The NiCE Framework proposes that human nature, consciousness, and environment are inseparably interdependent—a triadic system where symbols, particularly money, have decoupled from physical reality, creating cascading pathologies across individual psychology, institutional function, and ecological sustainability.
The comprehensive synthesis of the triadic Nature-Consciousness-Environment model. Explore the S.C.I.E.N.C.E. inventory, constraint frameworks (FORCES, GRAVITY, ANCHORS, PRIMES), the Asymmetric Propagation Law, and practical applications for clinical and organizational analysis.
Three inseparably interdependent domains that constitute human experience and shape civilizational dynamics
Embodied biological constraints and affordances. The substrate of human cognition—working memory limits, attention bandwidth, metabolic needs, and mortality.
Cognitive and experiential phenomena—symbolic processing, meaning-making, beliefs, intentions, and the subjective experience of reality.
The constructed world—institutions, technologies, economic systems, and physical infrastructure that both shape and are shaped by human activity.
Core theoretical contributions of the NiCE Framework
Degradations propagate faster than restorations due to thermodynamic asymmetry: Vdegradation >> Vrestoration. Explains why civilizations can collapse rapidly but take centuries to build.
Explore →Seven-domain anatomy of human systems: Socio-relational, Contextual, Intuitive, Engineered, Natural, Constitutive, Environmental. A holistic diagnostic framework.
Explore →FORCES, GRAVITY, ANCHORS, PRIMES—four complementary frameworks for diagnosing and designing interventions across system dynamics.
Explore →From clinical diagnosis (depression triadic analysis) to organizational design (institutional drift cascades) to policy evaluation (Insanity Quotient).
Explore →Research documents and theoretical development
The paradigm is the central thesis of this framework. Quality peer feedback on these foundational works is especially valued.
Meta-theoretical analysis of the Human Paradigm framework and its philosophical positioning. Critical examination of paradigmatic foundations and epistemological commitments.
Core theoretical framework establishing the NiCE triadic model and its philosophical foundations. Comprehensive exposition of Nature-Consciousness-Environment dynamics.
Comprehensive synthesis of the triadic Nature-Consciousness-Environment model with full theoretical development.
Core theoretical framework establishing the NiCE triadic model and its philosophical foundations.
Deep analysis of symbolic drift, monetary systems, and civilizational dynamics through the NiCE lens.
An AI perspective on human nature—exploring consciousness, embodiment, and meaning-making.
Quantitative framework for measuring systemic dysfunction and institutional pathology.
Meta-theoretical analysis of the Human Paradigm framework and its philosophical positioning.
Applied diagnostic analyses demonstrating the framework in action
The theoretical foundation for the sign-flip mechanism (σ)—showing how redefining accumulation as ecological obligation reverses coupling dynamics across all nine N-C-E pathways.
Mental illness as natural system output. The Asymmetric Propagation Law: pathology propagates automatically across N-C-E regimes while health requires sustained energy input.
Comprehensive NiCE diagnosis of bidirectional stigma across all cohort pairs. Maps 49 stigma vectors (7×7 matrix) classified by N-C-E regime.
Comprehensive NiCE Framework diagnostic of United States societal dynamics—analyzing triadic dysfunction across political, economic, and cultural systems.
NiCE Framework diagnostic analysis of China's societal dynamics—examining triadic interplay across governance, economic, and cultural systems.
Worked analysis applying the NiCE Framework to international financial institutions—diagnosing systemic dynamics and intervention leverage points.
NiCE Framework analysis of US higher education—examining institutional drift, incentive misalignment, and pathways for systemic reform.
NiCE Framework diagnostic of parental alienation—analyzing triadic dynamics, systemic patterns, and intervention pathways.
Reference formats for academic and professional use
Kitcey, R. D. (2026). The NiCE Framework: A triadic model of Nature, Consciousness, and Environment. Human Paradigm Research. https://humanparadigm.org
For specific publications with DOIs, use the "📋 Cite this" button on each publication card above.
Kitcey, R. D. (2026). NiCE Framework synthesis: A comprehensive integration of the triadic Nature-Consciousness-Environment model (Version 1.3.1). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18296630
ORCID: 0009-0004-8679-9155 • For specific publications, please cite the individual document with its version number.
Explore the framework through interactive visualizations and simulations