverse complexity.

1. From Meme to Memeform: An Ontological Bridge

Memetics, since Dawkins first coined the term "meme," has sought to explain cultural evolution through the lens of replication. A meme is any replicable unit of culture, an idea, tune, slogan, gesture, or belief. But to understand why some memes alter perception and behavior at depth while others do not, we need more than replication theory. We need an ontology of internalization.

Here is a refined memetics ontology that helps scaffold this shift:

Memeforms emerge within this ontology as a refined class of memotypes: they are memes optimized not for virality alone, but for internalization. That is, they are coded in a way that makes them particularly likely to shape the volitional and identity architectures of those who encounter them. Memeforms resonate with underlying cognitive structures, addressing deeper psychological and emotional needs, guiding the internalization of social norms and collective goals. By aligning with these inner architectures, memeforms create lasting shifts in perception and behavior, moving beyond the ephemeral influence of simple memes. Their power lies in their ability to embed themselves into the daily practices, thoughts, and identities of individuals, thus weaving new patterns into the very fabric of social systems. As such, memeforms are not just ideas that spread; they are transformative forces that evolve the very nature of coordination, offering a new layer of depth in our understanding of cultural evolution.

2. Defining Memeforms

A memeform is an internalization-optimized structure, a symbolic configuration tuned to the affordances of cognition, emotion, and resonance. Where classical memes can pass through a host with minimal impact, memeforms embed themselves and become generative sites of behavior, belief, and identity.

Memeforms sit at the confluence of three crucial dimensions:
Memotype – The abstract pattern or code of the memeform: narrative arc, symbol, visual motif, rhythm, etc.
Cognotype – A mediating concept: the shape the meme takes that best aligns with cognitive/emotional architecture (e.g. archetypal motifs, affective metaphors).
Internalization Architecture – The internal pathways, biological, psychological, or social, through which the memeform is absorbed, integrated, and stabilized within a person or group.

This triangulation is what makes memeforms powerful: they are not just messages, but frames of embodiment. They create lasting shifts in how individuals perceive the world and orient themselves within it. By resonating with the cognitive and emotional architecture of individuals, they shape perceptions and values that reverberate across personal identity and collective norms. Through repeated exposure, memeforms gradually evolve from external stimuli into internalized frameworks that influence behavior, guide decision-making, and structure the very way individuals relate to others and the world. In this sense, memeforms become an integral part of one's lived experience, providing a coherent narrative and emotional map that helps navigate complex social realities.

Furthermore, the embedding of memeforms into social networks amplifies their power. As individuals internalize these structures, they not only alter their own actions but also influence the collective consciousness. The resonance created by these internalized patterns strengthens their spread across social fields, creating ripples that extend through groups, communities, and even larger cultural systems. Unlike simple memes that may remain ephemeral and isolated, memeforms act as nodes of cohesion within the web of coordination. Their enduring nature allows them to propagate deeper, fostering shared meanings, aligned values, and collective identities that transcend individual encounters. In this way, memeforms become not only instruments of personal transformation but also vehicles for collective evolution.

3. Memeforms in Coordination Systems

Within the CfP framework, memeforms play a unique role: they serve as resonance structures for collective behavior. They do not merely instruct or inform; they condition and reinforce participation patterns.

For example, a ritualized chant in a protest ("We are unstoppable!") is not just a slogan. It is a memeform. Its memotype (short, rhythmic, first-person plural), its cognotype (evoking unity and agency), and its internalization vector (collective vocalization under threat) make it a durable structure for Power With and Power Through. The memeform becomes a vector of coordinated resistance. By echoing within the collective body, it shifts participants from passive observers to active agents, binding them in solidarity and amplifying their collective will. The resonance of this memeform enhances the group's capacity to coordinate action under pressure, creating a shared identity and purpose that fuels continued resistance.

Likewise, ideological slogans like “There is no alternative” (TINA) function as memeforms that scaffold Power Over, embedding defeatism and systemic fatalism into social volition. This slogan does not merely inform; it enforces a limiting structure of possibility, conditioning the collective psyche to accept the status quo as inevitable. The memotype (short, definitive, declarative) and cognotype (evoking resignation and powerlessness) together forge an internalized narrative that constrains action and limits imagination. Through repetition, it locks individuals into a sense of helplessness, making the exercise of Power Over seem both unchallenged and unchangeable.

Memeforms reveal how coordination does not simply happen through rules or commands. It happens through shapes of meaning that echo in us. And some shapes echo longer, deeper, and more consequentially than others. These lasting shapes of meaning become embedded in the internal pathways that govern our cognition and emotion. They align not just with individual needs but with collective values and desires, shaping how groups move, resist, and transform. As they embed deeper, they begin to resonate across broader networks, influencing how new meanings emerge and how old ones are challenged. In this way, memeforms are not only carriers of cultural meaning but are essential mechanisms for the generation, reinforcement, and transformation of power within coordinated systems. They provide the blueprint for how collective will can be synchronized, and how power itself can be reshaped.

4. Ontological Placement of Memeforms

To understand memeforms as a specific ontological category within cultural dynamics, we can map them in relation to other memetic layers:

This placement clarifies their function: memeforms serve as deep patterning agents, they do not just replicate; they recruit. By engaging multiple layers of cultural dynamics, they become central to the construction of meaning within social systems. Unlike simple memes that may pass through individuals with minimal alteration, memeforms actively shape and influence the host’s cognitive and emotional architectures. They do not just communicate ideas; they activate underlying psychological structures, guiding individuals toward specific actions, beliefs, and identities. This deep interaction between memeforms and internalization pathways is what allows them to endure and transform systems over time.

In their role as stabilizers within memeplexes, memeforms provide coherence and continuity to larger ideological or social systems. Whether in the context of religious traditions, political movements, or cultural norms, memeforms create a resonance that unites diverse elements of a memeplex into a cohesive whole. For instance, within a political ideology, the memeform of "freedom" may be deployed in various forms, through slogans, rituals, and social practices, but it remains a powerful force because it taps into core emotional and identity structures across the collective. In this way, memeforms not only shape individual behavior but also reinforce collective identity, ensuring that the memeplex remains both coherent and robust, able to weather challenges and internal contradictions.

Furthermore, memeforms play a crucial role in the transmission of cultural norms and values across generations. Through rituals, moral codes, and social roles, they transmit foundational beliefs and practices that structure the lives of individuals and communities. Unlike surface-level messages that may be forgotten or reinterpreted over time, memeforms encode these teachings in ways that align with the deep structures of cognition and identity. This ensures that they are not just passively received but actively internalized and performed, becoming an integral part of one’s sense of self and belonging. As such, memeforms function as the scaffolding for social coordination, linking the personal to the collective and ensuring the persistence of cultural systems. By embedding themselves in the very architecture of individual and collective identity, memeforms enable the sustained reproduction and transformation of social order.

5. Internalization Fitness and Cultural Power

Classical memetics largely evaluates memes through replication success: virality, stickiness, and shareability. But memeforms draw our attention to another kind of fitness: internalization fitness. This refers to a meme's ability to:

• Enter and modify one’s sense of self or reality.

• Align with or reshape volitional structures.

• Be re-expressed behaviorally with fidelity and affective resonance.

These properties give memeforms a strategic role in the structuring of power. They can instantiate Power Over (via moralizing ideologies, internalized oppression), Power With (through resonant shared mythologies), Power Within (via self-concepts or affirmations), or Power Through (via transpersonal rituals, aesthetic disciplines, or social contagion of coordinated behavior). This variation in function demonstrates how memeforms are not neutral carriers of cultural content but active agents in shaping the power dynamics of individuals and communities. They act as mechanisms for encoding and reinforcing power structures by aligning with the psychological, emotional, and social architecture of their hosts. Through their capacity to deeply embed themselves within individuals' cognitive and emotional systems, memeforms become key drivers in how power is experienced, expressed, and perpetuated across social contexts.

Memeforms thus allow us to track how power is not only imposed or negotiated, but internalized and lived. They offer a pathway to understanding the subtle, often invisible processes through which individuals come to embody certain forms of power. For instance, a memeform that frames self-doubt or inadequacy as inherent to one's identity can perpetuate Power Over by fostering internalized oppression. On the other hand, a memeform that encourages solidarity and collective action can generate Power With, activating shared identities and mobilizing collective action. Through their resonance with emotional and cognitive patterns, memeforms become the internalized scripts that individuals live by, structuring not just external behaviors but the very perception of self and other. In this way, memeforms do not merely reflect power; they constitute it, shaping how power operates both within the individual and across the larger collective.

6. Implications for Cultural Analysis and Practice

Understanding memeforms gives us new tools for both critique and design:
In political struggle, memeforms explain why some ideas become culture, while others remain commentary. To shift the collective will, one must shape memeforms, not just arguments. This distinction highlights the difference between simply communicating a message and embedding that message in a way that becomes deeply internalized and capable of mobilizing action. Political movements that succeed in transforming society often do so by creating memeforms that tap into shared emotional, cognitive, and identity structures, providing a framework through which people experience the cause as an integral part of their self-concept and collective identity. These memeforms become more than slogans or ideologies; they become patterns of thought and behavior that people internalize and act upon, allowing movements to grow beyond rhetoric into lasting cultural shifts.

In personal transformation, memeforms can be seen as units of reprogramming, structures that reshape identity and volition through sustained internalization. Just as certain ideas can become deeply embedded in the collective psyche, individuals can reconfigure their internal landscape by adopting and internalizing new memeforms. Whether through affirmations, therapeutic practices, or spiritual frameworks, memeforms help restructure the way people perceive themselves and their capacity for action. This process of internalization allows for the construction of new self-concepts, shifting individual volition towards more empowered or aligned states. The power of these memeforms lies in their ability to restructure not only behavior but the very narrative of the self, creating a more coherent and intentional sense of identity.

In activism and education, memeform analysis can clarify why some pedagogies or slogans create durable engagement while others fade. What is their cognotype? What pathways do they enter through? In this context, memeforms serve as a tool for understanding the deeper layers of influence that educational strategies or activist messages exert on learners and participants. By identifying the internalization vectors of successful educational or activist practices, we can design interventions that resonate more profoundly with individuals and communities, ensuring that these messages are not just understood but felt, integrated, and lived. This analysis helps pinpoint the factors that contribute to sustained engagement, offering insights into how knowledge is not only transmitted but also embodied in ways that catalyze real change.

In social healing, we can craft memeforms for Metamorphic Justice, structures that allow grief, accountability, and reworlding to be felt, not just discussed. By designing memeforms that engage deeply with emotional and psychological pathways, we can create healing practices that do more than offer intellectual or theoretical solutions. They can offer lived experiences of transformation, crafting collective rituals, practices, and narratives that allow people to move through trauma, injustice, and disempowerment. Through the use of such memeforms, communities can rebuild and reimagine their futures, creating new collective identities that are grounded in healing, accountability, and the possibility of renewal. These memeforms can be the building blocks for social reparation, offering a framework for both individual and collective transformation that is not only discussed but felt, enacted, and lived by all participants.

7. Toward a Memeform Praxis

A memeform praxis asks not just: Is this idea true or viral? But rather:

• Is it resonant?

• Is it shapeable for deep internalization?

• Does it propagate action as well as thought?

• Does it align with the architectures of transformation we want to enact?

In the weaving of social fabrics, memeforms are not the threads themselves, but the weaves, knots, and patterns by which threads come alive. They are how meaning becomes memory, how memory becomes motion, and how motion becomes collective momentum.

A memeform praxis extends beyond the intellectual realm of ideas and into the experiential, emotional, and behavioral dimensions of human life. It asks not only whether an idea is appealing or easy to replicate, but whether it can anchor itself in the lived experience of individuals and communities. It inquires if it holds the capacity to move beyond surface-level engagement, to reach into the core of human consciousness and transform the way people act, think, and relate to one another. Memeforms must be able to slip into the subconscious, reorganizing habitual patterns and rerouting collective trajectories. This process ensures that the memeform is not only an idea to be discussed but a force capable of altering the very way we live and engage in the world.

In this sense, memeform praxis becomes a tool for conscious cultural creation and evolution. It calls on us to be intentional architects of meaning, carefully crafting not just messages, but the underlying patterns of behavior and belief that sustain those messages over time. By considering the deep internalization pathways of a memeform, we can design it in ways that foster sustainability and resilience in social movements or personal transformations. Just as a weaver carefully selects threads to create a tapestry, we must select and shape memeforms that align with the values, actions, and long-term goals of the collective. The memeform becomes the very structure that guides us through transformative processes, a guiding architecture of thought and action that shapes the evolving patterns of our social fabric.

Conclusion: Designing for Resonance

In an age where cultural noise drowns insight, and attention fragments across infinite scrolls, the quiet power of memeforms becomes unmistakable. They are not louder memes. They are deeper ones. They do not only echo across networks, they sediment within nervous systems, anchor shared intuitions, and tilt the long arc of coordination.

Understanding memeforms invites us to reimagine memetics not just as a science of replication, but as a craft of resonance design. Whether we seek to dismantle systems of domination or seed emergent patterns of care, we must learn to shape what can be felt and lived, not just said or seen. Cultural transformation begins not with more content, but with more internalizable forms, forms that align with how bodies remember, how symbols move, and how collectives congeal.

If we are to reshape power, we must reshape the pattern. And memeforms are the vessels through which pattern becomes power.