Beyond the extended and distributed ‘self’: from subliminal extended selves to nonlocality and neurocapitalism

Abstract

Russ’s (Belk, 1988) extension of William James’ reflections on the self has been a significant accelerant of interpretive and Consumer Culture Theoretic research. In this paper, I will outline a different way we can engage with James’ oeuvre; specifically via psychical research and parapsychology. These fields are subsequently linked to recent debates on quantum interconnectedness, nonlocality, brain-computer interfaces and capitalist-materialist telepathy. This endeavour initially responds to Russ’s point that ‘What we call “self” is really “selves”. Besides distributed selves and multiple selves shared between individuals, there are also multiple selves within individuals’ (Belk, 2024, p. 571). It builds upon Craig’s respective accounts by proffering materialist and post-materialist perspectives on human-human dynamics and human-computer technological affordances. As we shall see, William James encourages us to recognise multiple selves, multiple levels of consciousness, and the psychical extension of self.