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The Dimensions (Directions) of Development (3)

In yesterday's blog entry, I showed how the holistic mathematical interpretation of the 4 dimensions is intimately related to the corresponding holistic interpretation of the four roots of 1 (expressed in the conventional linear manner).

So space and time are now understood as possessing both real and imaginary aspects with positive and negative directions respectively.

From this perspective, the very dynamics of evolution (physical and psychological) entail that both space and time continually switch as between real and imaginary aspects. This reflects in turn the two-way interaction as between whole and part polarities.

And the positive and negative directions then relate to the complementary physical and psychological manifestations of both respectively, relating to the corresponding two-way interaction as between external and internal polarities.

So "real" space is always accompanied by "imaginary" time and "real" time by "imaginary" space.

Therefore through mutual interaction, time and space keep switching therefore as between their real and imaginary manifestations in positive and negative directions. Once again "real" relates to quantitative (analytic), whereas "imaginary" relates to corresponding qualitative (holistic) notions respectively!

The massive problem for science is that within its 1-dimensional paradigm, it has no way of recognising the qualitative (holistic) aspect of relationships except in a grossly reduced manner!


From a psychological perspective "real" and "imaginary" equally reflect the manner in which cognitive (rational) and affective (emotional) functions interact.

Therefore whenever the cognitive function, for example, is made conscious i.e. in "real" fashion, the affective function is thereby unconsciously present i.e. in an "imaginary" manner. This thereby causes a switch in experience with the affective now conscious in "real" and the affective unconscious in "imaginary" fashion respectively. Thus both cognitive and affective functions thereby, through mutual interaction of conscious and unconscious, keep alternating as between real (analytic) and imaginary (holistic) manifestations.

Of course when the unconscious aspect is not properly developed (as is typical in our Western culture) this sets severe limits on the manner in which both functions can interact, with just one function tending to consciously dominate (in either an external or internal manner).

Combining both sets of insights (relating to dimensions and functions) the very way in which space and time arise in psychological experience is determined by the manner in which the cognitive and affective functions interact. Then in complementary physical terms, the manner in which space and time arise, is directly linked to control and response patterns as the whole and part interactions of the different particles and organisms.

In fact, I was later to develop this holistic mathematical 4-dimensional framework into a system of 24 Personality Types. While enlarging on the original Jungian and Myers-Briggs profiles, this also simplifies it in crucial respects, while also suggesting extraordinary links with the physical world of strings.

I shall return to this at a later stage!


However during the early 90's, I moved on to a new 8-dimensional appreciation of reality.

Thus as well as the horizontal internal/external and the - relatively- vertical whole/part polarities, we now also include the most fundamental diagonal set of form/emptiness polarities.

In many ways, this last set represents the combined integration of the two earlier sets.

However it is in the nature of development that when the sustained two-way paradoxical interplay of the first internal/external set unfolds (Band 3, Level 1), that one tends to specialise in a somewhat restricted fashion with this set.

Then later when the sustained two-way paradoxical interplay of the second whole/part set unfolds (Band 3, Level 2) that again one tends to specialise in somewhat restricted fashion with this set.

This leaves therefore (Band 3, Level 3) the important task of simultaneously seeking to integrate both the horizontal interplay of polarities within a given level, with vertical interplay of polarities between different levels.

And just as the two diagonal lines representing these polarities intersect at the centre point of the unit circle, success in dynamically reconciling both sets, in psychological terms, leads one to the centre point of the personality (i.e. the will).

What happens in effect is that detachment (of both the "real" conscious and indirect "imaginary" conscious) becomes so refined, that phenomena of form no longer even appear to arise in experience.

One thereby can now continually approach the pure nondual spiritual centre of being.

As I have written before, the diagonal lines (representing these polarities) can be interpreted in two ways (that are dynamically equivalent).

Thus from the standpoint of form, we can represent them as showing the equality of both real and imaginary aspects (which in turn symbolise the pure reconciliation of both conscious and unconscious in experience). Now once again - I hasten to add - that from a human perspective, such a pure state can only ever be approximated in a relative manner rather than fully attained!

However from the standpoint of emptiness, we can equally represent the diagonals as null lines with a magnitude = 0. In other words, the refined unattached relationship to all phenomena of form (real or imaginary) is fully consistent with sustained nondual spiritual awareness.

In this way the purely relative experience of form approaches identity with the absolute experience of emptiness (as spirit).

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