Terrains of Awareness
The Clashes name the regions of inner life where conflicting truths commonly coexist.
These are referred to as terrains, not categories.
They describe where tension is felt — not what it means and not how it should be fixed.
Multiple terrains may be inhabited at once.
Moving between them is not progress.
Remaining in one is not failure.
They are simply where friction occurs.
The Five Terrains
- Identity (Circle)
The tension of outgrowing a familiar form without knowing what replaces it. - Emotional (Triangle)
The coexistence of opposing impulses, such as protection and exposure. - Cognitive (Square)
The friction between what can be reasoned and what is sensed without certainty. - Behavioural (Star)
The micro-friction of choice where action resists habit or intention. - Existential (Diamond)
The sensation of presence colliding with routine or the ordinary.
These terrains overlap and recur.
They are not milestones.
If a Clash is framed as something to be outgrown, it ceases to function as a terrain of awareness.