NPCs are not soulless automatons

NPCs are egregore-controlled humans, they still have an independent mind but their mind is enslaved and used as a tool for expressing the egregore mind, like a two-way radio channel.
see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egregore
Its possible to disrupt the link to egregore by subversive thought insertion(aka memes), allowing the original mind to assert its will and independent thought. The egregore can't focus on multiple mental challenges simultaneously and the "radio channel" has limited capacity.
NPCs can be reformed to PCs.

>>29

I'll need an example of this happening. And happening because of NPC memes, not because of coordinated effort of PCs to give a character agency.

Unfortunately, its not something i can produce on a whim, this is comparable to feral children being domesticated and encultured. However, lets argue from the reductio ad absurdum: lets imagine NPCs are irredeemable, soulless automatons like the common concept of instinctual animal.
Do you agree that animals can be trained?
NPCs can be controlled in the same way, except on a more subtle level where such training is mental modeling. Behaviors, habits, reactionary responses can be changed in animals. Dr Pavlov experiments on conditioning dogs for example.
The goal is to develop the mental models of NPCs to include doubt, introspection and self-reflection. Memes exposing the reactionary nature of NPCs are forcing changes in culture overall where NPCs are pushed towards the uncomfortable philosophical realizations and discussion when NPCs are ridiculed are forcing self-reflection.
Not all NPCs will be reformed of course, i don't guarantee it,i just propose its possible to reform them and change their thinking. Your question is it "possible to improve their level of thinking" is not at all crucial, the key is slowly changing narratives of NPC-dominated culture to acknowledges its own nature.