Autoethnographic Method
I am no stranger to the spiritual world, having collaborated with psychics and clairvoyants in the past. Thus the choice to study divination embedded in the roots of a different culture seemed the natural path. Autoethnographic method challenges the legacy format of research by allowing the researcher to "describe and systematically analyse" (Ellis et. al 2011) their own personal experience, rather than an external field.
Globalisation is an ongoing process which is increasingly mediated (Rantanen 2005); what better way is there to explore and articulate this phenomenon than to throw myself into an unfamiliar field and analyse the significance of my own research and experience? The methodology behind analytical, rather than evocative, autoethnography has allowed me to analyse my own experience, and then reiterate it, to connect intellectually and emotionally with a potential audience (Bochner et. al 2016). I felt that because so much uncertainty floats around spiritual divination practices such as I Ching, it was best to present my research toward the analytical end of the autoethnographic spectrum, whilst attempting to remain personal, reflexive and creative. Presenting a fictional or narrativised version of my autoethnography may alter readers' perceptions of the validity of the practice, whilst a substandard 'non-fiction' recount and straight analysis of my epiphanies might be more likely to cement my divination experience as legitimate.
Given that globalisation has morphed the globe into a dynamic passage of rite and information, it is unrealistic to study a single phenomenon in terms of itself. Niche cultures and products can no longer be entirely separated from others; world economic and political forces are shaping everything to some extent (Hayano 1979). It's worth considering that since 1979, when the cited article was published, global forces have become even more powerful than Hayano stated - particularly with the increasingly mediated internet which is becoming increasingly complex and syncretic (Leong et. al 2017). This is primarily how I came to access the traditional art of I Ching via an app. This Reddit discussion looks at user experiences of communicating with 'entities' or spirits. It beautifully encapsulates the paradigm of global spiritual shifts across borders.
I therefore began by throwing myself into the field by downloading and experiencing the app, before recording and analysing my experience. I then ventured further into academic research on the cultural, social and political perspectives of I Ching to gain a holistic understanding of the field. Employing and designing this website to connect my personal experience to the increasingly global culture surrounding I Ching illustrates the nature of the practice of autoethnography (Ellis et. al 2011). As per Ellis' methodology, much of my experiences were assembled in hindsight. This allowed me to enjoy an authentic experience with the I Ching app, unhindered by expectations of my own research. I was then able to pull out epiphanies and conduct more holistic research on relevant tropes of I Ching, and its cultural, social, economic and political settings.
