Conceptual blending

Conceptual Blending (aka Conceptual Integration) is a theory of cognition. According to this theory, elements and vital relations from diverse scenarios are "blended" in a subconscious process known as Conceptual Blending, which is assumed to be ubiquitous to everyday thought and language. Insights obtained from these blends constitute the products of creative thinking.

The Theory of Conceptual Blending was developed by Gilles Fauconnier and Mark Turner. The development of this theory began in 1993 and a representative early formulation is found in their online article Conceptual Integration and Formal Expression.

A newer version of blending theory, with somewhat different termionology, was presented in their book The Way We Think (ISBN 0465087868). Their theory is partially based on basic ideas advanced by George Lakoff in his book Women Fire and Dangerous Things. It also related to Cognitive architecture theories like Soar and ACT-R, and to frame-based theories of Marvin Minsky, Jaime Carbonell among others.