The first international conference on Jungian
Psychology and Chinese Culture was held in Guangzhou, China in
December,1998. My paper was among the conference papers
translated into Chinese and later published in English in Quadrant XXXI: 2 Summer 2001. An
abridged and slightly revised version is presented here.
Use of the I
Ching in the Analytic Setting
Dennis L. Merritt,
Ph.D.
For many Westerners an introduction to
Chinese culture comes through
the use of the I Ching. This
profound book, a compendium of wisdom
extending back to the roots of one of the planet’s most ancient
cultures, has become an important companion for many in the West,
including myself. Use of the I Ching
challenges the reigning scientific
paradigms in Western culture and bring a dimension to the Jungian
psychoanalytic process that is sympathetic to the deepest and truest
spirit of Jungian psychology.
In Jungian terms, one could say t the I Chingis a book
originating
from the archetypal depths of the human psyche and the psychoid
dimensions of the Self. The origins of dreams and the genesis of
hexagrams in response to questions addressed to the I Ching are
grounded in the same source. The Chinese ideogram for the sage, “the
ear listening to the Inner King,” can describe the process and goal of
Jungian psychology.
Scientists are giving ecological
perspectives more credibility, where
patterns of relationships are central. Psychoneuroimmunology research
and the statistical verifications of the power of prayer and belief
blur the distinctions between mind and matter. Our outlook on life, the
way we perceive the world, and our ability to reflect and see meaning
in experience have been shown to affect our health and physical well
being. Dreams, particular psychological approaches, certain spiritual
practices, and the I Ching
address these issues at deep and subtle
psychogenic levels where mind and matter meet (1).
Analysts are in a good position to notice
synchronistic events because
we work with dreams at an archetypal level. Synchronistic events are
usually related to archetypal constellations, often occurring around
archetypal experiences like birth, death, strong love relationships and
jealousy. Circumstantial evidence that synchronicities occur prompted
me to develop an experiment to statistically test the possibility. This
was part of my thesis (1983) at the Jung Institute in Zurich entitled
“Synchronicity Experiments with the I Ching and Their Relevance to the
Theory of Evolution.”
Synchronicity convinced Jung there was an
element of the psyche outside
time and space: space and time are relative to the psyche (3).
Incorporating the concept of synchronicity into his theoretical system
late in his life led Jung to substantially reformulate his concepts of
archetypes and the collective unconscious, putting them on a
transcendental basis. Jung thought of archetypes as forms of existence
without time and space, with the archetype per se being a
"just so"
ordering principle, an imperceptible structural element giving order to
ideas and completely
integrated with physical reality (4). Archetypes
have a psychoid nature, meaning they have both a psychic and a physical
dimension: psychic and physical are two sides of the same coin
(5). An analogy in physics would be light, that behaves as a particle
and a wave; matter (particles) and field somehow being two sides of the
same phenomena…
…The Chinese philosopher Wang Fu Ch’i
(l6l9-l692) hypothesized an
imperceptible, all embracing, psychophysical continuum similar to
Jung's concept of the psychoid archetype and the unus mundus of the
alchemists (11). This is an essential element of an indigenous world
view (12) and is integral to Chinese Taoism and Buddhist philosophy
where “all things stand in immediate relationship with each other and
with the whole” (13). Nuclear physicist David Bohm describes the world
as unfolding “in a flowing stream of manifestation from a deeper
holographic process, the implicate order...[which] itself is whole, and
the cosmos as it unfolds is whole…in the sense that each part is
connected with each other part, indeed each part enfolds, or implicitly
contains each other part” (14)…
… let us examine the appropriateness and
manner of using the I Ching in
a psychoanalytic setting. Jung became so experienced and adept at using
the I Ching personally and
with analysands that he could predict what
hexagrams he would get (15)... Given the criticism of the likes of
Richard Noll and his dismissive association of the I Ching with “New
Age fluff,” (16) a careful examination of the topic is in order.
I have a Ph.D. in the sciences (Insect
Pathology, U.C. Berkeley) and I
am a licensed mental health worker, yet I am completely comfortable
with telling people that I use the I
Ching in my analytic practice. It
is not my belief, but my experience, that it works in a profound and
helpful manner. I use it in two ways: first in an intensive,
three- hour consultation process with someone who comes for one session
with a particular problem. I spend an hour trying to decern what the
issue is and attempt to get to the most basic, appropriate question to
put to the I Ching. Knowing
what question to ask is an important part
of the therapeutic process—it is half the battle as some say. As I do
with analysands, if I feel that this person wants to use the I Ching to
short circuit a thoughtful, soul-searching wrestling with an issue, or
has not gathered enough information, I discourage consulting the I
Ching. This process of formulating the question reduces an issue
to
manageable size. Phrasing the question in eight words or less forces
one to be clear and succinct about what one’s real issue is. And I
always ask about dreams that may be relevant to the issue.
In order to help the person link the
answer from the I Ching to
particulars in his or her life, to know more precisely how the I Ching
is addressing a situation, I must get a sense of the issues and
circumstances involved. This process is similar to linking dream images
to waking life situations. Hopefully, the analyst has the advantage of
some objectivity in the process.
I then show the person how to use the
yarrow stalk method of consulting
the I Ching, and he or she
proceeds to cast a hexagram. This takes
about an hour. The yarrow stalk method is therapeutic in and of
itself: it involves a sense of ritual and reassuring repetition,
of participating in something very ancient. It is a hands-on process
accompanied by the gentle sound of rustling sticks. The process
requires just enough concentration to inhibit too intense a
concentration on one’s question-- a little like focusing on breathing
during meditation. Once one is familiar with using the yarrow, it takes
about fifteen minutes to cast a hexagram. During this time, one should
focus on the question or clear one's mind to be open to the answer. If
you don’t have fifteen minutes to cast a hexagram, you shouldn’t be
asking a question: either your question is too trivial, you haven’t
wrestled with the question long enough, or you’re not centered enough
to be receptive to the answer.
I spend the third hour going through the
answer with the person. I use
three translations that I find to be a good working combination. I
begin with the most difficult, the Wilhelm/Baynes translation. It uses
many symbols and images (17), and, as an analyst, I appreciate that a
message conveyed in this manner has great impact, but it takes some
explaining to the uninitiated. Wilhelm uses many metaphors,
symbols and analogies associated with weather, seasons, agricultural
practices and other natural phenomena. This important ecopsychological
dimension of the I Ching
helps cultivate a symbolic manner of relating
to the natural environment (18).
As one becomes more familiar with the
structural elements within the I
Ching—how comments are based on a line’s position in the
hexagram,
within a trigram, its correspondences with other lines, etc.--one gets
closer to describing interactions of the basic energies of life and the
natural world. In certain situations, the only connection I can make
between the person’s question and the answer from the I Ching is at the
purely structural level as described in part III of Wilhelm. In such
cases, every verbal description has a metaphoric base that cannot be
related to the issue being addressed. Only by going close to the most
basic level of the hexagram, like the numerical base of computers and
not the words used to program computers, can one “feel” an individual’s
situation being adequately described. The connection of lines to the
‘real world’ is hinted at by a dream I had. As I looked at different
elements in the environment in my dream, particular combinations of yin
and yang lines would form and blend into that element, hinting that
there are given, "just so,” or "obvious" metaphoric and symbolic
connections between totally abstract yin and yang combinations and
objects in the "real" world.
The second text I use is the I Ching Workbook by R. L. Wing (19). Most
people find Wing easier to work with: he is more direct than Wilhelm
and uses few metaphoric and symbolic references. In a different
description of the same material, certain aspects may be brought
to the fore that are only hinted at in other translations, aspects that
make an answer come alive for the questioner.
The third translation is Carol Anthony’s A Guide to the I Ching
(20). This book is intended to compliment Wilhelm, though many use only
her text. She is more psychological in her descriptions, talking about
"anxieties" and "fears" instead of "inferior people" for example. But
sometimes I feel she is trying to be too Eastern; too opposed to any
type of action or disinclined to attribute a problem to anything
outside of one’s own psyche.
Since I believe only very important
issues should be addressed to the I
Ching, and then only after one has wrestled with the issue for
some
time, I treat an answer as if it were a Big Dream. I photocopy
answers from the three texts so the person can re-read them and
underline parts that are particularly relevant. I encourage the person
to re-visit the answer at various intervals of time and to journal and
perhaps meditate or do an active imagination. Also consideer if dreams
relate to the answer—both past dreams and dreams received after the
consultation.
I use the same basic approach when I’m
working with an analysand. Once
the person knows how to consult the I
Ching, We may discuss a question
to ask between sessions. Usually the person will review the answer with
me at our next meeting. Generally, if the analytic process is moving
along well with dreams showing an evolution in the analysand’s psyche,
there is no need to consult the I
Ching. There are situations, however,
where using the I Ching can
become an important aspect of the analytic
work.
The I
Ching can be useful in the initial process of choosing an
analyst
with whom to work. When I was choosing an analyst in Zurich, I got
names from several people and learned as much as I could about each. I
then asked the I Ching about
working with each analyst. The lower
trigram was the same in all three answers, while the upper trigrams
varied, hinting that the lower trigram represented me and the upper
trigram the analyst in question. The particularly positive hexagram I
got about one analyst and the positive dreams I had about her helped me
decide to work with her, resulting in an analysis that pleased me. Now,
when a person consults the I Ching
about a relationship issue, I
consider how the trigrams may represent each partner.
As an analyst, I have used the I Ching to help decide whether to
take
on an analysand I have some doubts about. On occasion, when I’m in a
particularly difficult situation with an analysand, I have even
suggested the analysand ask a question about our therapeutic
relationship. The answer becomes good material to work with. The I Ching should not
replace analytic work, but supplement and augment
it.
Because Jungians work so intensively with
symbolism and imagery, we may
notice strong correlations between dream imagery assoicated with a
particular problem and images in the answers from the I Ching. A clear
example that also illustrates how the I
Ching can facilitate a good
start in the therapeutic process is the case of a male in his early 30s
who was just beginning analysis. He smoked marijuana, getting stoned
every two or three weeks, believing this facilitated psychological
insight and personal development. He dreamt before his fourth session
of a doctor his age and a nurse involved with the delivery of a baby on
the top floor of a high-rise hospital building. The baby was born dead.
The doctor told the nurse he suspected the baby was born dead because
he was stoned during the delivery.
The dream was easy to interpret and the
message was clear. "Getting
high" is a term used for smoking marijuana, that produces a soaring
feeling. The high-rise hospital building and the doctor’s confession
represent the effects of marijuana. Symbolic of new beginnings, babies
represent potential development. People often dream of having
babies or getting pregnant at the beginning of the analytic process, or
when it really starts to move. The dream clearly indicated that smoking
marijuana was counter-productive to this man's development.
Still, it was difficult for him to give up smoking because he enjoyed
it immensely. I suggested he consult the I Ching and he asked about
smoking marijuana. He got hexagram l2, Standstill (Stagnation), with no
changing lines. In this hexagram, the three upper yang lines move
upward while three lower yin lines move downward. Wilhelm's commentary
says, "Heaven and earth are out of communion and all things are
benumbed. What is above has no relation to what is below” (p. 52). In
this case, "getting high" clearly relates to the upper trigram.
People may "get high" to soar above depressive feelings, here
represented by the lower "heavy" trigram.
The connection between hexagram and dream
was clear to my patient. He
got enough of a jolt to believe that smoking marijuana was harmful to
his analytic work. He decided to stop smoking for four months; saying
"four months" rather than "forever" which seemed more possible to
accomplish. He succeeded in breaking the habit, that is more seductive
and psychologically damaging than many realize.
It is a powerful experience when such
synchronistic events happen; when
the outer seems to reflect in a meaningful way our psychological
situation. One feels "seen" by something much bigger than oneself, an
experience not to be overlooked by those interested in object relations
and self-psychology theories.
Time is often spent in analytic hours
discussing relationship issues at
work, with a spouse, a close friend or a family member. These provide
excellent questions to put to the I
Ching, but only after they have
been thoroughly discussed and analyzed. The analyst is disadvantaged in
hearing only one side of a relationship story. The I Ching may
reinforce or contradict the analyksand’s perspective. One can often
formulate several different hypotheses about a particular issue, so I
like to defer to the I Ching
to see which hypothesis it supports. I do
not entirely abide by the I Ching’s
counsel to regard its answers “to
be accepted as a key for resolution of doubts and a basis for decision”
(hexagram 4, Youthful Folly, p. 21), but I do consider the I Ching’s
input to be valuable. The I Ching
usually has the effect of
crystallizing disparate elements into a convincing position on an issue.
One might be indignant about perceived
injuries suffered in a
relationship and want to force a showdown. It would give one pause to
get hexagram 34,The Power of the Great, with a changing line in the
third place: “Making a boast of power leads to entanglements,
just as a goat entangles its horns when it butts against a hedge…an
inferior man revels in power when he comes in possession of it…the
superior man…is conscious at all times of the danger of pushing ahead
regardless of circumstances, and therefore renounces in good time the
empty display of force” (p. 135).
One may feel strongly inthe right, but
getting hexagram 6, Conflict,
informs that being right is not be sufficient for resolution of a
problem.
Conflict develops when
one feels himself to be in the right and runs
into opposition…If a man is entangled in a conflict,
his only salvation lies in being so clear-headed and
inwardly strong that he is always ready to come to terms by
meeting the opponent halfway. To carry on the
conflict to the bitter end has evil effects even
when one is right, because the enmity is then perpetuated. It is
important to see the great man, that is, an
impartial man whose authority is great enough to
terminate the conflict amicably or assure a just decision.(pp.
28-29)
The I
Ching often tells one to engage the process at hand but not
exactly what to do in that process—a task for therapy. It often advises
one to “see the great Man”, that in relationship issues can be
interpreted as seeing a marriage counselor. The challenge to be "clear
minded" is one to be taken up in therapy, and the therapist may also
help bolster the analysand’s "inner strength" to deal with the
situation. Two quite different approaches to relationship problems are
suggested within hexagram 21, Biting Through. The fourth line says,
“There are great obstacles to overcome, powerful opponents are to be
punished. Though this is arduous, the effort succeeds. But it is
necessary to be hard as metal and straight as an arrow to surmount the
difficulties. If one knows these difficulties and remains persevering,
he attains good fortun” (p. 89) Contrast this with a changing top
line that refers “to a man who is incorrigible…he is deaf to warnings.
This obstinacy leads to misfortune.” (ibid)
The I
Ching can facitate the development of a
psychological perspective on relationships. One deeply wounded person
usually marries another deeply wounded person and their ways of dealing
with the wounds and the resulting character formations compliments the
partner in the early stages of the relationship. As the years go on,
the complement of assertiveness,for example, from one partner may
become dominance. When working with the dominated spouse, it can be
made clear that his partner is the latest example of a domiantor in his
life: if he divorced he likely would find another partner or life
situation to be dominated by. However, making it seem that the spouse
is not the main source of oppression may leave the analysand feeling
abandoned. Not every analysis can help a person transform under what
are potentially intense learning situations. The analogy I use is
one from the martial arts: proof that one is centered and grounded
(translate as being in good relationship with the Self) lies is how
well one battles a deadly opponent. The life-and-death nature of
most difficult struggles in life necessitates being focused and
centered. Usually the I Ching
counsels not to disengage. Analysands
often do not fully experience the depth of this alchemical message
until they engage in intense retreat-like meditative processes. The I
Ching’s perspective and advice can help maintain an
alchemical
container in which deep transformation can occur. It can help one
persevere long after the ego is ready to jump ship and move on.
The I
Ching also can be helpful when working with someone feeling
lost,
confused, depressed or disoriented. Getting hexagrams like 47,
Oppression (Exhaustion); 28, Preponderance of the Great; 36, Darkening
of the Light or 51; or The Arousing (Shock, Thunder) can generate in
the beleaguered analysand a reassuring sense that their difficult
situation is acknowledged and understood by a transcendent source. The I Ching offers
guidance that enables one to learn valuable life and
spiritual lessons from every experience. This helps the troubled
analysand muster up the the courage to go into the darkness and
seriously engage the forces within. It is difficult to accept that some
situations cannot be changed, or that nothing can be done right now and
one simply has to endure, persevere, survive, and wait for a better
time. A basic philosophical element in the I Ching is echoed in the
Biblical statement in Ecclesiastes: "For everything there
is a season.” The I Ching
often describes a situation as being a
valuable lesson in endurance and perseverance so one feels one is doing
something worthwhile just to get through it! Typical is a
statement in hexagram 39, Obstruction: “An obstruction that lasts
only for a time is useful for self-development. This is the value
of adversity.” (pp. 151-152) When unable to affect an outer situation,
the I Ching often counsels to
go into oneself, to examine and
strengthen one’s character and abide one’s time--a period of inner
refinement.
The I
Ching can be used appropriately for the major life issues dealt
with in analysis—job choices, career changes, moving, spiritual paths,
etc. For example, a woman wrestling with an extremely difficult
divorce situation was shown how to use the I Ching. That night she
dreamed: “I’m in some village and feeling disoriented. Someone gave me
a roadmap.” The I Ching’s
answers are like the first crystal to form in
a supernatant solution— subsequently everything quickly
crystallized. Even difficult, negative answers are useful as
grist for the analytic mill, best illustrated by the title and content
of hexagram l8, Work on What has Been Spoiled (Decay).
The I
Ching is particularly valuable in psychoanalytic trainin;, a
difficult and tricky process. A trainee has to plunge deeply into his
or her unconscious, yet be exposed to, and evaluated by, others who
assess the trainee’s psychological development, stability and
suitability for being an analyst. When I trained in Zurich, a trainee
could be asked to leave at any time without explanation. Much is
at stake, for a trainee invests a considerable amoun of ego and a lot
of time and energy into the training. Ugly, messy situations can
develop in training programs, and hard feelings may be generated on
both sides. It may feel as if one’s very soul and sanity are at stake
(21). I have helped several trainees use the I Ching for dealing
with these situations, and helped analysts who are at odds with Jungian
"institutions.” The I Ching
can offer insight and moral rectitude that
enables an individual to stand up to an unjust policy or an entire
institution.
The I
Ching is invaluable in helping to frame an issue and to know
what
is going on at a deep, holistic level. Its framing and guidance enables
one to be fully in the moment—a goal in Eastern religions and in depth
psychology. Advice is given as if from a kindly, wise
person who has your well-being in mind. Contrast this with a divinatory
system like the Tarot whose powerful images and more subjective
interpretation can be overwhelming.
One’s personal issue is presented in the I Ching in a metaphoric,
symbolic and archetypal framework—a very Jungian process. When
one appreciates that the I Ching
has been used by millions of people
for millennia for a multitude of situations, one begins to see how
personal issues are unique and a personal experience of cosmic
themes. A powerful way of doing this is to link dream images to
hexagram images, metaphors and structural descriptions of the
hexagrams. A combination of dream work and working with hexagrams gives
one a sense of how dream images and associations express archetypal
themes. An archetype is like a crystal, each facet illustrating how the
archetype would look were it presented here as a political situation,
there as a military tactic, elsewhere as a weather formation, etc.
Wilhelm's translation in particular helps to cultivate an archetypal
sense. As mentioned earlier, the I Ching’s agricultural,
weather and seasonal analogies can contribute towards developing
a symbolic way of relating to our environment, an ecopsychological
perspective, and cultivation of a sense of place.
Are there reasons for not using the I Ching in the analytic setting?
Naturally, this would be so if the analyst is not familiar with the I
Ching and does not have a personal connection with it. Then, I
would
hope that analyst would find some other symbolic, oracular system. The I Ching may seem
too strange or many analysands, thereby undermining
their trust in the analyst if its use was suggested. To others it may
seem un-Christian. The most common danger is that it is used too soon,
and not intelligently. Use of the I
Ching is counterproductive if it
short-circuits self-exploration and the development of personally
meaningful ways of relating to the unconscious. Jung used the I Ching
less in later life, saying that he preferred to walk in the dark and
see if the waters of the unconscious would support him. Bear in
mind the advice given in hexagram 4, Youthful Folly: “If
mistrustful or unintelligent questioning is kept up, it serves only to
annoy the teacher. He does well to ignore it in silence, just as
the oracle gives one answer only and refuses to be tempted by questions
implying doubt.” (p. 21)
The West has been given a precious gift
by China in the form of the I
Ching. I hope the Jungian community does not lose sight of the
similarity between the world view and wisdom of the I Ching and
essential elements of Jungian theory and practice. A fruitful
exchange between Jungians and Chinese scholars could serve as a
synergistic cross-pollination between two cultures, using the I Ching
as the bridge for a mutual consideration of some of humankind’s
most profound questions.
Notes and References
1. Dennis Merritt. 1988. “Jungian
Psychology and
Science: A Strained Relationship.” The
Analytic Life. Sigo Press:
Boston. pp. 11-31.
2. Dennis Merritt (in preparation). Synchronicity, the I
Ching and the Evolution of Life.
3. Carl G. Jung. l955. "Synchronicity: An Acausal Connection
Principle." In The Collected Works of
C. G. Jung (hereafter called CW).
Vol. 8. 2nd edition. R. F. C. Hull trans. H. Read, M. Fordham, G. Adler
and W. McGuire eds. Bollingen Series XX.
Princeton University Press: Princeton, NJ. pp. 417-531.
4. Liliane Frey-Rohn. 1974. From
Freud to Jung. F. E. Engreen and
E. K. Engreen trans. Dell Publishing Co: New York. pp. 293-294.
CW 8, par. 964
…
11. Marie-Louise von Franz. 1975. C. G. Jung—His Myth in Our
Time. William Kennedy trans. Hodder and Stoughton: London. pp.
245-246.
12. Ralph Metzner. 1993. “The Split Between Spirit and Nature in
Western
Consciousness." Noetic Sciences
Review. Spring ed. pp. 5-9.
13. Alan Combs. 1982. “Synchronicity: A Synthesis of Western
Theories and Eastern Perspective.” Re-Vision--A
Journal of
Consciousness and Change. Spring l982 (5) 1. p. 20.
14. ibid. p. 25.
15. von Franz, 1975, p. ll7.
16. Richard Noll. 1994. The
Jung Cult—Origins of a Charismatic
Movement. Princeton University Press: Princeton. 387
pp.
Noll on the Internet asked why Jungian analysts “don’t speak out in
public about the activities of your colleagues that you find so
repugnant? You certainly do so in private, and even to me. “Well, I
don’t do astrology in my practice, it’s THOSE people”—that kind of
thing...Are you so “tolerant” of your colleagues’ “individuality” that
you allow explicit religious promises, New Age mysticism and divinatory
practices (aura reading, I Ching, astrology) to be done in the name of
“Jungian analysis”? And so where does it leave the rest of you—the
so-called “serious analysts” with MDs and Ph.D.s in clinical psychology
or MSW’s in psychiatric social work, etc.—who wish to maintain a
professional identity SEPARATE from your New Age colleagues? It’s about
time the public has a clear account of what you all believe, why you
believe it, and why you are not a New Age religion.” Matthew W.
Clapp, 06:57 PM ll/23/97, JungNet: December.
17. Richard Wilhelm. 1967. The
I Ching or Book of Changes. 3rd
ed. Cary F. Baynes trans. Bollingen
Series XIX. Princeton University Press: Princeton. 740 pp.
All hexagram titles and references used in this article are from the
Wilhelm/Baynes translation. Hereafter only page numbers from this book
will be listed in the text.
An ostracized sage from the old school, Lau Nai Suan, introduced
Wilhelm to Chinese yoga and philosophy and the psychology of the I
Ching. He collaborated with Wilhelm in making his excellent translation
(C. G. Jung. 1965. Memories, Dreams,
Reflections. Aniela Jaffe ed.
Vintage Books: New York. p. 375). Jung began using the I Ching in l9l9
and met Richard Wilhelm, who became a friend, a few years later. He
praised Wilhelm’s openness and “miracle of empathy...which enabled him
to make the intellectual treasure of China accessible to Europe.”
(ibid.)
Jung stated: “One must have a far-reaching psychological understanding
in order to enjoy the I Ching to advantage.” (C. G. Jung Letters. Vol.
1. 1906-l950. Gerhard A. Adler ed. Princeton University Press:
Princeton, NJ. p.139).
18. Dennis Merritt (in preparation). The Dairy Farmer’s
Guide to the Universe—Jung, Hermes and Ecopsychology.
19. R. L. Wing. l979. The I
Ching Workbook. Doubleday and Co:
Garden City, NY. 180 pp.
20. Carol K. Anthony. 1988. A
Guide to the I Ching. 3rd ed.
Anthony Publishing Co: Stow, MA. 314 pp.
21. Robert Stein. I974. Incest
and Human Love—the Betrayal of the
Soul in Psychotherapy. Penguin Books: Baltimore. 200
pp.
e-mail: DLMerritt@cal.berkeley.edu
Telephone: Madison: (608)
255-9330 ext. 5
Milwaukee:
(414) 332-7400
Fax:
(608)
255-7810
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