Engaging with a fundamentally integrative perspective

The-O Ring and The Bull Ring as Spectacular Archetypes (Part #9)

Ensuring connectivity: Curiously the reference above to grasping the bull "by the horns" is suggestive of the sense in which it is human cognitive capacity which is required to make the integrative connection between the "horns" -- to ensure the vital connectivity in Bateson's meta-pattern -- the "pattern that connects", as noted above (Hyperspace Clues to the Psychology of the Pattern that Connects, 2003). Inability in this respect can be recognized in the universal proclivity for the "positive" -- designing out the "negative" by every means, with the associated remarkable inability of the "theo" modalities to process disagreement of any kind.

This "disconnect" ignores every insight from physics, and most obviously from the electrical circuit design through which light is generated and motors of every kind are driven. It is little wonder that the current global system does not "work" -- other than by "fits and starts". More symbolically, it is unable to ensure the "circulation of the light" (Circulation of the Light: essential metaphor of global sustainability? 2010). More obviously it highlights the challenging process of recycling, namely dealing with what remains (Reintegration of a Remaindered World: cognitive recycling of objects of systemic neglect, 2011). This is evident in the symbolism of the broken laurel leaf, and in avoiding any risk associated with "grasping the bull by the horns". More problematic in relation to the symbolism of Olympic game-playing is the necessary focus on the many losers engendered by it -- ignored in celebration of the winners.

As with the distracting role of slang in relation to the vagina and the use of "bull" (mentioned above), cyclic incompletion is especially evident with respect to human biological processes. Ironically this has been made especially evident with the global focus on Facebook -- ignoring what might be fruitfully associated with Arsebook (variously proposed), however much the former may carry intimate images more appropriate to the latter. Again however the compensation for this neglect is evident in slang at every level of society (Backside to the Future: coherence and conflation of dominant strategic metaphors -- Worshipping the Golden Ass, 2003). Curiously, in contrast to the vagina, widespread use of "arsehole" is consistent with unconscious recognition of a fundamental absence which is a theme of this argument.

Instinctual "bull response" in an unconscious civilization? The possible nature of an immense cognitive "hole" -- far "beneath" the conventional thought processes characterizing society, relationships and communication -- was the theme of separate exploration (Unthought as Cognitive Foundation of Global Civilization, 2012), with a section on Existential implications -- of a "hole" in conventional reality?. The approach was partly inspired by the work of John Ralston Saul (The Unconscious Civilization,1995), partly by that of Maurice Merleau-Ponty (The Phenomenology of Perception, 1945), and partly by that of Carl Jung on the collective unconscious. As argued by Saul, the paradox of our situation is that knowledge has not made us conscious. Instead, we have sought refuge in a world of illusion where language is cut off from reality.

As framed by this argument, that "hole" could be curiously associated with "The-O Ring" whose nature and existence is so elusive to conventional comprehension. The elusiveness could be described as a form of "Theo-O Ring blindness" by analogy with dyslexia -- possibly understood in terms of loop blindness or cycle insensitivity, or actively reinforcing them. The challenge in this respect has been separately articulated (Encycling Problematic Wickedness for Potential Humanity, 2014).

Of interest is how an unconscious civilization would respond instinctively to some kind of intuitive recognition of the existence of such a "hole". Curiously the most evident response is through several interrelated extremes:

aspiration to bigness: Most obvious is the widespread quest for "bigness" in all its forms -- given its associations throughout evolution with competitive advantage. It is variously framed in rankings indicative of who is "number one". In the case of a man, it may be recognized through the phrase "bull of a man" and "well hung". With a women it may be explicitly associated with breasts ("big boobs") or otherwise. Collective equivalents are obvious with respect to corporations, academic institutions, and the like. Irrespective of wealth, it may derive from number of clients or followers -- as with religions, and currently exemplified in the case of social media. The argument with respect to "bigness" has of course long been articulated by E. F. Schumacher (Small Is Beautiful: a study of economics as if people mattered, 1973).
explicit development of penis surrogates:
- Perhaps most extraordinary is the degree to which competitive increase in the size of skyscrapers is a fundamental preoccupation and seemingly so vital to claims of significance (see Wikipedia's List of tallest buildings in the world and List of cities with most skyscrapers). The Burj Khalifa in Dubai is currently the tallest man-made structure in the world (829 metres); Sky City 1000 in Japan is an envisaged building (1,000 metres); Madinat al-Hareer is a proposed building in Kuwait (1,000 metres). Their "erection" is perceived as an unquestionable matter of national pride. Such constructions is delightfully matched by a vaginal counterpart, as noted above (The Accidental Vagina Stadium: design for Qatar's first 2022 World Cup purpose-built stadium released, 2013). Is the football then to be recognized as surrogate semen -- for which goals are so widely sought?
- Also to be recognized are the heavy competitive investments in missiles and rocketry, primarily distinguished by range. They may also be distinguished by payload. Delightfully, as a metaphor, is their capacity to achieve orbit, with adequate escape velocity from Earth. Again such capacities are framed as an unquestionable matter of national pride. Again dropping payloads lends itself to comparison with semen. Current proposals to bomb Mars in quest of life offer an additional twist (Jason Koebler, Blasting Mars with Missiles Is the Latest Hope for Finding Martian Life, Motherboard, 24 April 2014; 'Explore Mars' Non-Profit Wants To Bomb Red Planet, To Find Life, The Huffington Post, 8 May 2014).
- Less obvious in a highly competitive context, one approach to relative "penis development" is "removal of the penis" of potential competitors. Of some relevance is the sense in which deforestation is understood unconsciously as the ultimate triumph of humanity over nature. The practice of such removal is occasionally part of the more common process of human castration (notably as a means of preventing the reproduction of competitors). Metaphorically the latter may be achieved by destroying the production capacity of a country or region -- a process now well understood.
growth: Perhaps even more extraordinary, in the light of the evident sexual undertones, is the intense national preoccupation with "growth" as the universal panacea for collective ills and inadequacies -- as widely proposed by political leadership (and notably at the time of writing in response to the European crisis). Unthinking advocacy of growth is central to collective strategy and governance -- despite contraindications (George Monbiot, It's Simple: if we can't change our economic system, our number's up, The Guardian, 27 May 2014). Any constraints on it are simply unacceptable -- as with the TINA assertion of Margaret Thatcher: There Is No Alternative. This could be usefully caricatured as "big penis economics" -- with the subtext, if humanity could have a bigger penis, all would be well.
having a job: A major feature of "big penis economics" is access to jobs. This too is central to unthinking political proposals as a panacea for societal ills -- and the response to the plea "give me a job", or the question "where can I find a job". It is extraordinary to note that the phrase "on the job" is explained by the Urban Dictionary as: Taking part in the act of sexual intercourse (in other words, the time that a man or woman spend stabbing, plunging the pink, or laying pipe). Of course some are obliged to derive their income from "hand jobs" and "blow jobs". Conventional understanding of "job" cannot be called into question, despite the remarkable disappearance of such opportunities and the concerns that this arouses (12 Mindsets Ensuring Disappearance of Employment Opportunities: towards a systemic reframing of the job culture, 2012).
performance: Every attention is given to ranking "big penis" economic initiatives by measures of "performance" -- most notably in the case of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Innovative alternatives, as with the Grameen Bank, are then challenged in terms of those conventional performance criteria -- as with Bhutan's measures of Gross National Happiness. It could be considered extraordinary that "performance" is also employed in the evaluation of the quality, duration and frequency of sexual intercourse -- whether or not it is associated with "happiness". Possibly even more bizarre is the current effort to qualify "big penis economics" in terms of "sustainability" -- a matter of considerable concern to satisfaction in sexual intercourse. Put simply, this is framed in terms of the capacity to "keep it up" (with or without orgasm).
stimulants: Current concern with "big penis economics" necessarily focuses on the need for stimulants in cases where performance is held to be inadequate, or there is risk of bankruptcy, or inadequate liquidity. Two forms can be usefully distinguished:
- Growth stimulants have notably focused on quantitative easing -- especially in the case of initiatives "too big to fail". Of course the necessity of stimulants (notably in the form of aphrodisiacs) is a world-wide preoccupations to ensure and sustain performance in response to erectile dysfunction (especially for individuals deemed "too big to fail") -- an appropriate metaphor for the economies of many nations.
- Dependency on oil can be understood as a dependency on a vital stimulant to economic processes. Metaphorically this can be readily framed in terms of "injection" and other terms used in reference to substance abuse. It can also be understood in terms of addiction (Christopher Bailey, Oil Addiction: diagnosis, not metaphor? Ecopsychology. September 2009)
creativity, conception and legacy: There is a curious deep-seated collective commitment to "progress", but with little clarity as to its significance. In an unconscious civilization these connotations are readily conflated into the process of procreation -- desperate dissemination by every means (Sins of Hot Air Emission, Omission, Commission and Promission: the political challenge of responding to global crises, 2009). As a consequence this "creative" process is beyond challenge or question -- whatever the cost -- irrespective of the ability of the environment and society to absorb the outcome. The process is most notably reinforced by theology to ensure the competitive growth of a particular religion. However "big penis economics" is now ever more dependent on population increase as a means of sustaining growth -- in a pattern indistinguishable from a vast Ponzi scheme. Ironically with respect to the vaginal implications of this argument in relation to "The-O Ring", it is amusing to note that recent contraceptive innovation takes the form of a "vaginal ring" -- whose availability is appropriately ring-fenced by intellectual property constraints.
engendering holes -- invagination? The processes above suggests a more evident recognition of an intuited ring through their consequences. There is a sense in which these engender budgetary "holes" -- notably in the form of deep national indebtedness. Since the funds involved are instructively recognized as tokens of public confidence, this accords with recognition of loss of collective confidence of abysmal proportions -- a public credibility deficit. With respect to globalization processes, this might be recognized as a form of "invagination" (Engendering Invagination and Gastrulation of Globalization, 2010).

These unconscious factors may be articulated in terms of asserting and acquiring a right to a "seat at the table". The table may itself be understood as indicative of an intuitive sense of the nature of "The-O Ring" -- potentially to be recognized in terms of the subtle dynamics of the archetypal "roundtable", as widely and variously valued (Implication of the 12 Knights in any Strategic Round Table: each circulating globally in quest of sustainability and immortality, 2014). Achieving a seat at the UN Security Council, or in other arenas, can be understood in this light.

Symbolic rings as attractors: Contrasting with the previous point, there is no lack of recognition of rings as much-valued attractors -- if only with respect to an engagement ring. Less evident is the drama required to render their fundamental significance meaningful. What is the meaning embodied in that experience? What drama might render comprehensible the nature of "The-O Ring"?

Striking examples of ring-focused dramas, which have long captured the imagination, are those of Richard Wagner (The Ring of the Nibelung) and of J. R. R. Tolkien (The Lord of the Rings). Their themes have been variously compared (Barnaby Thieme, Rings of Power: Wagner and Tolkien, Mesocosm, 23 December 2012; Alex Ross, The Ring and the Rings: Wagner vs. Tolkien, The New Yorker, 22 December 2003).

O-ring transcendence? Strangely it is now physicists who refer to the mythological Ouroboros -- the ultimate O-ring -- as discussed separately, and from which the image on the left is reproduced (Transcending both scientific and poetic comprehension of multiverse, 2012).

Again, however, such depiction raises questions about how to engage with, and comprehend, any dynamic implied by that ring -- as tentatively discussed in the contextual article (Being a Poem in the Making: engendering a multiverse through musing, 2012). As indicated there, theoretical physicist, Chris Clarke (Weaving the Cosmos: science, religion and ecology, 2010) comments on the adaptation below of the traditional image of the Ouroboros by Joel Primack to depict objects of steadily increasing size from the very smallest to the cosmos as a whole. Necessarily extending to the multiverse, as further developed by mathematical astrophysicist Bernard Carr (The Anthropic Principle Revisited, 2007), the symbol offers a means of holding the sense of observer-participancy presented by astrophysicist John Wheeler -- namely the sense in which the Universe is observing itself (cf. Brian D. Josephson, Biological Observer-Participation and Wheeler's 'Law without Law', 2011).

Ouroboros symbol presented as a scale for size of physical objects Adapted from Nancy Ellen Abrams and Joel R. Primack (The View From the Center of the Universe, 2007)	Circular configuration of 64 hexagrams and their relationships (reproduced from Transformation Metaphors, 1997)

Another depiction is offered by the image on the right above, namely that of a circular configuration of the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching and the transformational relationships between the conditions of change they represent (as discussed separately). Appropriately perhaps the emergent pattern is strongly reminiscent of a formal representation of the vagina -- especially if the action of the transformational relationships is understood dynamically as corresponding to muscle action during labour.

There is an interesting sense in which the appropriation of the Ouroboros by astrophysicists, and a mapping of the classical Chinese worldview, could be explored in terms of the design challenges of the toroidal nuclear fusion reactor with which potential future energy resources are associated (Enactivating a Cognitive Fusion Reactor Imaginal Transformation of Energy Resourcing (ITER-8), 2008).

It is in this sense that transformation of the aesthetics of the "play" within the ring merit consideration (Sustaining a Community of Strange Loops: comprehension and engagement through aesthetic ring transformation, 2010). The civilizational threat of the dysfunctional interplay of the four-fold "theo" could even merit consideration in terms of the drama of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, as separately explored (Beware of Legality, Accountability, Marketability, Security! Be where the Four Hoarsemen of the Apocalypse are not? 2012)

*Selected images of the Yi-globe* of József Drasny** (reproduced with permission from The Image of the Cosmos in the I Ching: the Yi-globe, 2007)

Global cognitive healing? The argument above has distinguished five modalities denoted by theory, theorem, theology, theosophy and theatre. Various ways of considering their relationship have been explored. The challenge can be reframed through another metaphor, namely that of healing -- especially in the quest for what might be understood as "cognitive hygiene" or "conceptual hygiene", capable of encompassing and sustaining global governance. Any such possibility could be formulated in terms of a quest for mnemonic clues, as discussed previously (In Quest of Mnemonic Catalysts -- for comprehension of complex psychosocial dynamics, 2007).

Expressed differently, does the problematic nature of the relationship within and between the five clusters constitute a global public health problem worthy of the preoccupation of global institutions concerned with "health" -- such as the World Health Organization? Does the conflict engendered within and between clusters constitute a challenge to global "health" given the suffering and death it can engender? To what extent are "health" systems currently adapted or indifferent to issues of global cognitive health framed in this way? Beyond "hygiene", does the integrative challenge imply the need for a form of "healing"?

Practitioners of the various "theo" modalities -- whatever their eminence -- have a remarkable tendency to die following a period of senility. There is therefore clearly a case for exploring understandings of healing dynamics with a more open mind -- in the quest for better metaphors through which to engage in this process (Metaphors To Die By: correspondences between a collapsing civilization and a dying person, 2013)

A valuable clue to the nature of this cognitive healing process is provided by schematics which have been at the origin of consideration of healthy 5-fold dynamics in both the Greek culture (which gave rise to a sense of hygiene through the goddess Hygeia), and through the Chinese Wu Xing cycle

Hygieia Pentagram of Pythagoreans	Chinese 5-phase Wu Xing cycle

Reproduced from Hygiea entry in Wikipedia (G. J. Allman Greek Geometry From Thales to Euclid, 1889, p.26) with labels added	Adapted from Wu Xing entry in Wikipedia Interaction arrows: black=generating; white= overcoming

Their significance, and the correspondences between them, have been extensively discussed separately (Cycles of enstoning forming mnemonic pentagrams: Hygiea and Wu Xing, 2012; Potentially health developmental integrity from 5-fold symmetry, 2012). The question is whether such cyclic 5-foldness offers insights for the integrative, cyclic interrelationship of the cognitive modalities of this argument. The schematics below suggest how they might be configured -- with the strong possibility that the attributions (and directionality of arrows) alternate within each configuration -- forming a cognitive "resonance hybrid"..

Indicative attribution of the* modalities in a pentagram cycle (tentative)	Indicative attribution of the* modalities in a pyramidal configuration (tentative)

In the separate discussion of the Hygeia / Wu Xing "healing" cycles, further possibilities of cognitive integration are considered in separate sections (Cognitive health as a sustainable cycle of self-reflexivity, Mnemonic possibilities towards cognitive health, Health and sustainability misleadingly framed as target acquisition, Frames of reference and conceptual revolution, Magnum Opus: cyclic transformation of Qi / Chi?).

It would seem that fundamental to such exploration is the nature of connectivity in terms of the credibility of various understandings of correspondences (Theories of Correspondences -- and potential equivalences between them in correlative thinking, 2007). This has been recently highlighted with respect to so-called monstrous moonshine mathematics through which the so-called Monster Symmetry Group was discovered -- known by that name because of its very high dimensionality. Its integrative significance is discussed separately (Potential Psychosocial Significance of Monstrous Moonshine: an exceptional form of symmetry as a Rosetta stone for cognitive frameworks, 2007). With such understanding, aesthetic correspondences deriving from patterns significant to the different senses may offer fruitful clues to further integration.

A valuable contribution to the possibility of 5-fold correspondences is the above-mentioned study of Maria M . Colavito (The Heresy of Oedipus and the Mind /Mind Split: a study of the biocultural origins of civilization, 1995). This explores a biocultural paradigm transcending the nature/nurture (evolution/environment) controversy by recognizing the neuro-biological origins of human development and by delineating exactly how and when sociological influences can and cannot affect those neuro-biological invariants. For Colavito:

It is composed of five proto-cultural models ("biocultures") which correspond to the five evolutionary centers of our neurological structures. Each bioculture then is formed by the cultural manifestation of the primacy of certain neurological traits over others, eventually (through the habitual repetition of the primacy of certain neurological links at the expense of others), these individual traits become societal ones.... The sociological evidence is founded primarily upon sociolinguistic grounds, by analyzing the relationships between the literary remnants of certain cultures and their corresponding social, political, and religious structures.

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