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Chaos, complexity and catastrophe
theories can be called sciences of relationships. They provide models which
can be used to improve relationship coaching, counseling and therapy. A
systems approach to consciousness
can apply these models to human identity, beliefs and behavior.
Systemic coaching helps people renew their experience of
identity, simultaneously changing limiting beliefs and subsequent behavior.
Instead of trying to change life according to some dogma or pre-systemic statistical
model, systemic coaching helps people live with integrity.
Chaos in Coaching & Psychotherapy
In the 14th century, William of Occam
criticized people who created complex explanations for simple phenomena,
saying "Do not multiply entities needlessly". This
phrase, called Occam's
Razor, helped people "cut" through complex theories. In the 20th
century, Albert Einstein updated this, saying, "Make
everything as simple as possible - but not simpler".
For millennia, our ancestors pondered the creation of
order. They created simple stories that described the emergence of systems
from chaos. These early descriptions comprise primitive chaos theories
and a basis for modern
systems theory.
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Kumulipo Chant
Hawaii
(translated) |
When space turned around, the earth heated
When space turned over, the sky reversed
When the sun appeared standing in shadows
To cause light to make bright the moon |
Chaos theory can be applied to human relationship systems. The emerging
fields of systemic coaching and systemic psychotherapy provide massive
insight into the behavior of individuals. Applications of chaos theory
in the social sciences can unite physical, emotional, mental and
spiritual realities.
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Eric Poincare, founder of modern chaos theory, wrote in
1882 "It may happen that small differences in the initial
conditions produce very great ones in the final phenomena".
He used the term bifurcation to describe the
emergence of multiple potential stable solutions. |
Poincaré's perceptions are relevant to human systems.
Civilizations rise and fall, but never in the same way
twice. Minor events to individual people can change the world in
unpredictable ways. Lies, Damned Lies & Statistics
Before chaos theory, scientists could not find
analytical solutions for complex systems, and
could not predict complex behavior, even with detailed knowledge. To avoid
complexity, scientists assumed that behavior in complex systems was linear, and applied statistical
analysis to assess and predict the behavior of populations. In a pre-systemic
world,
individual contributions to a population are ignored. If individual
excellence is smeared across populations, social sciences are sciences of
mediocrity.
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In linear human systems, babies would smoothly
transform into adults; businesses could effortlessly change from making candles to
making electric lights; and countries could gently shift from communist to
capitalist.
Periods of chaos are normal in living systems. During these times
unexpected opportunities compete for survival in a changing
environment.
Order in Chaos: fractal by Martyn Carruthers
2003 |
Assumptions of linearity and an obsession with statistics
provided scientists with "temporary patches" until the universal properties
of non-linear, complex systems were discovered. These
assumptions, these damned lies, are still used to blur
individual expertise across populations. The sciences of human behavior, which could be our greatest
human achievement, became dull, weak and manipulative.
The temporary patches of statistics, like temporary taxes,
dominate social sciences. Yet the modeling and replication of human excellence is
available ... see
Expert Modeling ... part of systemic
coaching.
The I of Identity
Your subjective experience of your objective reality - your
semantic "map of the world" - your answer to the question "Who
am I?"
is reflected in your behavior. Your every action reflects your
perception of reality - and your perceptions are bounded by your past
actions -
you live in a phase space.
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Phase Space
& Strange Attractors |
A system confining an entity and
its relationships (phase space) contains vast enfolded
information. The organizing principles of a phase space are
called attractors. As complex systems are both
unpredictable and patterned, limitations in a complex phase space are
called strange attractors. |
Without the need to solve complex problems, there might be no
human personality. There might be many bodies, and no reason to label
individuals. A bee-hive society would lack a phase space
in which individual differences are important. And it would lack the ability
to create its own future.
Your behavior is predictable within the limits
imposed by your perception of your environment. No matter how much you
think, you are unlikely to leave the safety of your thoughts. You remain within the confines of your beliefs. Your beliefs
act as attractors of your attention and your possible
actions.
As complex systems are now modeled with computers, chaos theory is widely applied in technology.
Yet it is largely
ignored by social scientists, for whom complexity remains hidden
under pre-systemic assumptions of linearity, an obsession with
statistics and resistance to change.
Phase Transitions at the Edge of Chaos
You can adapt to your environment, and to changing conditions
within limits. Yet, like all self-organizing systems, you walk on the "edge of
chaos" - close to a phase transition in which either you or your
environment changes in ways that you cannot control ... and perhaps
cannot survive.
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When chaos intrudes on your life, when you are
overwhelmed by a crisis, you can collapse with fear or you can
transform with joy. At these moments you
may retreat into addictions, depression or psychosis, or you may
transcend your old boundaries and limits - defined by your beliefs.
Phase Transition |
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In a crisis, tiny details from your past can have enormous and unpredictable
impact on your actions. You may surprise everybody, including yourself, with
solutions that prolong your survival. Crisis provides motivation - not only for you to
change - but for you to transform.
On the edge of chaos, when nothing makes sense and
everything is possible, miracles can happen. But hoping for a miracle rarely
ensures survival. Survival requires endurance, a benefactor,
or transformation - a change in identity that helps you
find and manifest previously unimaginable solutions. The domain of chaos
coaching is the domain of miracles.
Chaos coaching can take you to the cutting edge of your
reality... to the edge of chaos ... where you can build a new identity
and find systemic solutions for your problems. We may also provide
personality templates for people who want to re-engineer their
personalities.
Chaos
Coaching - Part 2
Expert Modeling .
Knowledge Management .
Systems Theory
We offer systemic coaching, training and mentorship. Do you want to coach people to resolve emotional and relationship challenges?
Plagiarism is theft. Copyright © Martyn Carruthers 2005-2010
All rights reserved
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