Epiphanies From My I Ching Experience
I’m what Mark Prensky would describe as a “digital native“; I circumnavigate the corners of the globe via technology, as effortlessly as I breathe, without conscious consideration. It's when I sit back, read over my experience and really think about the significance of the project that the epiphanies ignite in my mind.
My first epiphany was my reaction to the accuracy of my online reading. It gave me a relevant and truthful answer, beyond what mathematical reasoning would predict. The theory of synchronicity (suggested by Dr Carl Jung, a philosopher) suggests that the I Ching coins, whether physical or virtual, fall in a pattern consistent with the world’s vibrations. Thus he argues that meaning can be drawn from divination practices like I Ching. This concept can easily be transferred into the digital realm.
My second epiphany rose from my ironic sense of being lost in translation – even though I was reading an English text. In the back of my mind I was uncomfortably aware that the words I read were the derivative of a cultural spiritual practice. It had been pre-translated and digitised from an alphabet script that is completely incompatible with English. The translation of content between two cultures is an intricate procedure, particularly when the product is so strongly embedded in one of those cultures. I've had this sort of experience before; I read a novel, Game by Anders de la Motte, which had been translated into English from Swedish. The book was phenomenal, but as I read the first couple of chapters, I was acutely aware that the author hadn't actually written these specific words, used these exact metaphors. As I grew lost in the story, my awkwardness with the translation disappeared.
Thus, there is a significant control shift occurring here; as a result of the translations from traditional Chinese I Ching into both the English language and the digital sphere. When I encounter a digital reading via an app, I retain some control. I can exit the app at any time and I am free to interpret the result as I wish, based on my own experiences and beliefs. This is simply because there’s nobody to interpret the meaning of the patterns except for me. More control lies in the creators of the app, Deepware Changes. They determine the user interface; the end product and overall experience for those exploring I Ching from outside a physical service. A third piece of control lies with those who pre-translated each potential ‘result’ of the readings. Unwittingly, these translations determine the overall experience of the end user. If the translations are off the mark, it’s likely that user will consider the practice of I Ching and/or the app to be bogus. This would compromise – globally – the prestige of divination in Chinese society.
The physical divination industry, one which traditionally commands respect in society and which prominently impacts the Chinese – and broader Asian – economy, in China is now faced with a second-hand impact. They’re losing the monopoly on the power of their niche industry. The free digital app market has widened the audience of users, but diminished potential profits. The industry also loses its ability to regulate the art of I Ching. This occurs through the app replicating the service itself, and also the clumsy translation of the content into English; both of which are out of the ‘traditional’ industry’s control.
Rockefeller argues that studies of ‘flows’ of globalisation are only focused on meta-social movements. The “significance” of small-scale cultural access points shifting is somewhat overlooked in research, and incidentally human thought itself. The global digital I-Ching experience is a niche, mostly unexplored hole for research. What happens when a cultural product is exported digitally? How does its meaning change? The intersection of the personal experience and the social, political and cultural constructs which influence that, is what makes autoethnography an appropriate and unique method to explore this feat.
This post first appeared on my own blog, here.
