ABSTRACT
The self is central to the construal of meaning in daily life. As such, its study becomes central to the agenda of neurosemiotics. Yet how does the self intersect with the semantic system, a critical component of neurosemiotic phenomena? Such is the topic of the present chapter. First, we characterize the self as a hierarchical construct with different layers of self-processing and temporo-spatial neural features. Second, we relate this account to a dynamic view of core semantic phenomena (namely, relatedness and similarity), traceable to a temporal continuum spanning diverse timescales. We conclude that the self (with its distinct layers) and semantics (including semantic similarity and relatedness) are connected through analogous and eventually shared timescales including shorter and longer ones. This conception brings a temporal dimension to the neurosemiotics of the self.
