The I Ching and the Brain

(Copyright © 1998 C.J.Lofting)

My recent readings on current research into the brain and how we make maps of reality suggests that a 'slight' anomoly exists when we 'assign' yang to left brain and yin to right brain. This anomoly comes about when we compare the 'map' of yin and yang to the biases shown in the neurology that go to show that the behaviours of the individual -- regardless of 'values' (yin) or 'facts' (yang) are mixed. The emphasis as far as the brain is concerned is towards a specifics, reductionist bias left brain and a generals, illusionist bias right brain.

The neurology aims at establishing specific identities from the left and general identities from the right; overall there is a hybrid paradigm at work that goes towards asserting, resolving, protecting, and seeking identity, and it does this by combining the reductionist left with the illusionist right.

As a result of this we start to see the 'torus' form of the I Ching emerge, where the laying-out of the binary format means that the left edge of the table joins the right edge to form a ring, and the 'top' joins the 'bottom'.

Looking at this in two dimensions we have a circular format of the I Ching (often shown as sourced to Shao Yung (1011-1077)). The difference is that in this circle we emphasise the binary order and so the major hexagrams of opposition, The Creative (1) and the Receptive (2), are next to each other and when we put this 'over' the brain so they share the SAME hemisphere, the LEFT.

When we then combine my template and the MBTI mapping, as we shall see, we get a very good model of overall 'brain' behaviour showing the wholes/aspects paradigm at work but in a slightly different format to assumptions made in the past.

Below is a table where in each column, the sequence of hexagrams all have the trigram is displayed at the top as the base trigram. In each ROW there is a specifics-to-general relationship expressed in a MIRROR format. Thus in row one we have the traditional number sequence of 01-02-10-15-25-46-13-07. In this sequence we fold it in the middle such that we have:
01 is a specific of 07 and 07 a general of 01 (overall, all of column 1 'map' to column 8). Here the 'intense' and specific nature of the singleminded indivudal is complemented by a general form stressing the Army and uniformity.

02 is a specific of 13 and 13 a general of 02 (overall, all of column 2 'map' to column 7). Here the 'intense' and specific nature of the devoted individual is complemented by a general form stressing loose but trusting associations.

Thus semantically, the meanings of the hexagrams in columns 1 to 4 are specific manifestations of the general behaviours described by the meanings of the hexagrams in columns 5 to 8 just as columns 5 to 8 are the general manifestations of the specific behaviours in columns 1 to 4.

The 64 hexagrams of the I Ching linked to the brain

Specifics - LEFT brain				Generals - RIGHT brain
01-63	02-00	10-55	15-08	25-39	46-24	13-47	07-16
43-62	23-01	58-54	52-09	17-38	18-25	49-46	04-17
14-61	08-02	38-53	39-10	21-37	48-26	30-45	29-18
34-60	20-03	54-52	53-11	51-36	57-27	55-44	59-19
09-59	16-04	61-51	62-12	42-35	32-28	37-43	40-20
05-58	35-05	60-50	56-13	03-34	50-29	63-42	64-21
26-57	45-06	41-49	31-14	27-33	28-30	22-41	47-22
11-56	12-07	19-48	33-15	24-32	44-31	36-40	06-23

Note that in the above table, the first number is the traditional number and the second number is the binary number.

When we combine the I Ching and MBTI/Keirsey categorisations with this left/right format we find the following:

LEFT brain -- specific identity -- SELF oriented -- TEXT bias  Sensation seekers -- SP bias (Heaven and Lake) Identity seekers -- NF bias (Earth and Mountain)  RIGHT brain -- general identity -- OTHERS biased -- CONTEXT bias  Solution Seekers -- NT bias (Fire and Thunder) Security Seekers -- SJ bias (Water and Wind)  

Note that each 'brain' contains opposing forces as well as across to the other but more as specific/generals.

The left brain bias is to take things too literally at times and allows for fundamentalist biases in both facts and values as well as beliefs in miracles. There is a bias to independence and self-containment and so an overall bias to EITHER/OR considerations and a concern with what WAS/IS/WILL BE.

The right brain bias is to use analogy and dichotomisations to create metaphors in the form of 'maps'. This leads into an interest in what is BEHIND things and so more of an emphasis on context in the form of the rules and regulations - both personal and universal. This interest leads to a bias to dependencies and 'others'-containment. There is thus an overall bias to BOTH/AND considerations (potentials) and a concern with what COULD HAVE BEEN/IS NOT/COULD BE.

The emphasis on analogy and dichotomy means an emphasis on fact/fiction (Science) and right/wrong (Morality). This emphasis also leads to illusions in that the grouping of aspects so common in these areas can lead to an improper assertion -- a 'mistake'-- that can then be taken too literally by the left biased.

Looking at the MBTI/Keirsey categorisations we seen that there is defencive bias to solution seekers and security seekers and this comes in the form of suppression.

For the assertive left there are no perceived problems --- negation is thus repressed and so can 'suddenly' and unexpectedly appear as if out of nowehere -- like miracles.

The above table shows the specific/generals link that can be used to 'zoom-in' to finer details that are given within the text for each hexagram where a rich pool of background data is available. The hexagrams serve as archetypal markers showing the 'paths' for each individual and well as 'group'. For exmple, the traditional religious (or secular) fundamentalist going through the eight hexagrams related to that sort of identity-seeking behaviour.