## A Process Ontology of Reality: Autaxys and the Generative Cycle (v15.0) This document proposes a process ontology asserting that reality is fundamentally a dynamically self-generating and self-organizing system. This dynamic is driven by an intrinsic principle termed **Autaxys**, defined as the inherent, immanent drive or tendency within the fundamental substrate itself, compelling it towards self-configuration, self-organization, and the actualization of its intrinsic potential. Autaxys is not an external force but the internal engine of becoming. This framework posits a **fundamental, dynamic medium or substrate**, the **Universal Relational Graph (URG)**, as the ground of being. The URG is conceived as a multi-dimensional continuum of potential relationships and connections. Crucially, it is not a passive or inert backdrop but an active, dynamic field whose intrinsic state contains inherent non-uniformities, asymmetries, and unexpressed relational possibilities – configurations where potential connections are unactualized, unstable, or mismatched. These intrinsic imbalances generate dynamic tensions and gradients within the URG, serving as the internal impetus for change and the initiation of the fundamental processes of reality. Autaxys embodies the principle by which these potentials and tensions are dynamically processed, driving continuous, iterative activity within the URG, resulting in a universe perpetually in a state of **continuous becoming**, rather than static existence. The URG's dynamic state, characterized by these inherent tensions and potentials, *is* the direct fuel for Autaxys's operation. Autaxys represents the inherent *drive* of the URG to resolve its internal tensions and actualize its potential configurations, thereby generating structure and order from its inherent state of potentiality. Observable phenomena are not conceived as static entities composed of fundamental substances, but rather emerge as **dynamic relational patterns** *within* and *of* the URG. These patterns are inextricably linked to the fundamental medium, being created, sustained, and ultimately dissolved by its inherent, autaxic process. Within this framework, the universe operates as a **fundamentally computational system**. Autaxys is the inherent principle driving this computation, which generates and sustains emergent phenomena by processing and resolving the URG's intrinsic potentials and actualizing specific, stable relational configurations. The 'computation' refers specifically to the URG's dynamic restructuring of its relational connections. This restructuring is dictated by its internal state (the distribution of tensions and potentials) and the imperative of Autaxys to move towards states of resolved tension, increased stability, or higher complexity, thereby actualizing potential patterns. The system's drive towards stability and complexity is an emergent property of the iterative resolution of tensions within the URG guided by Autaxys. A central tenet of this ontology is a **frequency-centric view of reality**. All phenomena, from elementary particles to macroscopic structures, are understood as dynamic relational patterns characterized by specific **processing frequencies** or rates of change and interaction within the fundamental medium. This leads to a reinterpretation of **mass**. Mass is not an inherent property of inert substance but manifests as a **stable, resonant state** within the dynamic medium (the URG). Specifically, mass is a self-sustaining standing wave pattern or persistent oscillation arising from the recursive reinforcement of specific relational configurations within the URG. The energy bound within such a pattern and its stability are directly related to its characteristic frequency. Its fundamental properties, including rest mass, are determined by its characteristic **Compton frequency** ($\omega_C$). In natural units ($\hbar=1, c=1$), this yields the fundamental identity $m=\omega$, asserting that a pattern's rest mass is numerically identical to its intrinsic angular frequency of oscillation or processing. This identity reflects the energy bound within the stable resonant structure formed through the generative process described below; it is this bound energy/frequency, inherent in the persistent pattern's dynamic activity (its continuous internal processing), that manifests as resistance to changes in motion (inertia), which we perceive as mass. The higher the intrinsic processing frequency of a stable resonant pattern, the more energy is dynamically bound within it through its ongoing internal activity, and the greater its resistance to changes in its state of motion (inertia). Inertia is thus understood as the resistance of a stable resonant pattern to having its intrinsic processing frequency or configuration altered by external interaction, reflecting the energy cost required to disrupt its ongoing self-sustaining dynamic. The continuous processing driven by Autaxys, which resolves inherent tensions and potentials within the URG by actualizing relational patterns, occurs through fundamental, **discrete computational steps**. These steps collectively constitute the **Generative Cycle**. The "tensions and potentials" that initiate this cycle are the URG's inherent non-uniformities – configurations or locations within the relational graph where potential connections are unactualized, unstable, or asymmetrical, creating intrinsic gradients that drive the system towards dynamic equilibrium or higher-order complexity. The Autaxic imperative acts upon these gradients, initiating the cycle. This cycle is conceptualized in three interconnected stages, representing the iterative process of pattern formation, selection, and stabilization: 1. **Proliferation:** Driven by the URG's intrinsic tensions and the autaxic imperative to resolve them, this initial stage involves the spontaneous exploration and generation of myriad potential relational patterns and possibilities *inherent in the current state of the URG*. It represents the URG, under the influence of Autaxys, actively probing and generating potential configurations from its state of unresolved potential, akin to the spontaneous emergence of potential structures from an unstable or non-uniform field seeking resolution. This stage embodies the inherent potentiality of the system, where multiple possible futures co-exist as unactualized relational configurations rooted in the URG's current state, driven by the system's internal dynamics. 2. **Adjudication:** This is a dynamic filtering and selection process. Potential patterns generated in Proliferation are evaluated, refined, and constrained *based on intrinsic criteria emergent from the URG's dynamic structure and the overarching imperative of Autaxys*. These criteria are not pre-ordained laws but dynamically emerge from the system's inherent drive