Neuroterritorialization and infrastructures of desire: Power, cognition and technique in the reticulated territory

Abstract

This article analyzes contemporary territory through the concept of the reticulated territory, expanded by the categories of neuroterritorialization and infrastructures of desire. The investigation is grounded in the understanding that space is not merely a physical support, but a multifaceted construction articulated by technical, cognitive, and symbolic networks operating under the logic of selectivity and domination. Neuroterritorialization is explored as a process of territorialization of cognition and affect, in which digital devices modulate perception, attention, and subjectivity, shaping a new field of psychopolitical control. The infrastructures of desire are discussed as technical and algorithmic systems that organize the production and management of affects and symbolic consumption, embedded within the logic of surveillance and platform capitalism. In the current context, there is a functional integration of technique, norm, and time through digital platforms, connected devices, algorithms, and global infrastructures that transform space and reconfigure the conditions of life and labor. The article examines the impact of post-truth on the configuration of cognitive territories that operate through digital networks, fostering a hegemonic dispute over the definition of socially shared reality. It contributes to critical geography by demonstrating that contemporary territorial domination demands the articulation of materiality, subjectivity, and cognitive power, calling for a renewed interdisciplinary analytical agenda.