Walter J Geldart
Issue 2
July 2017
This article summaries the EPIC model predictions for coupling
between functions associated with the popular MBTI (Myers-
Briggs Type Indicator). The MBTI indicator was designed to test
Jung’s psychological concepts about function-types and attitude-
types. It indicates a person’s choice for either pole of four MBTI
dichotomous preference pairs shown on the left.
The EPIC mathematical model predicts 4 subroutines with 4
cooperating functions that map to each of the 4 MBTI preference
pairs. This gives new insight into the more complex 4-letter MBTI
preference type because the subroutine contributions to all 8
preferences are identified and can be calculated. All preferences
have a dominant 1st order function but all are coupled by a 2nd
order function whose contribution is 10% of the dominant. A
person’s preferred functions are often not the same ones needed
for different work, family, and play situations. This presents
enormous problems in explaining a person’s preferred vs situational
choices. The EPIC model solves this problem because a person
may use any of 3 contextual modes that have 4 subroutines.
Significantly the mathematical model predicts mutually exclusive
or dichotomous relations assumed by Jung and MBTI.
1
Consciousness and the MBTI
I Introversion
Extraversion E
S Sensing
Intuition N
T Thinking
Feeling F
P Perception
Judgment J
The 4 Dichotomous
MBTI Preferences
The Journal of Consciousness and Personality
Walter J Geldart
Issue 2
July 2017
The EPIC Modes and their four Subroutines
The EPIC model holds 10 functions of consciousness in hexagon
geometry space shown below. All 10 functions are used in three
mutually exclusive Actuality, Potentiality, and Rationality modes of
consciousness. Each mode shown on the left contains three
different subroutines and one common intention subroutine for
continuity of purpose when moving between modes. The color
codes white, blue, red, orange, yellow and green signify Attention,
Thinking, Feeling, Imagination, Intuition, and Sensation functions.
Actuality - We are engaged in the Actuality mode when we are
doing something practical in the here and now that is accompanied
by physical motion of some part of our body. We reach a Goal
when we use some means or tool to achieve an end that was
originally only an idea or image in our mind. The Relation
between the Goal and the practical needs, likes, and dislikes of
other people who have an interest in the outcome should be
discussed. Any particular Goal must be allowed by rules or
Standards in the Rationality mode, otherwise someone is
breaking the law. The Action can begin and continue until some
milestone its reached even if it is not yet finished. A new bridge
2
A
Fr
Sr
Tr
Ss
M
Nr
Ts
Fs
Ns
Rationality
A Sr Ss Ns Tr Fr M Nr Ts Fs
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Potentiality
A Tr Fr M Nr Ts Fs Sr Ss Ns
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Actuality
A Nr Ts Fs Sr Ss Ns Tr Fr M
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Ten functions are mapped to
4 subroutines in 3 mutually
exclusive modes. Attention
is in position 0, but Ns, M, or
Fs may be in position 9.
Actuality
Relation
Goal
Action
Intention
M Fr A Nr or M Nr A Fr
M Tr A Ts or M Ts A Tr
M Sr A Ss or M Ss A Sr
M Fs A Ns or M Ns A Fs
Rationality
Standard
Reaction
Reflection
Intention
Fs Tr A Fr or Fs Fr A Tr
Fs Nr A Ss or Fs Ss A Nr
Fs Sr A Ts or Fs Ts A Sr
Fs Ns A M or Fs M A Ns
Potentiality
Concept
Progress
Adapt
Intention
Ns Nr A Ts or Ns Ts A Nr
Ns Fr A Sr or Ns Sr A Fr
Ns Tr A Ss or Ns Ss A Tr
Ns M A Fs or Ns Fs A M
Walter J Geldart
Issue 2
July 2017
over the Hudson River takes years to design, construct, and
operate for the public. But workers must stop daily to eat, sleep,
and handle unexpected problems. Even for as simple a Goal as
filling a glass with water to drink at the kitchen sink, a person must
pay attention to what's happening now so the water does not
overflow. Then they can say their work is finished and it is OK.
The imagination function M appears in all 4 Actuality subroutines.
The Action subroutine holds two Sensation functions (Sr and Ss),
and the Goal subroutine holds two Thinking functions (Tr and Ts).
Two Intuition functions (Nr and Ns) and two Feeling functions (Fr
and Fs) are in Concepts and Standards subroutines in other modes.
Rationality - We are in the Rationality mode when we pause
intentionally from doing some work and ask ourselves is it OK ?
We may be surprised by something startling or unexpected, a loud
thunderclap outside at night, a malfunctioning computer, and we
feel a Reaction immediately in our body. The coffee jar is empty
in the morning, so how do you get your necessary cup of coffee?
These reactions grab our attention and we have some time for
Reflection on the situation. The landmark of rationality is
achieved with Jung’s rational Thinking and Feeling functions for
judgment. The subjective Feeling function appears in all four
subroutines and may doubt or trust objects on which attention is
placed. If an unidentified perceived or imagined object can be
given a name from the Standards list of previously experienced
events stored in memory, then doubt and anxiety vanishes, and
trust and confidence returns. The rational Thinking function for
real objects in the Standards and subjective objects in Reflection
subroutines can only do inductive or deductive reasoning. Rational
judgment cannot jump out of a rational box with intuitive leaps of
insight. This is provided by intuition in the Concept subroutine of
the Potentiality mode.
Potentiality - We are in the Potentiality mode when we are not
moving here and now to achieve a goal in the Actuality mode, or
not rationally considering why things are not as they should be in
the Rationality mode. We are in the Potentiality mode while we
wake up from a night’s sleep in bed. William James wondered how
to get out of bed on a cold winter morning with other verbal or
visual images competing for attention in his mind. The Potentiality
mode is the cradle of creativity. It has 4 subroutines and each one
3
I Introversion
A Intent
A Reflection
A Reaction
A Standard
Extraversion E
S Sensing
Ss Reaction
Sr Reflection
Intuition N
Ns Intention
Nr Reaction
T Thinking
Tr Standard
Ts Reflection
Feeling F
Fs Intention
Fs Reflection
Fs Reaction
Fs Standard
Fr Standard
P Perception
Ss Reaction
Nr Reaction
Judgment J
Tr Standard
Fs Standard
I Introversion
A Intention
A Relation
A Goal
A Action
Extraversion E
M Intention
M Relation
M Goal
M Action
S Sensing
Ss Action
Sr Action
Intuition N
Ns Intention
Nr Relation
T Thinking
Tr Goal
Ts Goal
Feeling F
Fs Intention
Fr Relation
P Perception
Ss Action
Nr Relation
Judgment J
Tr Goal
Fs Intention
MBTI Preferences and 1st
place functions in subroutines
of the Actuality mode
MBTI Preferences and 1st
place functions in subroutines
of the Rationality mode
Walter J Geldart
Issue 2
July 2017
has subjective intuition for insight and understanding. You hold
the image of the form to be created or the practical work to be
done in your mind using the Intention subroutine. This future
possibility might be actualized in the same place where you now
stand or sit, in which case you can direct your attention to the
work and begin to do it now. If you are imagining doing it 24 hours
from now and 100 miles from your present location, there is no
way it can be done now, so the mental activity is pure imagination,
day dreaming, or fantasy. A missing piece of evidence about real
objects may lead to an intuitive Concept about the problem. This
piece may then be understood as Progress and so a decision to
continue to make progress using the Adapt subroutine is justified.
The imaginative activity in the Potentiality mode may operate
briefly as a momentary background process to improve results in
an ongoing Actuality mode. Care should be taken to drive a car
safely at 60 mph with attention on the road to avoid filling
working memory capacity with day dreaming or text messaging.
On the other hand, background mental surfing and cruising in the
Potentiality mode may be helpful and completely safe in the
Rationality mode when questions about previous Actuality mode
results need answers. Then it is helpful for a person to pause, stop
moving, and place their attention on the question to be answered.
The Couplings in Modes and between Modes
The tabulated EPIC subroutines on the left show that couplings
exist between perception and judgment functions (ST, SF, NF, or
NT) in the same mode and between opposite perception (S vs N)
or opposite judgment (T vs F) functions in mutually exclusive
modes. The complementary opposite whole S vs N functions are
coupled between Actuality and Potentiality modes with Sensation
(Sr and Ss) in the Action subroutine and Intuition (Nr and Ns) in
the Concept subroutine. The complementary opposite whole T vs
F functions are coupled between Actuality and Rationality modes
with Thinking in the Goal subroutine and Feeling in the Standards
subroutine. The two Jungian-Jamesian intentionality functions (A
and M) add dynamic interpersonal and intrapersonal movement.
Visual or verbal imagery M couples the whole S and the whole T
functions, and the extraverted NF functions in the Actuality mode.
Imagination couples all 3 modes via the Intention subroutine.
4
MBTI Preferences and 1st
place functions in subroutines
of the Potentiality mode
The ST, SF, NF, NT pairs and
the S vs N and T vs F whole
functions are coupled via
imagination
I Introversion
A Intention
A Adjust
A Progress
A Concept
Extraversion E
S Sensing
Ss Adjust
Sr Progress
Intuition N
Ns Intention
Ns Adapt
Ns Progress
Ns Concept
Nr Concept
T Thinking
Tr Adapt
Ts Concept
Feeling F
Fs Intention
Fr Progress
P Perception
Judgment J
Actuality
Relation
Goal
Action
Intention
M ST SF NF NT A
M NrFr A
M T A
M S A
M NsFs A
Rationality
Standards
Reaction
Reflection
Intention
M ST SF NF NT A
Tr F A
SsFs NrFs A
SrTs SrFs A
M NsFs A
Potentiality
Concept
Progress
Adapt
Intention
M ST SF NF NT A
NTs A
SrFr NsFr A
SsTr NsTr A
M NsFs A
Walter J Geldart
Issue 2
July 2017
Implications for MBTI Practice
Jung expressed the view that a predictive mathematical model was
needed for psychology to become an objective science not based
on subjective opinions. The EPIC predictive mathematical model
is assumed to be valid because it predicts empirical results that
have been found by independent researchers such as James
Reynierse in MBTI Personality Preferences studies and Robert
McCrae and Paul Costa in NEOAC Five Factor Trait studies.
The mathematical prediction of three mutually exclusive
psychological modes of consciousness that emerge in a system of
10 functions in working memory during an event is important and
surprising. First, several strings of four functions are predicted
and this is an exact fit to model Jung’s 4 function theory. Second,
the EPIC mathematical strings predict the Jungian complementary
opposites that are operationalized empirically by the MBTI.
MBTI complementary opposites were found by Five-Factor
researchers when the dichotomous MBTI preference scales were
compared with the unidirectional Five-Factor scales. Third, it
predicts that the bipolar pairs exist whether or not they are
measured with a dichotomous or continuous scale. Fourth, it
confirms empirical findings by the researchers that the MBTI type
dynamics hypothesis for the 4-letter preference types is incorrect
in general. EPIC predicts some 1st and 2nd order functions have a
different attention direction but other function pairs have the
same. The mathematical predictions and empirical results show
this hypothesis is only valid approximately 50% of the time. Fifth,
MBTI includes the J-P preference pair that accounts for a person’s
behavior at work or play in a public interdependent interpersonal
world. Sixth, Jung’s 8 function model needs 2 additional
functions of attention and imagination to model action at work or
play, otherwise it only an intrapersonal model without means of
communicating with another people. Seventh, the EPIC 10-
function model describes how a person can pay attention to and
experience what it is like to play a role in subroutines of the
Actuality, Rationality, or Potentiality modes. Eighth, the 10
mathematically predicted subroutines make it possible to calculate
the entire profile for a person’s 8 MBTI preferences in 3 different
modes. This accomplishes Jung’s goal for a scientific theory of
psychology where mathematical predictions replace opinions.
5
A future issue of
Consciousness and
Personality will
explore the Five-
Factor Model of
Personality Traits
Walter J Geldart
Issue 2
July 2017
Ninth, it confirms the validity of John Beebe’s 8-function model
of consciousness. Beebe emphasizes that these are types of
consciousness not types of people. The psychological functions
exist within the conscious or unconscious mind and can be
experienced by a conscious person if particular functions are
differentiated. Beebe’s definitions of the functions are excellent in
his new book Energies and Patterns in Psychological Type. He gives
three levels of verbs for each function as experienced by an
attentive person but goes on whenever possible to elaborate on the
experience of engaging each specific function over and over so that
the reader does “get it” without using a pencil and paper indicator.
Yet introverted feeing and introverted sensation are acknowledged
to be the most difficult to get a handle on.
The EPIC mathematical model predicts why any functional
changes are tricky to observe and identify. Jung’s 8 perception and
judgment functions plus the 2 Jungian-Jamesian intentionality
functions never exist in isolation but in combination with other
functions as they emerge in time sequence. The functions actually
live in 10 family units of 4 functions each that are assigned to the
three mutually exclusive Potentiality, Actuality, and Rationality
modes of consciousness that were discussed on pages 2, 3, and 4.
Beebe spines and arms (Nr vs Ss plus the Tr vs Fs) exist in the
Rationality mode’s Reaction or Standards subroutine. The Beebe
spines or arms (Ns vs Sr) exist in the Potentiality Mode’s Progress
subroutine. The spines or arms (Ts vs Fr) exist in the coupling
between Concepts and Progress in the Potentiality mode.
The Actuality mode is engaged in active on-line active experience
in the world, while the Potentiality and Rationality modes are
passive off-line modes. It is significant for Beebe’s model that the
1st and 5th positions for both the Sensation and Thinking
functions are only a “stones throw” away from each in the Action
and Goal subroutines because both pairs of differentiated
functions are mediated by imagination M which can be an auxiliary
function for both of them.
The 3 mutually exclusive modes are synchronized by imagination,
introverted intuition, introverted feeling and attention in the
Intention subroutine which is an introverted Ns Fs pairing with
imagination. Yet, there is doubly extraverted Nr Fr pairing with
imagination in the Relations subroutine of the Actuality mode.
6
A future issue of
Consciousness and
Personality will
explore the Theory of
Mind (ToM) model of
Cognitive Psychology
