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Cultural super-attractors in critical care: The intensive care unit as a living manifold of meaning

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2026

Melissa P. Bui Open the ORCID record for Melissa P. Bui [Opens in a new window]
Melissa P. Bui*
Affiliation:
Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA melissa.bui@vcuhealth.org
*
*Corresponding author.
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Abstract

Extending Singh’s theory of cultural “super-attractors,” this commentary examines the Intensive Care Unit as a living model of the cultural manifold. In this high-acuity clinical environment, patients, families, and clinicians unconsciously reconstruct cultural super-attractors through ritual, cooperation, and shared humanitarian goals. Integrating psychiatric consultation reveals how these attractors transform unconscious adaptation into structured healing and recovery.

Information

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 49 , 2026 , e292
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press

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