What does Dick (1995), himself theorise about IChing?
Dick (1995), theorises IChing (the book of changes) in a very confusing and complex way. Dick (1995), relates IChing to synchronicity and involves the concept of Schizophrenic by relating it to IChing. Synchronicity, which Wolfgang Pauli as cited in Dick (1995, p. 176) called the “acausal connective principle”. Dick (1995), also states that IChing is also a device through which synchronicity can be handled. It would also be important to understand the term Synchronicity. Synchronicity it is related to psychological issues, meaning a coincidence of events that is somehow related but not caused by one another. Further, it is states that IChing is acausal connectivity or involves events that relate and occur outside of time.
Moreover, Dick (1995), explains that IChing can also be related to Koinos Koimos and can be scrutinized because the composer, composed it considering present time and was not interested in future. He was in prison and wanted to find out about what was happening outside ‘at that moment’. Dick (1995), also uses the term schizophrenic (contradictions) to theorise IChing (the book of changes). It appears that Dick (1995), suggest that if you are Schizophrenic, you should use IChing because that would help you in making the right decisions. Hence, Dick (1995), theorises IChing by relating it to Schizophrenic and Synchronicity.
Reference:
Dick, P.K. (1995).Schizophrenia and the IChing. In Sutin, L. (Ed.),The Shifting Realities of Philip K. Dick (pp.175-182). New York: Vintage.
As quoted from Wikipedia about I Ching (book of changes) "It centred on the ideas of the dynamic balance of opposites, the evolution of events as a process, and acceptance of the inevitability of change". This relates to synchronicity - two or more events that are unlikely to happen together by chance. As Aafia has quoted from Dick (1995) saying that people who suffer from the mental disorder schizophrenia would benefit from using I Ching as they suffer from a breakdown in thought processes and emotional response so having the I Ching make decisions for them is seen as a benefit.
ReplyDeleteI think in his book he mentioned two ways of looking at the world, Synchronicity and historicity. Based on his understanding of I Ching, Synchronicity is probably his way to understand everything. So he thought I Ching is a device which could benefit everyone to solve problems in different way, especially schizophrenics. Even when he was writing The Men in The Castle, he used I Ching to decide how to expend the story.
ReplyDeletePrint interview. Retrieve 18th September from http://www.philipkdick.com/media_vertex.html
As the according from (Baidu) it defined :"The I ching also called the "book of changes" or "easy", of the ancient Chinese AUGURY original novel, is in Chinese traditional ideology and culture natural philosophy and the root of ethical practice." for my point of view Icheng is more focusing on philosophy and ehtical.
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