  Regular physics is unsatisfactory in that it fails to take into consideration
phenomena relating to mind and meaning, whereas on the other side of the
cultural divide such constructs have been studied in detail. This paper
discusses a possible synthesis of the two perspectives. Crucial is the way
systems realising mental function can develop step by step on the basis of the
scaffolding mechanisms of Hoffmeyer, in a way that can be clarified by
consideration of the phenomenon of language. Taking into account such
constructs, aspects of which are apparent even with simple systems such as
acoustically excited water (as with cymatics), potentially opens up a window
into a world of mentality excluded from conventional physics as a result of the
primary focus of the latter on the matter-like aspect of reality.
