De-mythologizing and De-mystifying the I Ching

I want to suggest that the Zhouyi needs to be released from accumulated extraneous layers of philosophy in order to see how it really works. Yin-yang, Taoism and Neo-Confucianism are not part of the original Zhouyi. Nor are the modern interpretations which generate endless new hexagrams. Such flights of fancy are unfounded and only serve to bore and obfuscate the reader. If you feel drawn to those Chinese philosophies, then other books will provide a richer understanding. I do not see them as necessary for a reading, and I was pleasantly surprised to find a number of I Chings that were , in fact, Zhouyis deliberately omitting any Confucian commentary as unnecessary. The consultation process is quite simple: A problem is acknowledged which has no immediate solution. The Zhouyi is consulted and provides words and phrases. The individual links the reading to the problem and wrestles to obtain a new understanding. The problem is solved.

Essentially the ambiguous words, applied to the situation, provide an opportunity for creative thinking. The Zhouyi doesnt give you the answer, its not some sage resident in the book, there is no dialogue with the book or spirits in the book. You and your brain do all the work to find a resolution. A psychological concept that is useful here is cognitive dissonance. It explains why the brain is motivated to reconcile conflicting ideas, concepts or elements. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance). While searching the Web, I found this article by John Malouff, Ph.D., J.D. Over Fifty Problem Solving Strategies Explained. It was interesting to note that many of the strategies parallel how the Zhouyi works. (http://www.une.edu.au/bcss/psychology/john-malouff/problem-solving.php). There are many other sites on the Internet that deal with problem solving / creativity / insight. If you have an unresolved problem you could try out some of the strategies suggested, e.g. brainstorming and Lateral Thinking. You might find that they can work better than the Zhouyi, or maybe not. You have the choice of how you solve your problems, and there are many, many alternatives to the Zhouyi. Ive taken this well known understanding of Insight from Wikipedia: Creative insights and illuminations may be explained by a process consisting of 5 stages: (i) Preparation (preparatory work on a problem that focuses the individual's mind on the problem and explores the problem's dimensions), (ii) Incubation (where the problem is internalized into the unconscious mind and nothing appears externally to be happening). This would be the stage where the Zhouyi information is placed in the unconscious and interacts with elements of the problem already internalized. (My insertion). (iii) Intimation (the creative person gets a "feeling" that a solution is on its way), (iv) Illumination or insight (where the creative idea bursts forth from its preconscious processing into conscious awareness); and (v) Verification (where the idea is consciously verified, elaborated, and then applied). One doesnt have to resort to out-dated mythic explanations or philosophies to understand how the Zhouyi helps in generating solutions to problems. I suspect that most who consult the I Ching dont bother with the oriental philosophy anyway. The Zhouyi is only one tool to solve problems and it isnt necessarily always the best. As a personal example I used Nigel Richmonds Zhouyi text, actually titled the I Ching oracle. Selected Hex 33. The word withdraw was all that was necessary to address three problems. A surprisingly simple process. No endlessly

deriving nuclear, hidden or other superfluous hexagrams. (Karcher being one of the worst, if not the worst, exponents of this practice). Conclusion: The Zhouyi and I Ching are not magical, mystical or inhabited by some spiritual being. If you believe this you need to check out the psychology of projection and anthropomorphism. The Zhouyi and I Ching are books of words. A reading is a specific selection from those words. To act as a catalyst the words need to be ambiguous with a rich variety of meanings. The words, internalized by the querent, allow a different perspective on the problem. Such thinking, outside the box, is what results in the solution. It is the individual NOT the book that solves the problem. Any creative dialogue is in your own head. There are many other divinatory systems. The Zhouyi can claim no superiority over them. There are many creative problem solving techniques. The Zhouyi can claim no superiority over them. Synchronicity is a belief with no objective reality. It doesnt describe how the Zhouyi actually works. Corollaries Any version of the Zhouyi is as good as any other. An English thesaurus can help to open up the meaning of a text. Every reading is unique to you and your situation. It cannot be compared to the same reading received by someone else. They are incomparableThe individuals and circumstances are totally different. You cannot step into the same river twice. Every hexagram you receive is totally new and only appropriate to the situation that required it. If a problem is solved you should congratulate yourself, not the Zhouyi. To constantly consult the Zhouyi may indicate a lack of self-confidence as, in general, it tends to be consulted only on major issues. To generate endless hexagrams and commentaries from the original hexagram adds to the problem not to the solution. Those who are very intuitive are unlikely to resort to the Zhouyi.

W S Boardman seems to be suggesting a similar position to the one I have sketched: The I Ching expands possibilities, opens options, exposes psychological blind-spots and aids lateral thinking. It requires one to use ones critical faculties (unlike fortune-tellers). It does not force itself upon one but presents its insights always with an implicit Does this make sense to you? It leaves the reader to draw conclusions: to accept or ignore its counsels. (The Pocket I Ching. p.viii). The rest of his introduction is worth reading for its common sense. The paper by Harmen Mesker also advocates some similar ideas: http://i-tjingcentrum.nl/serendipity/archives/126-The-Ten-Laws-of-Proper-Yijing-Practice-Explained.html

Appendix: To create your own experimental oracle. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Select a bookencyclopaedia, bible, fiction, poetry, etc. (Haiku seem a promising source). Open at random and, using a pin, select a sentence or phrase. Do this 64 times and allocate each text with a number. If you need them, judgements for lines can be generated in the same way. When you next need to consult the I Ching generate a hexagram as you normally would, but this time read the text from your oracle. 6. Apply the text to the problem and see if solutions are generated. 7. Did it help? Was it pertinent? Did you struggle to make any sense or was it crystal clear?

8. Try this more than once and youll find it works. You are only facilitating the natural creativity of your own brain. 9. Try deriving your texts from different types of book. Does it make any difference? 10. Try using pictures selected at random rather than text. (A bit like using the Tarot). 11. Have fun. Dont be serious.

Cont.

The I Ching (The Book of Changes) is one of the most ancient writings in world literature. George Hulskramer I Ching in plain English I can tell you that consulting THE BOOK is like being able to ask advice from a very powerful, very wise, yet extremely tolerant and easygoing friend or teacher...There is something magical about this ancient Book of Changes. Peter Crisp The little book of Changes. Although it comes disguised (?) as a book, it is really a voice in a conversation, and you can talk with it (or with what speaks through it) as you would with a wise friend or mentor. Hilary Barrett I Ching walking your path, creating your future What the I Ching is, is a Third Voice. You may feel this Third Voice is the Voice of Nature, of the Tao, even of the Divine. Martin Palmer I Ching: the shamanic oracle of change. It (the I Ching)shows the symbols (xiang) and the spirits (shen) through which all transformation occur. Stephen Karcher: Total I Ching. If the oracle is treated like a party game it will give party game answers. The first step is to be respectful, which is why a ritual formality can be helpful. Tom Riseman Understanding the I Ching.

Plenty of similar quotes could be drawn from the myriad of I Ching books on sale. Especially at the popular / New Age end of the market there is a heavy emphasis on the books antiquity, (old equating with venerable), its unsurpassed wisdom, (it always gives you what you need, not what you want), and its response to the reader (indicating some sort of living spirit or presence). It is understandable that authors need to establish street cred for their book in order to achieve sales. Unfortunately, apart from the more academic books, these others continue to promote (1) antiquity and (2) the I Ching as wisdom personified. This just serves to perpetuate the current culture of the I Ching with its misplaced adulation and mystical awe. As I have made clear in my previous article, the Zhouyi is no such thing. To a casual observer it would be considered an ancient book, with difficult texts. Or, should there be extensive commentaries, as a book giving pages of advice. In reality it is a problem solving tool, one amongst hundreds available just on the Internet. What it certainly is, is not an entity. It is not alive and so cannot care about the reader. The meaning in the book comes from the individual wrestling with the text vis vis the problematic situation. It certainly is a comforting thought that the book forms a partnership with us. It makes our problems seem more easily manageable. In a materialist world with its greed and pain we can do with as many friends as possible. However it is psychological projection and wish-fulfilment that turns the I Ching into that sort of sage.

Having described it as a problem-solving tool, this time Ive listed some parallels between the Zhouyi and creative problem solving techniques, lifted from the Internet: 1. Randomness is a great asset in creativity. Brainstorming is one excellent way of doing this. Unfortunately even in the open-ended context of a brainstorm session there are some ideas that you simply won't come up with. They're just too weird, your internal censor deletes them before you even become conscious of them. That's where randomness comes in. Generating ideas at random turns off the censor totally. Random creativity is of most use either when you're just starting a project or when you're completely stuck and even brainstorming has failed to produce an answer. The simplest way of creating randomly is to take a large number of file cards. On each one write a word or phrase associated with the problem (if you're stuck) or the general project domain (if you're just starting). Throw in a few "jokers", words or phrases with no immediate connection with the subject yet which have the potential to be interesting. When selecting the contents of the cards, try not to be too specific. You want flexibility, even ambiguity.

2. Use cards from a shuffled "idea" deck. (N.B. I Ching cards? My insert). The idea is simple: select a card from a shuffled deck, and act as though whatever the card says is directly relevant to your current problem. Some favourites: Brian Eno's Oblique Strategies (designed for musicians and artists, but works for anything.) Roger von Oech's original Creative Whack Pack and Innovative Whack Pack. The IDEO Method Cards

3. Random Words: When to use it Use it to stimulate open and divergent thinking and seek creative new ideas. Use it to re-ignite creative thinking when you are running out of ideas. Use it to get people out of a rut when their thinking is still rather conventional. Good random words are (a) evocative and (b) nothing to do with the problem being considered. Ambiguity also helps. Nouns are usually best, but verbs and adjectives can also be used effectively.

4. Randomly introduce things from completely unrelated domains If you aggregate home improvement stories, for example, have a place where you insert a semi-random--but high quality--post from a non-home-improvement field.

5. In problem-solving contexts, the random-word creativity technique is perhaps the simplest method. A person confronted with a problem is presented with a randomly generated word, in the hopes of a solution arising from any associations between the word and the problem. A random image, sound, or article can be used instead of a random word as a kind of creativity goad or provocation.

A list of some other well-known techniques for Creative Thinking: Collectively, there are several hundred techniques published in books. Techniques are like tools in a workshop, with different tools for different parts of the creative process. For example, there are techniques for defining a problem, exploring attributes of a problem, generating alternatives, visual explorations, metaphors, analogies, and evaluating and implementing ideas. Here is a small selection of techniques:

Random Input Problem Reversal Ask Questions Applied Imagination - Question Summary Lateral Thinking Six Thinking Hats The Discontinuity Principle Checklists Brainstorming Forced Relationships/Analogy Attribute Listing Morphological Analysis Imitation Mindmapping Storyboarding Synectics Metaphorical thinking Lotus Blossum Technique In the realm of the senses Use of drawing (from Robert McKim's Experiences in Visual Thinking IdeaToons (by Michael Michalko) NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) Techniques Assumption Smashing DO IT! method of Roger Olsen LARC Method Unconscious Problem Solving (mentioned by Margaret J Pearson. The Original I Ching.) The TRIZ method of Semyon D. Savransky Fuzzy Thinking Some further examples of creativity techniques and guidelines linked with historical examples.

If the links dont work use the following hyperlink: http://members.optusnet.com.au/charles57/Creative/Techniques Given all my recent research and ponderings, I must confess to a sense of loss now that I have reached the conclusion the I Ching is no paragon of wisdom. I suppose I had unconsciously absorbed all the current hype about the book, and now having de-mystified it, I felt bereft Rather like the child who eventually comes to acknowledge there is no Santa Claus, but gifts come from human intermediaries. Perhaps part of maturing is having ones illusions shattered? Interestingly African bone throwing divination has been seen as a form of creativity for some years. I have a paper from the Origins Centre in South Africa. African Divination Systems as Technologies for Creative Thinking. 05/02/07. Unfortunately is doesnt seem to be available anymore. Also two articles by Andreas Gerolemou, again about divination as creativity:

http://issuu.com/umeme/docs/apprenticeguide/2?mode=a_p