Abstract Traditionally the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) has been mostly a kind of engineering task, based on two assumptions: the existence of other technological culture somewhere in our Galaxy and that this culture is using radiotechnology that can be detected with our receivers. However, SETI endeavors could benefit more by expanding its scope into two-folded interdisciplinary research program, one exploring the nature of human, other animals, and artificial cognition, and the another exploring all possible and hypothetical ways and channels that potential ETI could use to manifest itself. This kind of new research program could be named cognitive astrobiology in order to better describe its research areas.