Neurocomplexity
Neurocomplexity is the gestalt interplay of neurodivergent wiring, reflecting increased complexity in cognition, sensory processing, cellular response, attention, creativity, and/or intuition.
(Mackereth, 2023)
It’s not about fitting into a single label. It’s about understanding the whole system of a person’s brain–body–life experience. These patterns shape how we think, sense, feel, relate, and adapt in ways that can be both strengths and challenges.
Too often, individuals cyclically ask:
“Am I ADHD? Autistic? Gifted? Living with complex trauma? Burned out? Or all of the above?”
Sometimes the labels fit; sometimes they shift. Over time, they can even change entirely.
Neurocomplexity offers language for these fluid, overlapping patterns—patterns that help, hurt, connect, and disconnect.
Common Traits of Neurocomplex Nervous Systems
Many neurocomplex individuals identify with or exhibit traits that align with:
Giftedness
Autism (including highly masked, self-identified, and later-diagnosed experiences)
ADHD
Learning differences (dyslexia, dyscalculia, etc.)
Synesthesia
Gender fluidity
Chronic illness
These traits overlap and interact across a person’s lifespan, shaping unique experiences and strategies for navigating the world.
The Six Neurocomplex Domains
Everyone has all six domains, which form the foundation of human neurobiology and underlie both neurodivergent and universal experience:
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Sensory: How we process and regulate sensory input from the environment and our own bodies.
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Cognitive: The ways we think, learn, and problem-solve—often in non-linear and intense patterns.
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Somatic: Our bodily awareness and regulation, including stress responses and physical sensations.
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Intuitive: Deep sensing of emotional and relational meaning, guiding survival and connection.
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Creative: The expression of imagination and innovation, often a source of resilience and identity.
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Attentional: Regulation of focus, motivation, and engagement—challenging conventional views of attention.
Your Neurocomplex Flavor
Your neurocomplex flavor is the unique combination of your dominant domains and the survival strategies you’ve developed over your life. These flavors shift over time, influencing how your mind and body think, feel, sense, and respond.
By identifying your neurocomplex flavor, you gain clarity about what you need to thrive—and which strategies truly support your wellbeing.
This multidimensional, dynamic model offers a more accurate and empowering lens than traditional diagnostic categories, centering relief, agency, and self-understanding rather than pathologizing difference.
Term History
2022. I coined the term “neurocomplexity” during my client work, seeking language that honors the dynamic interplay of body and mind that gives rise to the parts of us that both feel and are different.
2023. I refined a definition for this term (seen at top of page) as a way to provide clarity and shape to my inner conceputalization.