Pattern Dynamics

[Balder]

Last year, on the Integral Language thread, I mentioned a new Integrally influenced symbolic language that was being developed: Pattern Dynamics.  I had first been introduced to it a couple years ago by a student who did a presentation on it in one of my classes.  I've decided to start a new thread on it for several reasons: 1) we've continued to generate and play with novel linguistic forms in our discussions here, so I thought it would be fun to explore the potential of this system; 2) Tim Winton, the creator of Pattern Dynamics, is apparently on board with the Meta-Integral project now and is contributing there; 3) Winton recently wrote an interesting piece on Meta-Integral and the overall state of the (post-Ken?) Integral project on the Beams and Struts website; and 4) the symbol language is inspired, in part, by the work of the architectural theorist, Christopher Alexander, who was one of the first authors explored in the Magellan Courses.

 

Here's an introduction to Pattern Dynamics:

 

The challenge of our age is to facilitate global sustainability through the creation of a truly thriving planetary civilization.

The key to this challenge is our capacity to deal with complexity. We have created an increasingly large, fast paced and complex world, but our ability to coordinate ourselves effectively within this complexity, at all levels–from the local to the global–has not kept pace.

PatternDynamics™ is a simple tool that can be learned by anyone to overcome the challenges posed by complex systems–at any scale. Here’s how it works:

• The key to complexity is systems thinking;
• The key to systems thinking is Patterns; and,
• The key to using Patterns is to form them into a language.

PatternDynamics™ is a language of visual Patterns–a ‘Sustainability Pattern Language’–that will help you understand, communicate and design solutions at the systems level. By learning PatternDynamics™ you will gain a powerful new capacity as a ‘systems thinker’–a skill that is often thought to be unteachable.

With this skill you will  learn to create Cultures of Sustainability and to facilitate Deep Sustainability Design: sustainability strategies that help resolve complex challenges at any level of organisation, from the community to the planetary, and in any domain, from business to governance to institutional. Click here to learn how.

 

 

[Edward theurj Berge]

While I enjoyed his B&S article and his basic ideas, it seems the diagrams lend themselves to the kind of hegemonic holons he is trying to overcome. Our discussions on 'flat ontology,' which includes emergence and levels of organization, uses the more Venn type diagrams that handle both what is included and what is still unique to each part that is not subsumed in a larger whole. Have you seen any evidence that he's explored OOO? And if not, perhaps refer him to that thread?

[Balder]

Yes, I was thinking about that, too -- particularly when I saw his "transcend and include" symbol in the B&S article. 

 

I have never corresponded with him, but I expect he is going to be introduced to some of this stuff via Sean (who is, as I mentioned, also in the midst of OOO, Latourian, and Sloterdijkian studies).  But I could also maybe put in a mention of this stuff in the comments section on B&S...

[Balder]

What do you think of Sean's symbols (diagrams) in this essay?

 

My thought is that they might be used, or tweaked a bit, to illustrate OOO's notions of withdrawal and strange mereology.

[Edward theurj Berge]

I commented on Sean's site logo, which is one of the diagrams in his paper, following your post here. I also discussed a bit of his paper here. I like where he's going despite some of my criticisms.

[Edward theurj Berge]

I'm also reminded of one of my favorite novels that I read periodically, and have recommended several times before in the forum: Pattern Recognition by William Gibson (founder of the phrase cyber space). We see many of the same themes play out in a delightfully crafted plot with his usual quirky and believable characters and dialog. And insightful and incisive social commentary to boot. According to this link the movie is in production with no release date as yet. This one says Peter Weir is to be the Director, but this more recent Weir interview says he just couldn't make it work. Someone has got to make this movie.

[Layman Pascal]

While I sympathize with languaging patterns of patterns and facilitating planetary civilization (and, to a lesser extent "sustainability") I find their symboling a little forced, unironically self-indulgent, objectivist and probably mostly redundant in the long term.  I feel like I'm watching a computer try to do low level sigil magick.  

Sean's symbols have more going on (although his fig.6 presses the limits of explanatory diagramming).  I'm not sure the most useful symbolizing will come through top-down attempts to summarize complicated categoreal thought systems.  

Abstract systems codes seem somehow detached from the vital wellspring out of which vivid symbols grow and which ultimately imbues them with their meaningful density.  

[Edward theurj Berge]

That is one reason I like tarot image-symbols, which grew from the embodied ground up. Then came a quite complex system of meaning added to them from hermetic qabalah that puts more modern pattern systems to shame in terms of emergent complexity. Granted there is far too much metaphysics involved in hermetic qabalah but I still keep hoping (maybe romantically) it can be postmetaphysically recontextualized. My own feeble, incipient attempt is via the tarot card meditation game.

[Joseph Camosy]

theurj said:

That is one reason I like tarot image-symbols, which grew from the embodied ground up. Then came a quite complex system of meaning added to them from hermetic qabalah that puts more modern pattern systems to shame in terms of emergent complexity. Granted there is far too much metaphysics involved in hermetic qabalah but I still keep hoping (maybe romantically) it can be postmetaphysically recontextualized. My own feeble, incipient attempt is via the tarot card meditation game.

 

Hey Theurj,

Indeed, the Tarot most certainly CAN be postmetaphysically recontextualized.   See my Integral Cube of Space hypothesis.

Joe

[Edward theurj Berge]

Balder posted on FB IPS this link to Tim Winton's interview with Zak Stein.

[DavidM58]

Thanks for that. I guess that means I'm not getting automatic updates when Tim puts up new posts. 

Tim will be a guest presenter (along with Robert McNamara and Jean Houston) on the upcoming online course Zak is teaching along with Atfab Omer on "Thriving on Complexity." I believe the preview webinar is available for all to view.

[Edward theurj Berge]

I really appreciate the table of contents so that I can zoom in on a particular topic when I have limited time. E.g., (35:45 - 37:45) Signs of Catastrophic Bifurcation discusses the current situation where both the regression to feudalism and the progression to democracy co-exist. I.e., the reigning capitalistic oligarchy and the emerging libertarian socialism of the neo-commons vie for ascendancy. We also see it playing out in the US Presidential election, with extreme regression on the Republican side, less extreme regression mixed with some progression in Clinton, and a much more progressive streak in Sanders and the rising cultural movement he represents.

[Edward theurj Berge]

Another example, around 45:30 how we as individuals are indeed unique, yet we must also work together in a collective intelligence to effect transformation. The distinction is also made in separating this uniqueness in communion from individual specialness or narcissism (47:45). All of which is reminiscent of the recent posts on Eisler's work.