Meme complex (idea)

Meme complex (mim kampleks) n.

In meme theory (memetics), the meme-complex includes all memes that contribute to the strength of a particular meme, ad infinitum. This model can be represented as follows:

Meme-complex Model

                     meme                    meme
  meme                |                      /
   |                  |                     /
   |                   \                   /
  meme --------->  Main meme  <------- meme
   |                    /                   \
   |                    |                    \
   meme                 |                    meme
                      meme
                     /    \        .......
                    /      \      /
           ...meme_/        \_meme
             

The Main meme is more properly known as the metameme.

The force of the Main meme is proportional to the number of other memes that support it according to the following formula:

F = (L₁M₁+L₂M₂) / x²

Where:

• M = # of supporting memes
• x = degrees of separation between the memes
• L = meme constant: specific for each meme, equal to victims/prey

The degree of separation between memes that support each other directly is 1, memes that support memes that support the main meme are a 2 and so forth.

The larger F a meme has, the larger its meme-complex is, and the stronger it is. If a meme-complex does not have a high enough F, it will not reach critical mass (self-sustained growth) and will be lost in space. This relationship can be graphed as follows:

   Memecurve reaching critical mass
  |                   B             ......
  |                    \______------
 F|                    /
  |                   /
  |            ______/
  |......------       \A
  |________________________________________
                Mmain
                  A: critical mass reached
                  B: plateau/saturation

                   --------

   Memecurve that doesn't reach critical mass
  |
  |
 F|        __
  |......--  ----------........-----.......
  |________________________________________\
                Mmain

Occasionally, a meme-complex does not reach a plateau, in this case it is referred to as a black memehole and few minds are able to escape its powerful draw.

Meme-complex recursion theory or, Plebius' General Theory of meme-complex relativity.

This theory states that if you traverse through any meme-complex long enough, you will begin to loop, ie. end up in the same place you started. This is what happens in the thought loop theory of consciousness, and in this sense a meme-complex is both self-reinforcing and self-referential. It is at this point that the main meme exists for its own sake, and the members of its meme-complex support it for its own sake, and it results in the creation of a reality bubble, whose stability is relative to the strength of its meme-complexes.