Metabolica Audio Protocol

This publication presents the Metabolica Audio Protocol, a methodological framework for constructing non-directive sound environments that operate at the level of attentional regulation rather than musical representation or emotional influence. The protocol is situated within the broader Metabolica framework, which conceptualizes attention as a regulatory variable of internal models in complex adaptive systems. Unlike musical genres or functional audio practices, Metabolica Audio does not aim to attract attention, convey meaning, or induce predefined psychological states. Instead, it specifies a set of structural constraints—continuity, low eventfulness, absence of narrative development, and non-directivity—under which sound functions as a stable temporal regime or metabolic climate of attention. Changes within the sound environment occur below the threshold of conscious selection and interpretation, allowing attentional processes to remain autonomous. The work is explicitly meta-level and does not require physical or empirical validation. Its compatibility with physical, biological, cognitive, and computational models is established through a shared type of causality—causality defined by dynamic regimes and structural constraints—rather than through reduction to substrate-specific mechanisms. Certain experimental musical works (e.g., Stone In Focus by Aphex Twin) are discussed as intuitive phenomenological instances of similar attentional effects, without serving as sources or empirical justification. This publication is intended as an open methodological contribution for researchers and practitioners working at the intersection of attention studies, systems theory, sound design, and cognitive regulation. It is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license to encourage reuse, adaptation, and further development with proper attribution.