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(NOTE: the newest material is at this site)
"Between the idea
And the reality
Between the motion
And the act
Falls the shadow"
- 'The Hollow Men' T.S.Eliot
Welcome to Chris Lofting's 'old' website. All of the latest material is now being presented at the NEW website although you may find some 'goodies' in these older pages..... for the latest I Ching material click the above hexagram. For older material see links below...
In general, in-between our minds and 'out there' are a number of filters that work both ways in restricting or exagerating our perceptions and these filters impose on us a reality that is a mix of 'out there' and 'in here'. From a fundamental neurological perspective our brains process information by the recursive use of the 'what/where' dichotomy. All disciplines are thus metaphors for describing particular sets of what/where mappings but in terms defined within the discipline. These distinctions seem to be abstracts originating from the neuron's emphasis on ordinality/cardinality processing filtering sense-specific data thus 'where' is more associated with cardinality (distortions/exagerations etc) and 'what' is more associated with ordinality (discreteness). The abstractions reflect weaving together of these two basic threads.
Recent work points to the core element in communications is the neural prism.
Our brain/mind thus filters information into patterns of meaning derived from the fundamental what/where distinctions. I call these filters 'middleware' and there is a general template that all metaphors conform to.
This 'middeware' determines how we find meaning -- whether it be the 'meaning' found in Science and Mathematics, or the 'meaning' found in the esoteric disciplines. This 'middleware' helps to reduce things to essentials and so make things 'crystal clear' as well as enhance things and so create illusions -- just like shadows -- as well as lead to transformations.
For a 'deeper' overview see one or all of the following:
Mathematics as Metaphor for Wholes and Their Aspects (objects/relationships) - Mathematics is one of the basic representational systems we use is our attempts to be precise through the creation of algorithms (receipes) and formulas. The source of mathematics is traceable back to our neurology in that that neurology processes information at the base level of making object/relationship distinctions. Mathematics has emerged from this process rather than from some 'Platonic universe'.
The 'what' and the 'where' in stock market analysis - an overview of neurological processes expressed in financial markets.
The I Ching - a 'complete' I Ching translation/interpretation showing how the use of dichotomy (pairs) alone can elicit meaning.(a 'quick' form of the I Ching appears below). This also includes extentions made by the author based on general research into this form of categorisation and includes the distinction of text from context.This also includes a more proactive way of usiing this system rather than the 'traditional' reactive way. Together with this is a method of determining the motivations for change. where a particular hexagram can describe the motives for the change from one hexagram into the other.
The Proactive I Ching - a method derived from my analysis of how the brain processes data and establishes meaning.
I Ching related links - A number of links to take you further into the metaphor that is the I Ching.
A billion interpretations of the I Ching: The ONE and the MANY - Due to the neurology-based template underneath the I Ching, each person on the planet could create their own, but in doing so would find common patterns when compared to those created by others. Using a number of dichotomies (yin/yang pairings) from different sources so we can see the common language -- object./relationship associations expressed emotionally to elicit 'meaning'.
Science and Art - Some necessary distinctions.
Patterns In Markets - shows how our thinking imposes patterns in the market place and so the ability to predict.
The Logic of the Esoteric. - shows 'why' the esoteric (I Ching, Astrology, Tarot, etc etc) is still seen to have 'value' when Science asserts that these systems are 'false'.
A Summary of left and right hemisphere functions and their affect on our mappings of reality : covers general brain and specific hemisphere function and how they determine what we 'see' and so how we make 'maps' of reality. Includes links into more detailed pages
The Affect of Methods on Determining Reality - shows how the methods we use can elicit concepts like 'wave/particle' duality independent of 'out there'; these concepts are properties of the method alone.
Particles and Waves : Wholes and their Aspects - further covers how these dualities can emerge from the method of analysis (neurology/psychology based) and so are not necessarily 'out there'. See also the particular comment re recursive dichotomisations and wave interference patterns.
What Is The 'Wave' Equation? : A simple description of something complex.
Mixing the Senses - covers the consequences of humans (at least) having hybrid association areas in the brain where sections are shared by different senses and so form 'natural' dichotomies 'in here' that can affect how we make 'maps' and establish meaning.
Taoism - a general introduction to some concepts founded on the use of refinement (alchemy) rooted in the use of dichotomy to make distinctions and leading into yin/yang and the I Ching.
A HEURISTIC DERIVATION OF NEO-CORTICAL FUNCTION
A COMMON LANGUAGE
ON METHODS
NUMBER, THE BRAIN, AND SCIENCE
For those more interested in the details of 'middleware'and so the root of symbols and metaphor and the patterns they 'point to', then from this page you can here link to the esoteric path or else ease into things via the more scientific path -- both eventually lead to the same place.
The I Ching (pronounced Yee Jing and translates as "Book of Changes") is an ancient book from China that covers both the events of life and the way of life; it is thus a book of philosophy as well as divination.
The 'quick' I Ching allows you to get a rough idea of things rather than you having to sort through a lot of details -- it is more 'general' than the traditional 'specifics' biased system where the specifics are just 'more' detailed..something you may not need at the moment.
Below you will be introduced to a set of symbols that can be placed in numerous permutations and each permutation summarises a situation whether past, present, or future. The 'success' of these summaries is due to the 'fact' that the method of description is 'fixed' at a base level deep in our neurology and we make symbols and metaphors that are expressed in our psychology. Furthermore, the hierarchic nature of our minds allows for each permutation to do 'double duty' in that it is 'meaningful' at each level of the hierarchy and so applies to the very local and well as the very non-local.
The I Ching consists of 64 symbols called hexagrams (6-line symbols) made-up of two trigrams -- three-line symbols -- for example, here is hexagram 23 (hex = 6):
this hexagram is made-up of the trigram for discernment (selectivity, retainment):
on top of the trigram for devotion:
We can 'read' this from bottom to top as 'from devotion comes discernment' and as a whole this hexagram is called 'pruning' in that it deals with cutting things back and seperating chaff from wheat; going back to 'basic' truths. In everyday life this process requires strong devotion and a high degree of discernment (sometimes TOO high).
Each trigram has a 'meaning' that has been derived and refined over thousands of years of analysis. Structurally, each trigram has it's meaning further 'refined' when in the 'top' position and these distinctions are layed out below where we have listed these eight trigrams:
Trigram 1 is made up of three solid lines:
It is traditionally called Heaven or The Creative. When in the bottom position of a hexagram it represents perseverence.
When in the top top position of a hexagram it represents singlemindedness; confidence.
(Thus when the trigram appears in BOTH positions, perseverence doubled gives you singlemindedness).
Trigram 2 is made up of two solid lines topped by a broken line:
It is traditionally called Lake or The Joyous. When in the bottom position it represents self-reflection.
When in the top postion it represents intensity; spreading out.
(Self-reflection doubled gives intenseness.)
Trigram 3 is made up of two solid lines either side of a broken line:
It is traditionally called Fire or The Clinging. When in the bottom position it represents guidance.
When in the top position it represents direction.
(Guidance doubled gives direction.)
Trigram 4 is made up of one solid line topped with two broken lines:
It is traditionally called Thunder or The Arousing. When in the bottom position it represents enlightenment.
When in the top position it represents awareness.
(Enlightenment doubled gives awareness.)
Trigram 5 is made up of a broken line topped with two solid lines:
It is traditionally called Wind or The Gentle. When in the bottom position it represents cultivation.
When in the top position it represents influence.
(Cultivation doubled gives influence.)
Trigram 6 is made up of two broken lines either side of a solid line:
It is traditionally called Water or The Abysmal. When in the bottom position it represents containment.
When in the top position it represents control; overcoming.
(Containment doubled gives control.)
Trigram 7 is made up of two broken lines topped by a solid line:
It is traditionally called Mountain or Keeping Still. When in the bottom position it represents self-restraint.
When in the top position it represents discernment; selectivity.
(Self-restraint doubled gives discernment.)
Trigram 8 is made up of three broken lines:
It is traditionally called Earth or The Receptive. When in the bottom position it represents devotion.
When in the top position it represents absolute trust.
(Devotion doubled gives absolute trust.)
It is a simple exercise to put trigrams into hexagrams by using the concept of text over context - foreground over background. Thus the bottom trigram is the background (context, the general, the 'raw', the past or present) and the top the foreground (text, the specific, the 'refined' the present or future).
Note the strong emphasis on order in that the top comes from or follows on from the bottom. You find that you can also 'split' the hexagram into 'out there' (top) and 'in here' (bottom) and still derive valid 'meanings'.
For example, I am in a situation that feels to me like it is based in a context of devotion. I also feel that 'out there' is a situation of intensity. This 'reads' as 'from devotion comes intensity' and is captured by the whole meaning of hexagram 45 - gathering - in that what is reflected is a scene of group worship or formation of a group along fundamentalist lines.
A hexagram very close to hexagram 45 is hexagram 12 which reads 'from devotion comes singlemindedness'and this captures the concept of neutralising in that the fundamentalist group 'parries' all attacks upon it in a totalist manner and this can lead to 'stagnation'.
The reason for the success of the I Ching, as well as other dichtomy-based prediction systems is that meaning comes with the method of analysis, something often 'missed' by users. All of these systems are metaphors for deeper unconsious methods in the mind, a subject discussed in the 'deeper' areas of this website.
To sumarise, with the 'Quick' I Ching there are eight 'basic' contexts and for each context we find eight possible texts giving us overall sixty-four 'basic' states and each hexagram 'describes' each of these states in varying degrees of detail.
The eight basic contexts are:
1 - Persevering
2 - Self-Reflecting
3 - Guiding
4 - Enlightening
5 - Influencing
6 - Containing
7 - Self-Restraining
8 - Devoting
The eight basic texts are:
1 - Singlemindedness (confidence)
2 - Intensity
3 - Directing
4 - Awareness
5 - Cultivating
6 - Controlling
7 - Discerning
8 - Trusting
As you go deeper (other parts of this site) so you will find the sixty-four states can themselves serve as context for sixty-four 'texts' giving over four thousand possible states (64 x 64 = 4096).
For example, hexagram 45 can serve as the context for any of the other hexagrams including itself and from this relationship so a 'meaning' is discovered.
We could of course go beyond this but then a level of complexity is reached where we find it is easier to 'step back' and work from the hexagram levels.
The 'Quick' I Ching is very simple, using the previosuly given generic descriptions for each trigram, just determine which trigram 'fits' for representing context and which for representing text. Put them together and look-up the hexagram details via the hexagram table
The result should give you a rough idea of things and that may be all you need to go on with. If you dont trust your own judgement then let chance do it for you in that you select both text and context trigrams by generating a number between 1 and 8 inclusive. You can do this using eight bits of paper with a number written on each and drawn out of a hat..we leave the method of getting the numbers to you... (the traditional method is more 'detailed' in that we create all six lines of a hexagram...this site lets you do that but the Quick I Ching can serve to get a 'rough' idea to make judgements on since both systems lead to the same place.)
The 'middle way' is to select one trigram yourself and let chance select the other.
Have fun, and in the process perhaps learn about all of the other prediction systems we use that are founded on dichotomies and so learn how they continue to elicit 'value' even though Science suggests they are 'rubbish'; and from this discover the structure of 'meaning' and how we communicate with each other.
Go to the I Ching Table.
I Ching Plus Home Page.
The I Ching and the Brain
E-mail Chris Lofting
I Ching readings and resources with Clarity
