Sucram

Snibbor

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 EVOL?

EVOL …….…………….……….……..………………………………….UTION!

EVOL ...…..……………..………… si ……...…………………………….. DOG

EVOL – STIK …..………….………is what holds everything together

EVOL ……...…replace O (God) with I (ego) and what do you get?

Sucram Snibbor?

In memory of a beer I made in a dustbin at college during the 1970’s

“Backward in name but forward in nature”
It was strong…

Available in print at a modest price from www.lulu.com

Also available:
Octaikon
Life is a Four Letter Word
Toby’s Tent
Reality: a Real Tweet

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 CONTENTS

This tome is a compendium of four essays/pieces in which, at various

times, I’ve tried to evolve, expand and extoll my idea of the Octaikon. It
supplements my semi-autobiographical book of that title, and the website
(www.octaikon.co.uk). There is a lot of inevitable overlap as I’ve tried
different approaches for different audiences, and I dare say I’ll come up
with something else soon!

Faculties of the universe Page 5

The first section is a piece I wrote trying to put my ideas in the context of
the whole of creation and evolution, giving them universal appeal.

A curriculum of needs Page 13

The second section develops the idea of the first, building on the
metaphor of a cosmic university of learning.

Fractal faculties - a pattern of us all? Page 21

This was a progress report on the Octaikon project in which I summarised

the train-of-thought that led me to develop the model. A good intro.

The Octaikon model of AEIO you! Page 33

And finally, this explains the model for the benefit of an educator, putting
in a nutshell the resources available for life-long learning.

I hope you enjoy exploring my thoughts!

A. Marcus J. Robbins, Oxford, September 2015

amj.robbins@googlemail.com

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 Faculties of the universe
A. Marcus J. Robbins
Re-edited July 2015

faculty, n. 1. Aptitude for any special kind of action; power inherent in the body.
2. branch of art or science, department of University teaching.
universe, n. All existing things; the whole creation (& the Creator); all mankind.
(from The Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 5th Edition)

If the universe and all that’s in it started with a big bang, perhaps we can see
images of that momentous happening in ourselves. I think we can. We’re
each a microcosm of the macrocosm. As humans, we can be modelled
according to the faculties (abilities or powers) that we all possess, of which
ten can be identified from ancient and modern studies. And if you look at
the big bang theory and the immediate evolution of the universe, a
corresponding set of ten faculties (branches or divisions) can also be
identified. These faculties, both at universe level and in your “you-
niverse”, can be thought of as complementary pairs that form a unity of
opposites. So what are they and what can we learn from them to help find
balance in our relationships and ride of life?

Sparks vs. Laws

Creating vs. Judging
Let’s consider the first pair. For the big bang to have occurred, it can be
argued that there had to be a “spark”, prime mover, or faculty of creation to
get it all going. Nobody really knows how that spark was struck, but the
religious among us would put it down to a Creator. In effect, sparks continue
through the processes of evolution. And now, from a human perspective, we
mirror that faculty by starting life as a little bang, so to speak – an act of
procreation initiated by our parents, and throughout life we continue to
exercise that spark of creativity through art, music, drama, writing, comedy,
innovation, inventiveness, more procreation, and the use of our intuition.
The creative faculty at both cosmic and human level is characterised by
freedom, un-limitedness, a lack of boundaries, cooperation with the
evolutionary processes, and an unknowing where anything will lead.

In contrast to that faculty of creativity, we have – as humans – a faculty for

judging, of making laws and setting limits. In other words, we can make
decisions, or have them made for us – as part of our physiology,
environment, or social framework. That also includes our built-in pre-
programmed instincts. When it comes to the universe, from the instant of
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creation everything has been determined by laws, codes and principles,
albeit with chaotic effect in the beginning – as described in Genesis. Who or
what determined the values of those laws? Although seemingly constant
now, did they evolve, too? And what hand might a Creator have had, and
still have, in making all those decisions? These are difficult but important
questions.

So this is our first pair of faculties at cosmic and human levels – pure
unbounded creativity, balanced by laws and limits. In the universe, it may
seem like clockwork, but in our lives and behaviour, we have to keep on
working to find that balance, now more than ever – rights vs.
responsibilities, your freedom vs. my freedom, and whose rules, exactly?

Matter vs. Motion

Observing vs. Applying
Let’s consider the next pair of faculties, again taking our lead from creation.
A spark is struck – what happens next? Well, the universe’s faculty of
matter springs into existence – undifferentiated chaotic matter, substance,
just stuff, whatever you want to call it. Initially it is less than a pinhead in
size, so say the physicists, but in a miniscule fraction of time it expands –
billions and billions of degrees in temperature but already cooling. After
aeons it forms stars, the earth and then us. We are stardust in a Goldilocks
land, where everything is just right for our existence. And now we have the
faculty to observe this matter in all its glory using sight, sound, touch, taste
and smell – and perhaps a few more senses than we thought we had. We
may ask who “observed” the stuff of the universe as it was created and
evolved? Genesis says that God “saw” it, and observed it was good. We can
now peer back into the past almost to the beginning of that time using our
telescopes and indeed it does seem wonderful. But in times present, things
of the world don’t always appear that great, do they?

What is the complementary faculty to matter and its observation? It is

surely motion and its application. The act that created matter also created
motion or energy. Without movement there would be no matter, and at
billions of degrees there was plenty of it to begin with, and still is. Initiation
by the prime mover was explosive expanding chaos, followed by coalescing,
orbiting, evolving, birthing and eventually squirming humans. An amazing
dance, if you like. That faculty of motion is now built into us as we grow,
develop, and do physical things, applying our abilities, using our hands, feet
and bodies to move data, things or ourselves. We have got so good at
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locomotion and harnessing energy that we or our creations can now move
away from Planet Earth and explore the stardust from whence we came, and
work out where everything is going. It’s a moving experience indeed!

That, then, is our second pair of faculties. Matter and its observation
through our senses, and motion and its application using our bodies or
machines. Watching vs. doing. Again a balance is needed in our daily lives.
Just as there is no matter without motion, we cannot just be observers – we
must be doers as well. No idle sitting on the sidelines.

Parts vs. Purpose

Monitoring vs. Directing
We’ve come from creative freedom vs. limiting rules to observable matter vs.
applied movement. Where now? Out of that undifferentiated chaos order
appeared, we are told. Genesis talks of light and darkness, water, the deep
and heavenly bodies. Scientists talk of particles, atoms, elements,
compounds, galaxies, stars, planets, and living beings, including humans –
all evolving. A myriad of different parts, types, levels and hierarchies –
microscopic and galactic – all the units and components that make up the
earth, our environment, you and me. And with that has come our faculty to
distinguish all these differences created out of matter, both by nature and by
ourselves. We have become expert at discerning, measuring, classifying or
monitoring differences, using our senses and intellect, until now we have a
mind-boggling store of data, information and knowledge – all the basis for
the natural sciences.

And what complements this multitude of parts? I think it is the wisdom of

the whole that they make up. Teleologically1 speaking, it is the end, goal,
purpose or meaning of all these parts. So, to what end was the big bang
directed? Why did it happen? Most scientists would say that there is no
purpose to this gradual evolution of plurality from one singularity – just a
blind following of rules that may go on for ever, or end back in a crunch –
humanity just being a tale of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Religious
people would disagree, but all might say that we now have a faculty to help
us direct our lives towards goals by integrating all the parts into a purpose.
And more importantly, we can help others to achieve their own goals. That
may be as bland as just being happy, or it may be, as the Christian catechism
states, “to know, love and serve God in this world, and to be happy with
him in the next.”
1
Teleology: The study of design or purpose in natural phenomena.
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Our third pair of faculties is thus a tale of differentiation vs. integration,
splitting and making whole, finding purpose in the parts, both at cosmic
level and human. Depending on your viewpoint, it is either a tale that
signifies nothing, or its parts do make up a purpose and our discerning leads
to directing towards an eternal goal. It seems that nowadays, looking at all
our breakups, breakdowns, riots, and terrorism, we need more integration
and less differentiation. True?

Patterns vs. Phenomena

Interpreting vs. Expressing
Continuing on with the story of creation, what else is needed in addition to
the sparks and laws, matter and energy, parts and purpose? It’s the need for
patterns to enable everything to come together in different ways to form
those atoms, elements, molecules, stars, planets, galaxies, and individual
animals and people which form part of the universe. Some philosophers
would describe these patterns as pre-existent ideas, perhaps in the mind of
God. Some enlightened researchers2 might accept that these patterns may
exist as morphic fields, so far unexplained. Traditional materialistic
scientists would put it all down to progressive evolution of matter. Whatever
the mechanism, the equivalent faculty at human level is our power of
thought, of generating ideas, and solving problems – our ability to interpret
things around us, using our brain, perhaps having a mind that extends
beyond us into the universe. In short, we have the faculty of thinking and
reasoning.

What contrasts with thought and interpretation? For us humans, it has to be

the ability to express our thoughts to ourselves and others, using language
via words, tone of voice, and body movement. It is when we speak, or play
music, write books, or act out dramas. It is when we show emotions –
messages from the bottom of our hearts. It is an amazing faculty, being able
to communicate as we do. Our ability to express thoughts and feelings using
language sets us apart from all other life. And how has the universe been
expressing itself? We can describe that by the word phenomena – the
wonderful ways that galaxies, stars, planets, earth and nature have formed
and manifest themselves in all the sensations that they produce. That has
been happening ever since the big bang, with all creation being a silent
witness to its amazing manifestations. Only now is part of it really aware
and able to wonder and begin to understand it all. And that part is us!

2
“A New Science of Life” Dr. Rupert Sheldrake
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Our fourth pair of faculties, then, is pattern and interpretation, vs.
phenomena and expression. Thinking before talking. Again, the two
faculties are inseparable. There must not be one without the other. Of
course, we humans have the freedom to throw things out of balance.
Polarising things and going to extremes seems to be natural to us (or maybe
it’s unnatural?) To talk without thinking, or bottle things up and not express
our feelings – until an explosion occurs! It’s something that happens all the
time. Just look at ourselves…

Conformation vs. Transformation

Reflecting vs. Relating
We now come to our last pair of faculties. On a human level they can be
described as reflecting vs. relating. On a cosmic level, they are
conformation vs. transformation. Conformation is my word for the link
between pattern and phenomena. It is the process whereby organising fields
(if that is what patterns or cosmic “ideas” are) give rise to their form and
shape. It is when matter and its parts follow patterns and rules, fabricating
themselves into cosmic phenomena. In ourselves, conformation is
equivalent to a reflective faculty, whereby we internalise our thoughts and
ideas, carry out an internal dialogue, chew things over deeply, and if we are
religious, we pray about them conversing with our Creator, before we finally
express our ideas, hopefully truthfully, in whatever form we choose. It’s a
process we often forget about, especially in this time of instant
communication, comment and reaction.

On the other hand, transformation, the other cosmic faculty pair, is that
process whereby matter changes into motion, mass into energy, and fields
resonate and morph into new patterns. It is interaction between stuff
according to rules. It is the whole process of evolution leading up to us. In
fact, everything is transforming, reacting and renewing all the time. If
change ceased, so would the universe. Only an unmoveable, undifferentiated
whole would remain. Then we’re back to before the big bang, and what is
that? It’s a mystery. Our equivalent human faculty is one of relating. It is the
way we relate to ourselves, our environment, and most importantly to other
people. As we observe and communicate with others, we respond, get
feedback, and change our responses as required to build up the relationship.
In its ultimate form, it is falling and being in love, of peace and being at one
with another and God. Alas, untended it is also the breaking down of
relationships, which at its worst leads to havoc and hate and mayhem. We
could argue at the human level that all transformation which builds up is an
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expression of divine love. And the reverse is its deliberate absence. And we
are free to choose in which way we transform our relationships.

In summary, the fifth and last pair of faculties is conformation and

reflecting vs. transformation and reflecting. On the one hand it is a sort
of inward process of giving true expression to patterns and thoughts, while
on the other hand it is an outward process of continual change, feeding
back, and being transformed.

Summary
We’ve now come to the end of our ten components – five pairs of universal
and personal faculties that help understand ourselves and the universe – the
divine university, if you like. If we believe, as Christians do, that we are
made in the image of a creator God, then we have gone some way to
understanding that image. Let’s summarise what we have learnt from this
divine university:

• The university’s faculty of creation is a mystery to us, but we do know

that it started the universe itself, continuing through evolution, and we
now use our creative faculty to cooperate in starting new life, ideas,
images, innovations, using our freedom to choose. The university’s
faculty of law complements this, ensuring we live in a predictable
world with boundaries, and our judging faculty enables us to
understand those laws, make our own, and take decisions based on
them.
• The university’s faculty of matter produced all the stuff from which
we are made, and our observing faculty allows us, using our senses, to
understand what we are made from. Complementing this, the divine
university’s faculty of motion gives matter its essential movement –
energy, and our personal application faculty allows us to harness that
energy, doing all sorts of weird and wonderful things in many moving
ways.
• The faculty of parts is concerned with producing the components of
which the universe is made, and we graduates have a monitoring
faculty that allows us to discern and classify these parts, including
those we help create ourselves. This is complemented by the
university’s faculty of purpose, which now enables us, via our
directing faculty, to integrate all these parts together, finding a
meaning and purpose that directs our lives.

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 • Then the faculty of patterns provides the ideas, blueprints or fields
for assembling all the universe’s parts, and our personal interpreting
faculty allows us to think about them, rationalise and come up with our
own ideas. This is complemented by the faculty of phenomena
whereby the structures of the universe are manifest, and which has
given rise to our expressing faculty, used to articulate these and our
own ideas to ourselves and others.
• And finally the universe’s faculty of conforming is concerned with the
process of giving expression to patterns which in turn has given us a
reflecting faculty to enable us to truly express our thoughts and ideas,
making contact with the divine. And complementing this, there is the
divine university’s faculty of transformation, which links everything
together via feedback, and has facilitated our own relating faculty for
doing much the same thing as we let ourselves be transformed by
divine love.

Given that a picture is worth a thousand words, below are two graphics
summarising these points. Using these two models of ten faculties, we can
go on exploring and transforming many more aspects of life, including how
we behave, how we work in teams, why we believe what we do, how we grow
up, form relationships and live our lives. We owe it to ourselves and others
to do this if we are to make an impact on this troubled world.

The ten universe-sity faculties: a tetrahedron model Our ten personal faculties: the Octaikon model

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I think that an apposite quote to conclude with is by St. Paul, writing to the
Romans. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test
and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (New
International Version)

Afterword

It seems that these faculty pairs correspond to parts of speech in our

languages. Adjectives vs. adverbs; pronouns vs. prepositions; nouns vs.
verbs; conjunctions vs. interjections; tone of voice vs. body language. This
is not surprising, if we were all spoken into existence by the Logos (word,
speech, principle, thought, design) as Christians believe.

Acknowledgments

I obtained special inspiration in writing this article from the following

books: Stratford Caldecott: Beauty for Truth’s Sake; on the re-enchantment
of education; Rupert Sheldrake: The Presence of the Past: morphic
resonance and the habits of nature; Ken Wilber: A Theory of Everything -
an integral vision for business, politics, science and spirituality, and Rabbi
Jonathan Sacks: The Great Partnership: God, Science and the search for
Meaning.

A. Marcus J. Robbins amj.robbins@googlemail.com 28.8.2011

PS. (Dec 2011) I have been reading parts of Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin’s
The Phenomenon of Man. The first parts seem to resonate very
harmoniously with what I have written.

PPS. (June 2012) And I have now just finished Iain McGilchrist’s The
Master and his Emissary – the divided brain and the making of the
western world. His belief that ‘the inner structure of our intellect reflects
the structure of the universe’ does indeed seem to be ‘profoundly true’. The
Octaikon diagram shows one way the faculties may correspond to the right
and left hemispheres.

For further reflections on the faculties and use of the Octaikon model as a
life-long learning tool, see the project website www.octaikon.co.uk.

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 A curriculum of needs
A. Marcus J. Robbins
August 2015

As graduates from an evolving universe, we're all now in the university of

life. Whatever our age, we should be continually learning how to meet our
needs, using the faculties that have been made universally available to us.
While we learn, I think there's a key question that all of us needs to ask and
answer:

What gives us: motivation/purpose/fulfilment in life?

I'd suggest it's when we can use each faculty fully to meet our different
needs. If the ultimate aim of life is to create a better world by helping others
meet their needs (as well as our own), then we need to know what those
needs are. To do that we must first understand the idea of "love".

Need-loves: In the same way that the universe is full of things that attract
each other, so our university of life is full of things we are attracted to,
desire, or "love". Now, love can be a misleading word, as it can have very
conflicting meanings. Prompted by thoughts of C.S.Lewis, I'd say that we
have five classes of "loves".

• Need-loves: things that are necessary for our real well being. Some
may be essential for keeping alive.
• Wish-loves: things that we'd like because we perceive that they
support our personalities, aptitudes, habits, work etc. - but are not
essential.
• Want-loves: things that we feel we must have, without any view to
our need for them.
• Drug-loves: (can't think of a better term!) things that, no matter
what, we are compelled to possess. In other words, they want us.
Addiction!
• Gift-loves: things that other people desire, which we give to them
without any expectation of "love" in return.

Whether these loves are good or bad depends on our motivation or

intentions, and how they affect us - or more importantly, other people.
Wants can be perfectly OK, but become bad if they go against our well-being
or stop others from meeting their needs. Needs can turn from wishes into
wants and addiction when we are selfish and greedy for too much. It can be
difficult to be objective about when the difference happens!

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Here we’ll focus just on our need-loves. Based on our ten faculties, I think
we all need:

• Sensory & other inputs

• Variety and identity
• Problems to solve
• Law and order
• Physical activities
• Plans or goals
• Ways of communicating
• Channels for originality
• Times to withdraw
• Opportunities to befriend

Let's put a bit of flesh on this skeleton of needs (we can call it a curriculum,
using the university metaphor), and ask a few questions to encourage us to
explore the idea. Here they are, linked to our faculties.

WE HAVE FACULTIES TO...

and corresponding needs for....

OBSERVE
sensory & other inputs

We all need to take in stuff to live. We need food, water, air, clothes, shelter
and other goods, as well as all sorts of things we need to see, hear, touch,
taste or smell to satisfy our senses. If deprived of these inputs, we suffer. Of
course, it's got to be the right stuff. If we want the wrong inputs for the
wrong reasons, we'll have problems. As with all our faculties and their
needs, everything in moderation!

• Which of your senses would you least like to lose? Why?

• Do you sometimes have too much input? What can you do about it?
• Have you tried fasting from something for a time? Was it helpful?

MONITOR
variety and identity:

We need variety in our lives, some of us more than others. It's built into us
to note the differences between things. Our very survival has depended on it.
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We ourselves need to have identity, and to be recognised as distinct
individuals. We like to identify, sort, classify, and name the world around us.
If everything stays the same, without changing, we can become bored.
Variety is the spice of life!

• Do you like to collect and classify things? What are they and why?
• What similar things are you good at telling the difference between?
• When is it good for things not to change? Why?

INTERPRET
problems to solve:

Our brains are working all the time. When you want to switch off, you'll
know how hard it is to stop thinking. In fact, most of the time, we need to
have something to think about - some problem to chew over. We're built to
analyse and work things out, especially the world we live in. We're curious
beings. Our brain is the most complex organ going and needs to be
challenged, or it'll atrophy.

• What things are you happiest when thinking about?

• Do you like quizzes or puzzles? Which are your favourites?
• Does it bother you when you can't find a solution? Why?

JUDGE
law and order

We all need laws to live by, natural or man made. And we all have to make
judgements and take decisions about what's the best thing to do. Most of us
don't like living in a mess and with uncertainty. We all need some semblance
of order, even if it's imposed on us from outside. Everyday life means
making choices all the time. We're happier if we feel in control, though of
course we shouldn't become control freaks!

• Do you feel satisfied when you've made the right decision?

• What laws and rules do you think are unnecessary? Why?
• Does it bother you if other people tell you what to do?

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 APPLY
physical activities

Whether it's part of our daily work, hobbies, or keeping fit, we all need to do
physical things with our body. That's what our hands, legs and body are
designed for. Some of us may not like taking exercise, but most will agree
that it increases our well being. And we know the pain when we misuse our
bodies. We're made to be constantly on the move, and if we don't our bodies
will become weak and unhealthy.

• What physical things do you like doing? Sports, hobbies?

• How do you feel when you take exercise?
• What happens when you stay immobile for a long time?

DIRECT
plans or goals

Even if it's the simplest of to-do lists and remembering appointments, we

need to plan in some form or another. Long term goals can really help our
need to achieve. We need to integrate all we know in setting them. It's never
satisfactory to just go with the flow. Sometimes we may need to ask others
for advice. We need direction or purpose to our lives, and like to see the
whole picture.

• In what way do you plan your day or week, at home or at work?

• Isn't it true we waste a lot of time if we don't have some form of goal?
• Don't you feel a sense of achievement when you complete a plan?

EXPRESS
ways of communicating

We need to communicate our thoughts and ideas with others, even the most
reserved of us. It may be by talking, writing, drawing, singing, gesturing or
many other channels The way we do it will depend on our personalities.
Even if we don't communicate outwardly, we will be talking to ourselves.
And for all this we need some form of language, which makes us unique
among animals.

• How do you like to keep in touch with people?

• What's it feel like to be alone with nobody to talk to?
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 • How much time do you spend on your phone?

CREATE
channels for originality:

We all have the need to be free and creative. Even if we don't consider
ourselves to be artistic (say an actor, musician, writer, poet, painter) our
creative streak will surface in one way or another - doodling, acting the fool,
making jokes, or whistling while you work! We need to imagine and
fantasise. It includes making love - raising a family is the height of
creativity! As created beings, we must be creative, too.

• In what ways do you like to be creative and original?

• Do you like enjoying other people's creativity - films, for instance?
• What's it feel like when people criticise your ideas?

REFLECT
times to withdraw:

Life is busy! We need to stand back and reflect, rest, and recharge. We need
something to believe in. This may be achieved by attending to our spiritual
side through prayer or mediation. We need to take time to ponder on things,
and sometimes switch off entirely. Sometimes we need to be alone. And we
need, of course, to have adequate sleep. Who knows what the role of dreams
are in our lives and what needs they fulfil?

• How do you like to relax and chill out?

• What things make you tense and stressed? Can they be avoided?
• Do you get enough sleep? If not, why?

RELATE
opportunities to befriend

We all have a need for friends, whether in the form of parents, family,
neighbours, carers, colleagues, or maybe a partner for life. We are made for
relationships in all their forms. We need to love and be loved, to give and
receive, to forgive and be forgiven. It requires all our faculties, and constant

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feedback. If we are spiritual, having a relationship with the divine, however
we understand that, will be key.

• How have you felt when you lost a friend or relative?

• Can we enjoy having relationships that are not friendly? Why?
• In what ways do we find, make and keep friends?

So those are the ten needs that form a curriculum for our university of life.
There are several points to consider when learning about them.

Balance and linkage: All these needs are closely interlinked. Like their
faculties, they form pairs which complement each other and must be
balanced over time. And often, meeting one need requires other needs to be
met as well. For example: Observing/inputs are balanced with
applying/outputs; thinking through problems, with expressing the solution;
conforming to laws, with being free of them; differentiating the parts, with
integrating the whole; and reflecting inwards, with relating outwards.

Hierarchy, no: Note that there is no hierarchy to this way of

understanding needs. They are equally important. Those who know
Maslow's helpful theory will notice some correspondence with his hierarchy
of five needs - which are, starting from the bottom: basic physiology, safety,
love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualisation. Physiology is mainly to do
with input needs, safety with thought/laws/activity; esteem with inner
reflection, and self-actualisation with creativity (but probably with meeting
the whole caboodle of needs).

Brain and gender: both men and women, of all ages, have these needs.
However, some of them can be thought of as typically feminine or related to
the right side of the brain, and others typically masculine, or related, the left.
I realise that this is a generalisation in danger of stereotyping people, but it
can be helpful in understanding relationships, their strengths and
weaknesses, and does seem to model real life.

Oil of agape: If we are serious about improving the world, we have to learn
that when we meet our needs, we are motivated by an unconditional, selfless
love that urges us to satisfy other people's needs (not necessarily their
wants) as well. And that's where divine agape comes in. It's our greatest
need of all, and it is met spiritually. How depends on your beliefs. C.S.Lewis
again: it was he who defined agape, caritas or charity as gift-love. He also
identified three types of need-loves which the Greeks used: familial (storge),
friendship (philia) and physical erotic love (eros) – which includes sex.
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A word about sex: It's a good example of a heady cocktail of needs and
wants! As the human race, we need sex to keep going. As individuals, I'd say
most of us need to satisfy our sexual urges in one way or another. However,
as is sadly obvious from the current news, these needs can easily turn into
wants that lead to horrible behaviour like child sexual abuse and rape. But
it's not just about eros. When it comes to couples, "making love" requires
several types of other needs to be mutually met and many problems result if
partners just focus on their wants (probably erotic).

And a word about food: Each of us needs to eat and drink to live. The
type of food is, of course, important, and some of our wants are not the most
healthy. If we invite people for a meal, we'll need to be aware of their likes
and dislikes, as well as any dietary restrictions. We need to drink as well, but
alcohol is not essential. However, it can be a need if one is to entertain
guests properly. But of course it's an unhealthy want if we encourage guests
or ourselves to drink too much. And so on….

Fasting, yes: Sometimes it's good to fast from our human needs to help us
appreciate them more, especially if they tend to turn into wants. But for
happy and fulfilled living I think we need to meet them all, in balance, in one
form or another. We should use all the faculties we've been given - they're
inseparable. So we need to find out how to do that, and live life to the full!

Same but different: Having emphasised that we all have these faculties,
it’s important to note that how we meet our needs can be very different
between us. It will depend on our personalities, abilities, upbringing,
culture, and our own self- awareness of those needs. It will vary according to
age and time - "To every purpose there is a season" says the sage in
Ecclesiastes. We must respect those differences and seasons. There is a time
for everything.

Summary: The following table shows how our faculties and needs
interrelate and balance each other, and the coloured Octaikon graphic sums
them up as symbols and letters.
MONITOR: INTERPRET: JUDGE:
variety & identity problems to solve law & order
OBSERVE: REFLECT: APPLY:
sensory & other inputs times to withdraw physical activities

RELATE:
opportunities to befriend

CREATE: EXPRESS: DIRECT:

Channels for originality ways of communicating plans or goals

19
20
 Fractal faculties
a pattern of us all?
Origin and progress of the Octaikon project.
A. MARCUS J. ROBBINS
August 2012
faculty, n. 1. Aptitude for any special kind of action; power inherent in the body.
2. branch of art or science, department of University teaching.
fractal, a. A detailed (geometric) pattern that is self-similar at different scales.
Octaikon, n. oct-eye-con. An educational graphic model of a person based on ten faculties

About two decades ago I became increasingly exercised by the way people
approached life (for instance at play, work or worship) in different ways,
each arguing that theirs was the best. I started reading articles and books
about our behaviour and beliefs, so as to find answers. But I soon became
even more frustrated when each concept or theory was presented as being
the truest explanation, and comparison with others was often limited.

I decided that there must be a better way to understand things and looked
for common features among the theories. I soon noticed that many
identified four aspects of secular or religious life, often presented as
extremes of two intersecting axes. The description of each aspect varied
according to the theory, but there seemed to be underlying human faculties
common to us all, which could be described as observation,
interpretation, expression and application (A,E,I,O = you is a useful
mnemonic).

These four faculties embrace more than their names imply. Observation (or
watching, if you like) includes not only how and what we take in through our
five (or more) senses, but all stuff we consume (e.g. air, food).
Interpretation is how we think, using our reason or logic, solving problems
– that is, processing with our brain. Expression includes not only speech,
but also gestures and emotions – all the ways we convey thoughts and ideas.
And application is our output – doing physical actions, and includes the
things we produce.

21
The following are examples of the ideas and theories that gave me clues for
defining these four underlying faculties: The Hippocratic humours -
phlegmatic, melancholic, sanguine, choleric; Jung’s temperaments -
introvert watcher, introvert thinker, extravert talker, extravert doer (see
next figure); Hans Eysenck’s approaches to government - Democratic-
autocratic, conservative-radical; effects on health of drugs: sensory,
mental, behavioural, physical; Honey and Mumford’s ways of learning -
reflector, theorist, activist, pragmatist; and forms of religious piety
(Swanson) - Ascetical, sensual, intellectual, emotional.
Melancholic
Introvert
Thinker

Phlegmatic Choleric
Introvert Extrovert
Watcher Doer

Sanguine
Extrovert
Talker

Since the four faculties can be indentified in just about all theories, they can
be qualified as main or primary ones. However, the degree to which they
correspond to the four aspects of any idea varies, and it’s important to note
that the faculties overlap in scope, and there are sometimes alternative ways
in which the different theories can be made to correspond with each other.

We’ll now consider further faculties, which can be described as secondary or

linking.

As I studied more, it became clear that whereas many ideas required only
four or just two descriptors, others were based on multiples of four – eight
or sixteen. And rather than forming intersecting axes, those with eight had a
circular arrangement and relationship one to another. The clues to
identifying the underlying faculties of these came mainly from the team
theories of Margerison & McCann (see next figure), and Belbin & Pretty; the
problem-solving ideas of E. & M. Lumsdaine; and the learning styles of Kolb
& McCarthy.

22
 CONTROLLER
INSPECTOR

UPHOLDER CONCLUDER
MAINTAINER PRODUCER

REPORTER THRUSTER
ADVISER ORGANISER

CREATOR ASSESOR
INNOVATOR DEVELOPER

EXPLORER
PROMOTER

The four additional faculties (making a total of eight) in effect link the four
primary faculties to form a circle or octagon. These secondary faculties can
be named as follows: monitoring, linking observation and interpretation;
judging, linking interpretation and application; directing, linking
application and expression; and creating, linking expression and
observation, completing the circle.

Again, these four names encompass much more than they imply.
Monitoring is concerned with comparing, distinguishing or differentiating
things into parts and finding their purpose. On the other hand, directing is
to do with integrating things back together, and giving meaning and
direction to the whole. Judging embraces the decisions or choices we make,
and the rules that govern them (natural or man-made), whereas creating is
to do with creativity in all its forms – freedom (from control), imagination,
art, innovation, or humour.

As with the primary faculties, their boundaries are not clear-cut and there is
a lot of overlap. For example, judging involves interpretation, and creating
involves expression. But there is a logical link between them all. For
instance, we may observe, then discern, interpret, decide, and finally act.
Not only that, but faculties opposite each other form pairs that have
complementary roles (for example, judging involves control whereas
creating is freedom from control). This is a feature of all the original ideas
and concepts studied.

23
This synthesis of ideas into eight underlying common faculties was helpful
as far as it went. But it highlighted two links that were not covered in
existing studies – that is, between interpretation and expression, and
observation and application. These two faculties I had to propose myself,
and called them reflecting (inner dialogue, meditation or prayer), and
relating (in all its forms, mainly externally with other people).

In diagrammatic form, they intersect in the middle of the octagon. And like
the other faculties, they also form a complementary pair (inward vs.
outward), making five pairs of faculties in all.

As this octagonal/circular/intersecting model of ten faculties emerged out of

the synthesis of ideas, I was concerned to represent the fact that people can
be thought of as body and soul – since many of the concepts dealt with what
is religious or spiritual. Intuitively, it seemed to me that the outer part of the
diagram would represent the body, whereas the inner would be the soul.
This seemed appropriate, since the two faculties of reflecting and relating
that crossed the centre appeared to be the most spiritual of the ten faculties.

As I gradually developed the description and structure of four, eight, then

ten faculties to represent all the ideas I had studied, I quickly tried to make
the model more visually clear using colours, rather than letters and lines.
The result was a circular colour wheel, fading to white in the middle.

24
I called this an Octaikon, since it is octagonal and it facilitates thinking
about the spiritual world. Serendipitously, the colour wheel spectrum
corresponded very well with common perceptions of the eight “outer”
faculties (e.g. red for doing, green for observing). I also devised symbols to
help explain the model (e.g. a cloud for interpretation) (see next figure).

The blank coloured Octaikon formed a very useful framework on which to

map the elements of existing theories, summarising them and showing how
they might relate together. It also encouraged me to develop my own ideas
about how people behave and what they believe. Over several years, I
gradually documented these mostly as slides, using graphics and
presentation programs.

These slides are laid out with an Octaikon mapped with key features on one
side, and a short explanation on the other (see example of Lumsdaines’
problem solving). I call them Okki-maps, and they are a type of mind-map
as devised by Tony Buzan. To date, over one hundred maps have been
25
produced as I explored different ideas and developed my own. Some ideas
correspond to the faculties very well, whereas with others there is only a
tentative correspondence. As with many tools, it is possible to use the
Octaikon in ways it was not originally intended for, in which case
comparison between ideas must be done carefully and critically.

It was only later in my studies that I realised that the underlying ten
faculties of the Octaikon formed an excellent model of how we function,
body and soul – in its own right and without reference to the originating
theories, say of personalities or learning styles, on which it is based. Since
each faculty can be described in such a way as to be understandable by
young people, I conceived the idea of using the model as a life-long learning
tool for self-understanding and development. This would be done by
starting with the underlying faculties, and then graduating to the more
specific and complex theories from which the Octaikon model evolved, as
the need arose.

To this end, I have devised many introductory explanations of the model,

suitable for a wide range of audiences and situations – all focusing on how
to look after and develop our faculties. They include Flash-movie interactive
models, a cartoon character (Okki the Acrobat), and a story about a boy who
is introduced to the faculties, as characters, in a dream (Toby’s Tent). One
form of the model is a set of magnetised coloured blocks (Okki-blocs), which
can be used not only as an aid in teaching older people, but also in play for
children of kindergarten and primary age.

26
A characteristic of the model that has become apparent over time is its
fractal nature (I use the word in a loose sense). By this I mean that the
pattern of faculties seems to be repeated at different scales. The model
started life representing an individual person, but it can also represent (at a
lower scale) a specific part or aspect of a person, or (at a higher scale) a
group of people, a community, a nation, and even the whole universe.
Thought of in terms of evolution, this self-similarity at different scales is
perhaps not surprising.

Two examples of repetition at a lower scale are as follows. With regard to

using the model just for the interpretation faculty, studies by Herrman
suggest that the left and right hemispheres of the brain can each be divided
into two areas, making four quadrants, each concerned with different modes
of thought. These correspond remarkably well with the characteristics of
each faculty, showing how brain functioning underpins all we do (see next
figure). And with regard to the expression faculty, the function of the eight
parts of speech in language appear to correspond with the requirements of
each faculty, too.

27
 LOGICAL
FACTUAL
CRITICAL
TECHNICAL
ANALYTICAL
QUANTITATIVE

VISUAL CONSERVATIVE
HOLISTIC STRUCTURED
INTUITIVE SEQUENTIAL
INNOVATIVE ORGANISED
CONCEPTUAL DETAILED
IMAGINATIVE PLANNED

INTERPERSONAL
KINESTHETIC
EMOTIONAL
SPIRITUAL
SENSORY
FEELING

Examples of repetition at a larger scale are many. For example, Eysenck’s

theory of governance types applies to groups of people. I think there is also
correlation in wider ethnic groups and types of religious communities or
denominations. At the ultimate of scales, the cosmic level, I’ve found that
the ten faculties form a useful way of looking at reality as a whole, relating
them to matter, energy, patterns, and other aspects of the universe (see next
figure).

OUTPUT
INPUT

This should not come as a surprise either since we all have come from
stardust! My essay “Faculties of the Universe” explores that idea further.

This brings me on to the use of the Octaikon model to help understand

spiritual issues. The studies I came across about these mostly stopped short
of constructing a graphical model. I therefore had to experiment using the
28
faculties to make sense of theological ideas. Even if there were no clear
correlations, trying to find them certainly helped me to understand these
ideas better. Attempts to map concepts such as body/soul/spirit, the trinity,
dual vs. non-dual, types of prayer, spiritual gifts, forms of love, sources of
knowledge, and aspects of sin can be revealing and helpful. I also went
beyond my own Christian under-standing to look at other religious beliefs.

Using the Octaikon model to explore C.S.Lewis’ exposition of love was

particularly interesting and fruitful for me. It made me rethink what is the
ultimate reality of the world we live in. If (as Christians believe) we are made
in the image of God (who ultimately created us), and “God is love” (as stated
in the New Testament) – then all our ten faculties should reflect some aspect
of that love, not only at our personal level, but at all fractal levels. Such a
concept requires a shift in thinking from the usual materialistic approach of
understanding the universe as being simply particles and fields etc., to one
of imagining everything as aspects of love. I found the Octaikon useful in
thinking about this.

At the present time, the Octaikon project, as I have come to call my studies,
is at a crossroads. As can be seen, I have used the model to explore and
understand many existing and new ideas about why we are all different in
our approaches to life. In so doing, I have become increasingly convinced
that if we could only understand ourselves and each other better, we should
soon realise that these differences are good and are essential to make up the
rich tapestry of life we like to enjoy. But we must strive for balance in their
expression if we are to find harmony first within ourselves, and then in the
outer world, and so be happy.

29
Over the past twenty years, given that I have found the model increasingly
useful in all the ways mentioned, I am convinced that it could be used as a
life-long learning tool in self-development, helping to find balance and
create harmony. As a result I have developed a whole range of potential
educational resources to cover all ages. But for the tool to work (as one of
many existing ones), it has to be introduced into a programme of education
right from a young age, and then repeatedly taken out of the educational
toolbox and used as and when needed. Here’s what I am imagining.

At the youngest age (using the Okki-blocs) it could be used in the

kindergarten to help develop a basic understanding of shape and colour, and
aid dexterity.

Once abstract ideas can be grasped, then the ten faculties form an ideal way
of gradually helping a young person at primary level to become aware of
how they function as persons and to look after themselves using their
faculties intelligently. At the same time, they learn how other people “work”
and are helped to understand, empathise and embrace the differences they
see around them, forming better relationships.

30
Then, during secondary and into tertiary education and the workplace, the
model can, as and when required, help to introduce and reinforce discussion
of existing specialised ideas of personality, team-working, problem solving,
management, etc. showing how they are all related. Additionally, if a person
is wanting to explore in-depth social, political, economic, philosophical or
psychological topics related to how people or communities behave and
believe, the model, as one tool among others, can help develop original ideas
(as I have done, hopefully!)

Mindfulness meditation is an example of a topic where I have recently

enlisted the Octaikon to facilitate understanding. Having read the book
Mindfulness – a practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world by Mark
Williams and Danny Penman, I was impressed by the way many of their
ideas could be made to correspond to the faculties. Examples are: being vs.
doing mode; observing yourself observing; being fully aware; not judging or
comparing; embracing difficulties; breaking habits; and being kind to
yourself. It confirmed my thought that a better awareness of all our faculties
would enable us to understand ourselves better, and hence relate to others
in a more balanced, harmonious and kinder way.

Now - I hope that the rather mystical uses of the model I have just
described, and what could be considered misuse for topics where it is not
really appropriate, will not put off the more traditional researchers or
academics from considering the Octaikon as a serious tool. As the
biochemist Rupert Sheldrake suggests in his book The Science Delusion, we
must free the spirit of enquiry and be prepared to try out new and unusual
ways of considering the world around us. Indeed, I have tried to see how his
ideas of morphic fields and the extended mind could relate to the Octaikon
model, and my piece Octaikon islands of life explores these ideas.

So, to conclude this introduction to the Octaikon project – having read this
far, your curiosity should have been piqued and your appetite whetted and

31
you will have lots of questions. Many of the answers will be found if you visit
the project website at:

www.octaikon.co.uk

where all the resources I have mentioned can be found. In particular, you
may find of interest the series of 5 minute narrated Octaikon maps posted
on YouTube. They are the latest example of resources I am experimenting
with. And if you are interested in my own biographical background, there is
a draft book which you can read (in web-form called Peaces of Eight, or in
downloadable PDF form, called Octaikon: keeping body and soul together).

My vision of the Octaikon being used as a life long-learning tool throughout

education will only be realised if I can find champions who are prepared to
give it a go. That said, without the previous work of all sorts of people who
have carried out the studies on which the Octaikon is based, I would have
had nothing on which to base my idea. They are mentioned on the website
and in the books, and I am indebted to their work. So too am I to all my
relatives and friends who have put up with, and commented on, my ideas
over the years. And in particular, I am extremely grateful to my wonderful
wife and fantastic children who have been so patient and encouraging.
Whenever my attention wanders, my eyes glaze over, and an “Aha!” moment
is born, they roll up their eyes, give a knowing look, and think to themselves
“Oh-oh! – another Octaikon moment coming up”. Thanks to everyone!

Ten fractal faculties – a pattern of us all?

You decide and please tell me!

A. Marcus J. Robbins
119 Harefields, Oxford, OX2 8NR, UK
01865 552842
amj.robbins@googlemail.com

Another way of looking at

the ten faculties.

32
The OCTAIKON Model
of

An introduction to a life-long
tool for teaching and learning
about ourselves

Marcus Robbins
33
Leonardo da Vinci’s model of a person showing dimensions

An abstract model of a person showing faculties

(The Octaikon model in the form of magnetised wooden blocks
see Okki-blocs on YouTube)

Print page order for 2 per page/duplex/short-side: 16,1,2,15,14,3,4,13,12,5,6,11,10,7,8,9

34
 The Octaikon model of a person
- an introduction -
As we grow up and live our lives,
we are continually being taught and learning
about ourselves and other people,
at home, during our schooling, at work, and in society.

At home, we start learning to:

• Be a person
• Be part of a family

In kindergarten we start learning to:

• Use all our faculties.
• Look after ourselves.
• Play games.
• Make friends.

At school we start learning to:

• Know how to study
• Understand academic subjects
• Pass examinations
• Understand ourselves and others
• Develop physical skills
• Prepare for leaving home and getting a job
• Identify a suitable job/career/vocation
• Live as a responsible citizen

In further education and training, we start learning to:

• Specialise in particular skills
• Find our place in society
• Make a living
• Work with other people

Within society (e.g. home, club, church) we start learning to:

• Make deeper relationships
• Set up a home
• Raise a family
• Progress at work
• Develop spiritually

35
 The purpose of the model
During these stages of learning and teaching,
we use many ideas and theories, old and new
to help us understand how we function as people.

However, it can be hard to relate one idea to another,

especially when we need to use several ideas at once.
That’s because we think of them as being different.

This doesn’t help if we need to understand

some new form of people’s behaviour or belief
which doesn’t have a ready-made idea to explain it.

So I’ve devised a model (Octaikon) to help with these problems.

It provides a framework to show similarities between ideas
and a means for developing and using new ideas.

The earlier such a model can be used in life,

the better it’ll serve as a common point of reference
whenever we need to understand more about ourselves.

The ultimate goal of the model is to help synthesise

our understanding of why we differ in our approaches to life,
so as to bring about balance and harmony in our lives together.

How the model is formed

The Octaikon is based on ten faculties that all people have.
Four of them are easily identified in many old and new ideas.
The other six faculties that link them are also well known.

The relative positions of these ten faculties on the Octaikon help to

show their sequence of use, and how they complement each other.
Adjacent ones are similar and merge; opposite ones tend to contrast.

The four “main” faculties concern the way we

observe, interpret, express and apply things.
They are found in many existing ideas and are linked as shown
(using their initial letters).

36
• Observation is about how we use our five or more senses
to take in data from the world around us, and can include
consuming water, air, food, and other “goods” needed in life.
• Interpretation is about how we use our brain or mind
to process all this stuff, and turn it into useful information
to solve problems, generate ideas, and plan our lives.
• Expression is about how we pass on what we know or feel
to other people and ourselves as knowledge or emotions
using language (sign, spoken, written, body or art).
• Application is about how we carry out physical actions,
turning thoughts or words into practical deeds
using our whole body – head, arms, hands, legs and feet.

Four linking faculties are more specific:

They are to monitor, judge, direct and create.
They link the main faculties around the outside of the model.

• Monitoring links observation and interpretation

and is about how we discern and name stuff that we take in,
identifying what is missing, and rejecting what is not needed.
• Judging links interpretation and application
and is about how we make and are controlled by rules or laws,
using these to evaluate, make decisions, or act instinctively.
• Directing links expression and application
and is about how we use knowledge already been expressed
to guide, advise, suggest, or promote future courses of action
• Creating links observation and expression
and is about how we generate new ideas, make new art forms,
create new life, and generally use our intuitive capacity.

37
 The remaining two linking faculties are distinct.
One concerns our inner ability to reflect on things
and the other is concerned with our external need to relate.

• Reflecting links interpretation and expression

and is about how we have inner dialogue, pray or meditate,
trying to discover the ultimate purpose and truth of things.
• Relating links application and observation
and is about how we establish and build relationships,
obtaining feedback and connecting with other people.

How the model can be represented

The Octaikon model can be represented by various diagrams,
and the faculties can be associated with numbers, symbols
colour, and characters, depending on what may help the user.

Different media can be used to for showing the model.

It can be printed on paper, shown on-screen, animated if appropriate,
or it can be represented in 3D tetrahedral form.

The best method of representation and media to use depends

on what idea is being studied, and the aim of learning.
All forms can be used at different ages and stages.

When and how the model can be used

The model can be introduced as early as kindergarten stage.
when wooden blocks (Okki-blocs) can help to learn about
colours, shapes and develop manual dexterity (see page 2).

These blocks can be useful whatever stage of learning

as a physical, tactile way of remembering the faculties
especially when discussing ideas in groups.

38
 During primary and secondary education, the model can be used
to remind pupils how to look after and develop their faculties.
I have experimented with several ideas for resources doing this:

• The Octaikon model is a series of ppt/pdf slides that provide a simple

explanation of the faculties, illustrated with colours and symbols.
• Test yourself is a Flash puzzle that helps memorise the Octaikon
by allowing children to build it up for themselves, dragging and dropping.
• Okki the Acrobat is a Flash animation that features a fun character,
who introduces the faculties, asks questions, and also entertains.
• All about relationships is a Flash interactive animation that allows
children/adults to explore the faculties, learning how to use them.
• Okkivista is a series of ppt/pdf slides that shows how the faculties might be used in
everyday situations; One prepared about In the Park.
• Dr Okki’s checkup is a series of ppt/pdf slides that provide keywords and questions to
focus on looking after the faculties.
• iKON is a pdf file that, printed as a booklet, mimics an iPOD
with the faculties expressed as helpful personal “apps”.
• Toby’s Tent is a short story for children in which the faculties
are cast as characters who explain themselves to a boy in a dream.
• Okki@play is a series of ppt/pdf slides that use the Octaikon diagram
and faculties as the basis for different types of learning games.
• Artoc is series of ppt/pdf slides that focus on the creative faculty,
and show how the diagram can be used to generate artistic ideas

During secondary school and beyond, the Octaikon can be used

to introduce and summarise existing ideas about ourselves,
correlating them with the faculties so as to explore similarities.

In fact, the Octaikon can be used to explore any situation.

where a person, community or nation shows a particular
behaviour, belief, or culture that may correlate with the faculties.

The method is to map the main elements of the idea

onto the diagram, showing the best “fit” with the faculties.
A coloured Octaikon is preferable to minimise confusing lines.

The resulting Okki-map can be supplemented by a summary text

bringing out key points of the idea and posing some questions,
and both map and text are then presented on a ppt/pdf slide.
Examples are given on pages 11-13

39
 A note about the text layout used in the resources

Note that in almost all Octaikon resources,

I’ve used an experimental phrase-profile text format of my own
to facilitate reading, comprehension and remembering.

In this format, text is normally centred on the page (except bullet points)
and text is word-wrapped only when there is a break in meaning.
This helps to improve speed of reading and comprehension.

In this brochure, lines have mostly been grouped in threes

to further facilitate reading (it also helped me in drafting the text)
As with the Octaikon and any new idea, be patient if it seems unusual!

I’ve produced over 100 Okki-map resources in this way

which serve as summaries and reminders of existing or new ideas.
There’s also a series of audio-visual versions of these maps
called Octaikon Maps (OM) viewable as 5min. clips on YouTube
Some of the topics are listed below, with example maps at the end.

BEHAVIOUR
How we behave according to temperament and personality types
can be closely related to the way we prefer to use our faculties
which correlate with traits, temperaments, and psychological types.

INTELLIGENCE
How we think about things, analyse, innovate, and remember
can be correlated with the faculties, as in ideas concerning
brain structure, learning styles, and problem solving.

MANAGEMENT
How we manage ourselves and others, form and work in teams
can be very closely correlated with the eight outer faculties
as in ideas of leadership types and team formation and roles.

HEALTH
Our health, well-being and ability to function as responsible people
depends on what and how much we eat, drink, take as drugs etc.
The effects can be usefully grouped and mapped onto the faculties.

SOCIOLOGY
The way we use our faculties to relate to people and society
can be critical as we go to University, become married, raise children.
The faculties can help to identify the life skills needed.

40
 PHILOSOPHY
The Octaikon can form a useful framework
in which to explore new and old ideas of body and soul,
East and West concepts, and the new idea of integral philosophy.

THEOLOGY.
The Octaikon model and faculties can help to explore
want it means to be made in the image of God,
and understand spiritual ideas and doctrines of the divine.

EVOLUTION
The faculties can form an interesting framework for exploring
how humans have evolved, what it means to be a human,
and new ideas that explain form and structure of the universe.

RELIGION
It’s reasonable to suppose that the varied forms of belief
expressed in different denominations, ways of worship or doctrines
can be correlated with the faculties believers prefer to employ.

LANGUAGE
The ability to use language is closely linked
with certain physical developments in us, and there seems to be
a key correlation between the faculties and parts of speech.

All Okki-maps start life as Powerpoint slides, so they can

be animated for presentations (as in the YouTube OM-maps).

I have also created abbreviated versions as animated GIFs.

These can be used in mobile phones or as attachments to e-mails
as an additional way of making people aware of key ideas, and
learning and remembering them when connected online.

On the next pages you will see some example slides

of Octaikon resources for teaching and learning mentioned here.

All resources described can be viewed online at the project website:

www.octaikon.co.uk
I’d be very happy to get feedback on how to develop these resources
If you would like to contact me, please write to :
amj.robbins@googlemail.com

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A page from The Octaikon Model explanation for children

An example page from Dr. Okki’s check-up

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 An example game from Okki@play

The next slides are examples taken from Okki-maps

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The Celtic Cross shape serves as an excellent reminder of the ten faculties.

And below is an example of artwork using the Octaikon (Artoc)

inspired by Jesus’ saying: “I am the vine, you are the branches”

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The Octaikon model showing colours, numbers, symbols and characters
that can be associated with the faculties
to make them

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