Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society

Brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) are typically framed as channels for neural signal transmission, yet their implications for embodiment and agency remain insufficiently theorized. We argue that BCI-mediated systems provide a productive testbed for embodied and extended cognition. Drawing on enactivist and 4E theories, we propose five interaction paradigms: (1)behavior-based embodiment through minimal sensorimotor coupling; (2)shared agency via human–machine co-negotiation; (3)structural coupling through closed-loop co-adaptive plasticity; (4)perceptual extension via integration of non-biological sensors; (5)intentional binding through temporally aligned multimodal feedback. We contend that BCIs function not as passive conduits but as active scaffolds that reconfigure embodiment, transforming tools into quasi-bodily extensions[2] while preserving cognitive sovereignty. This framework positions BCI-mediated intelligence as a dynamic interplay between neural intention and embodied action, offering a principled approach to studying agency, selfhood, and human–machine integration within 4E cognition.[23]