The Octagram Cycle

1. Peak: survive and thrive ←> SD
2. Recession and Depression: encounter setbacks ←> UF
3. Trough: rock bottom ←> UD
4. Recovery and Expansion: do the Work ←> SF

• If you’re below the line, you’re UD.
• If you’re above the line, you’re SD.

You know how roughly every 5 years, you look back on your past self and think “damn I was such an idiot back then”? Maybe the completion of another octagram cycle is the reason why. You go through the cycle and learn and grow, ascending to the next “tier” of challenges and start all over again.

The completion of an octagram “cycle” implies growth and the ability to tackle new, harder problems in your life, so if you haven’t grown enough to tackle your current challenges, you will be stuck there until you can, at which point you’ll move on to the next phase.

If progress is tied to a full cycle, though, what is the progress towards? Progress toward full cognitive integration of the 4 sides of one’s mind. Possibly also known as Enlightenment, non-duality, etc.