Tension Theory: From Cognition to Civilization — A Multilayer Model of Self-Distortion under Informational Pressure

Modern civilization exhibits a striking parallel with the cognitive dysfunction observed in individuals exposed to excessive informational load. Drawing from Tension Theory, this paper proposes a multilayer framework connecting micro- and macro-levels of cognition, emotion, and social organization. The model interprets personal over-intellectualization (“high-IQ syndrome”), collective affective synchronization, and institutional self-justification as homologous expressions of a single energetic mechanism: informational tension.By conceptualizing knowledge, affect, and authority as forms of stored potential energy, the study demonstrates how societies convert informational pressure into systemic rigidity, self-deception, and performative success. The analysis extends previous work on cognitive tension and affective circulation, integrating them into a comprehensive theory of civilization-scale entropy.Findings suggest that both individual and societal intelligence can exceed optimal complexity thresholds, producing self-distorting loops where data, belief, and legitimacy reinforce one another without external grounding. The paper concludes that re-establishing “cognitive circulation” rather than maximizing knowledge density is essential for sustainable collective intelligence.