Nonhows

Nonhows is a term used within certain online communities, particularly those focused on speculative fiction and role-playing games, to describe a being or entity that is fundamentally unknowable or incomprehensible to mortal minds. The concept of a nonhow is not rooted in any established mythology or folklore but rather emerges from a desire to explore the boundaries of consciousness and the limits of human understanding when confronted with true alienness.

A nonhow is characterized by its complete lack of discernible motivation, purpose, or even form that can be grasped by conventional senses or intellect. It does not operate on principles of logic, causality, or biology as humans understand them. Attempts to categorize, analyze, or predict the actions of a nonhow are inherently futile because its existence and nature transcend human frameworks of comprehension. It is not necessarily malevolent, but its indifference to human concerns and its unfathomable operations can be perceived as terrifying. The term itself is a neologism, suggesting something that cannot be explained or understood by any method or means. In narratives, nonhows serve as ultimate expressions of the alien and the unknowable, challenging characters and audiences alike to confront the vastness of existence beyond their immediate experience.