Ihrekhunciünen | Preparation

Ihrekhunciünen (pronounced: ih-ray-khun-chyoonen) is the practice of adjusting the ihre. It is the preparation of the room and its atmosphere as well as our selves and our presence, all of which is done mindfully in order to create the desired ihre.

The word 'ihrekhunciünen' literally means 'ihre-adjusting'. It is adjusting the atmosphere of a place (the römihre) from whatever it may be to whatever you desire it to be. However, it is also adjusting the presence of ourselves (the zonihre) to match the desired römihre. As such the process of ihrekhunciünen is to be done mindfully, being aware of our ardt and what we are currently projecting (ütbaden). Thus, ihrekhunciünen is not only the preparation of the room for the desired purpose, but also the preparation of our selves.

Explanation

By practising ihrekhunciünen, we are able to alter the atmosphere of a place to convey whatever it is that we want ourselves and others to inbaden and thereby affect our ardt, and vice versa. Accordingly, it is also then whatever kind of ihre we want to let off into the atmospheres of other places and to other people.

Ihrekhunciünen then is a good practice to do in preparation for ardzýn or vitren or any other form of spiritual, meditative, or contemplative practice. Changing the atmosphere around us helps us get into the right mindset to practice with more efficacy. Ihrekhunciünen may also be practised for nonspiritual reasons such as setting an atmosphere for a dinner party, a spa day, a counselling session, or simply when spending time alone or with others.

The theory behind the practice of ihrekhunciünen is different to the theory behind the reason for ihrekhunciünen. The theory behind the reason can be found in the Notions section, especially the Notions of baden, the ihre, and the ardt. The theory behind the practice of ihrekhunciünen itself though, is presented below.

This theory mainly deals with the adjustment of the römihre. When it comes to adjusting the zonihre, the practice of ihrekhunciünen is really about allowing ourselves to be mindful of what we are projecting onto the atmosphere around us (the römihre) and thereby unto others. The process of adjusting our zonihre is something which is achieved through the other Kibtisk practices of ardzýn and vitren, and is best understood through the Notion of baden (also see the practice of ihrabaden).

Theory

Definitions

When it comes to discussing the process of ihrekhunciünen we are forced to examine the concept of the ihre more closely, both römihre and zonihre.

But first let's review those two words: römihre literally means 'room-ihre' or 'room-atmosphere', and refers to the atmosphere of the room as perceived as a "vibe" or "energy" in the air. Kibtisk thought doesn't view ihre as something spiritual in the same way that "vibe" and "energy" are understood and so it relies on the Kibtisk word ihre instead, but hopefully that gives you an idea of what is meant by the word. Römihre is best defined as 'atmosphere'

Zonihre then, means 'person-ihre', or 'person-vibe', 'person-energy', 'person-presence', even 'aura', although without the spiritual connotations that those English words bring. It is the ihre that a person lets off or projects: their demeanour.

By examining the concept of ihre closely, it appears that there are various things which work in combination to create the ihre. For example, the reason the atmosphere of a place may feel a certain way may be due to a number of factors. Similarly, the reason the vibe a person lets off is perceived as it is is also due to a variety of factors. These factors, all of which combine to form an ihre, are known as ihrkes (literally ihre-pieces). Naturally, these are specified as römihrkes and zonihrkes respectively, but there is overlap between the two because ultimately, ihre is one concept which has two sides. Römihre and zonihre are two sides of the same coin.

Therefore, there are terms in this article that you will meet again and again, and so it is worth learning their definitions now:

• ihre = atmosphere/vibe

• ihrke = piece of an atmosphere/vibe; ihre-piece

• römihre = room's atmosphere/vibe; room-ihre

• römihrke = piece of a room's atmosphere/vibe; room-ihre-piece

• zonihre = person's atmosphere/vibe; person-ihre

• zonihrke = piece of a person's atmosphere/vibe; person-ihre-piece

There are also other terms that are used frequently below, which have been defined on their own pages, but we will revisit their definitions now:

• ardt = inner-self; soul; heart; mind; psyche

• ardstat = state of mind; state of ardt

• baden = to absorb and project; to receive and give off

• inbaden = to absorb; to receive

• ütbaden = to project; to give off

With those definition in place let's look at the ihrkes in more detail.

The Ihrkes

As discussed above, the ihre has components which combine to form the ihre. This is true of both römihres and zonihres, but as we go throughout our discussion of the process of ihrekhunciünen we will become increasingly specific, so this section is going to split them into their respective groups, starting with römihrkes.

Kibtisk thought recognises the following römihrkes:

• lighting

• sounds/background noise

• scent

• placement

• body language, facial expression (if people are in the room)

The extent to which these five römihrkes affect the ihre and therefore need to be altered depends on the circumstances.

The zonihrkes as understood by Kibtisk thought are as follows:

• body language

• facial expression

• tone of voice

• positioning

• ardstat

Body Language & Facial Expression: The Overlapping Ihrkes

You will notice that body language and facial expressions are present in both lists. This is because the first thing we notice about an ihre is how the people present are affected by it and are affecting it. We as humans naturally notice how others behave in any given situation as a gauge for what is happening.

The first thing that we recognise is the body language of the people already in the room. From this ihrke, most of us are able to discern relatively quickly what the atmosphere (ihre) is in that room: tense, relaxed, intimate etc.

For example, if two people have just had an argument and then you walk into the room, even without them saying anything you'll be able to sense in the atmosphere (in the römihre) that an argument has just taken place. You will mainly be able to tell this by their body language and facial expressions, but the experience may be likened to you sensing something in the air. "You could cut the tension with a knife!" you may say.

Similarly, if one of those two people arguing left the room and came into the same room as you, they would shift the atmosphere of the room upon entry due to their zonihre. You would sense from them that an argument had just taken place by what they are projecting (ütbaden) from their zonihre into the römihre.

Therefore, the most important ihrkes for both the zonihre and the römihre are the body language and facial expression of the people who are doing baden within that ihre.

The Römihrkes: Light, Sound, Scent, and Placement

But even if there are no people in the room to affect the römihre, the other four römihrkes will still work to set the atmosphere.

Imagine you walk into your bathroom: the light is on brightly, the extractor fan is roaring, the air is relatively stagnant, the shelves could do with a bit of organising and the tub needs a clean. The römihrkes of light, sound, scent, and placement have still affected the atmosphere of that bathroom, making it an unpleasant atmosphere.

Now imagine the exact same bathroom, and you walk in: the light is off and scented candles are lit, there's no sound other than soft meditative music, the scent from the candles fills the air, and everything has been cleaned and tidied ready to relax. The four römihrkes have again contributed to make the ihre of the bathroom a relaxing, pleasant place to be.

The combination of the other four ihrkes of light, sound, scent, and placement all have an effect on the kind of atmosphere/ambience/ihre which is being conveyed and received via inbaden.

If this sounds obvious to you, good! All Kibtisk thought does is express in a new way what we already intuitively understand. The practice of ihrekhunciünen is not new, it is innate; but doing it intentionally and mindfully in order to benefit our inner-selves and those of others' is the unique element which is what makes the process instrumental to the Kibtisk Way.

The Zonihrkes: Tone of Voice, Positioning, and Ardstat

The other zonihrkes which have not been discussed yet are tone of voice, positioning, and the ardstat (state of the ardt).

The first of these is somewhat obvious: the tone a person uses when speaking, in addition to the volume, contribute to their overall demeanour and indicate what is currently going on within them. Simply put, they are emotional expressions in the same way the body language and facial expressions are, which have already been discussed. So there isn't much to add in terms of tone of voice.

Positioning however, is a much more nuanced zonihrke. Whilst this is similar to the zonihrke of body language, there is a slight difference. Positioning as a zonihrke refers to how and where a person has positioned themselves and what that indicates about their zonihre. For example, a person who positions themselves close to the door may indicate that they wish to leave the room.

This nuanced zonihrke is projected into the römihre and may also serve as a römihrke too, albeit subtly. Other examples of positioning being reflective of a person's zonihre are: distancing themselves from the group, putting themselves in the centre of the room, or making sure that they are always facing a certain thing/person.

The final zonihrke is the idea of the ardstat. This can roughly be understood as 'state of mind' or 'emotional state'. It literally means the state of the ardt. This is by far the most nuanced and subtle of the zonihrkes, but is nevertheless still a contributing factor. The extent to which one is able to recognise the ardstat of a person as an indicator of their zonihre depends upon how well one knows that person (or alternatively how well one knows that zonihre).

Because what is in the ardt is naturally projected outwards (ütbaden) into the zonihre and thereby into the römihre, the state of the ardt does have an effect on the zonihre and can therefore be considered a zonihrke. Usually the state of mind affects the zonihre by way of body language, facial expression, and other zonihrkes which we have already examined. We can tell how someone is feeling based on these things intuitively. However, the state of the ardt can be a zonihrke independent of these other things, and as mentioned, the ability to recognise this depends on how well you know the person or their ardstat. There is a certain level of intuition that means that people can recognise the ardstat without accessing the other zonihrkes.

So, those are the other zonihrkes. Now we will examine how the practice of ihrekhunciünen works in light of all of this.

Practice

Adjust the Ihrke, Adjust the Ihre

The practice of ihrekhunciünen is literally the practice of adjusting the ihre. Since we have seen that the ihre is in fact made up of many different factors (ihrkes), it stands to reason that the method by which we practise ihrekhunciünen is by adjusting these factors. We adjust the ihre but adjusting the ihrkes.

Adjusting the Overlapping Ihrkes

Going from what we have come to understand about the overlapping ihrkes of body language and facial expression, it stands to reason that the most effective way of shifting both the atmosphere of a room and the vibe people give off is for them to change their body language and facial expression. Ideally this would be done as a result of a shift in their ardstat, especially when adjusting the ihre for reasons pertaining to spiritual practice.

Taking a moment to compose ourselves and return to a good mindset can help relieve any tensions felt in the atmosphere as well as within our zonihres. Again, this is something which is done in day-to-day to life intuitively (picture a meeting in which the chairperson suggests taking five due to tensions getting high).

The most effective way to practice ihrekhunciünen then is to adjust the overlapping ihrkes of body language and facial expression. This ideally would be done via a change of ardstat, but things such as taking a break, five minutes of mindful-breathing, a short walk, a glass of water etc. can all work. Anything which enables us to 'reset' and change our body language can adjust both the zonihre and römihre which great efficacy.

Adjusting the Römihrkes

Returning to our previous analogy of the bathroom, the römihre is not entirely dependent on the zonihres of the people within the room, but can be affected by the state of the room itself. The remaining römihrkes of light, sound, scent, and placement all have an effect on the römihre too. Again, this is something intuitive to us all.

Therefore, adjusting the lighting, the sounds, the scents, and the placement of objects in a room can have a massive impact of its ihre. Indeed, within Kibtisk thought, this is a contributing factor to things like spa-culture, fine-dining, religious rituals, and meditation; all of them have an underlying awareness of the importance of adjusting these four römihrkes to create the intended atmosphere (whether it be relaxing or solemn) in order to do the intended activity.

Something as simple as tidying up, putting on some calming music, and lighting a scented candle can be surprisingly effective and can change one's ardstat as one absorbs (inbaden) the newly adjusted ihre.

Adjusting the Zonihrkes

Similarly then, in the same way that adjusting the römihrkes changes the ihre of a room which we then inbaden and have affect both our zonihre and our ardstat, the reverse is also true. Our ardstat and zonihre can have an effect on the ihre of a room via what we ütbaden. By adjusting the zonihrkes therefore, we can change the zonihre and thereby the römihre.

This has already been mentioned when we discussed the overlapping ihrkes of body language and facial expressions: a little something to change both of those can be effective in changing our zonihre and the römihre, and the same is true of our tone of voice.

Additionally, how and where we position ourselves can have an effect on both our zonihre and the römihre in the same way: intentionally positioning ourselves in a place which has the effect we intend both upon ourselves and the atmosphere of the room can be effective. For example, a person who wants to be and appear confident whilst leading a meeting will seat themselves at the head of the table, communicating both to themselves and others via their zonihre that they are in charge. Alternatively, if someone wants to simply observe and communicate via their zonihre that they are an observer, will position themselves to the side or at the back. These are intuitive to us, but ihrekhunciünen is about the intentionality of adjusting the ihre of a room and our own ihre to achieve a desired purpose.

Finally, the ardstat as a zonihrke is the most important thing to adjust according to the philosophy of the Kibtisk Way, because from it flows many of the other ihrkes, including the overlapping ones of body language and facial expression. The ardstat is kept in continual adjustment via the other Kibtisk practices of ardzýn, vitren, and ihrabaden, as the followers of the Kibtisk Way seek to always have an ardstat that is soft, warm, and still. Thereby we seek to have a zonihre that is soft, warm, and peaceful and wish to ütbaden that onto the römihre and to others.

Practitioners of the Kibtisk Way seek to use ihrekhunciünen to adjust their zonihres and the römihres in which they find themselves to fall in line with the Kibtisk Virtues of zeva (soft-heartedness), vira (homeliness/familal love), and ihra (stillness, tranquility, peace), and that is the primary purpose of the practice according to Kibtisk philosophy. Kibtisk practitioners then use the theory and methods outlined above to achieve this purpose.

Summary

The practice of ihrekhunciünen thus is the adjusting of both the zonihre and römihre in order for both to line up with the purpose the practitioner. This adjusting is done by changing the relevant ihrkes, chiefly those of body language and facial expression, but any others which also work to serve the practitioner's purpose. The Kibtisk practitioner uses ihrekhunciünen to effectuate the Kibtisk Virtues of zeva, vira, and ihra both to better their zonihre and ardt, but also the römihre to give themselves and others something beneficial to inbaden.

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