ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the cross-cultural implications of chaos theory by offering ideas about why chaos theory has become so popular, where the idea of chaos originated, what chaos has meant in ancient traditions such as Taoism, and how it might be used as a reference point for therapy with Native American clients. Chaos theory quickly gained popularity, particularly in the psychological community. This was evident at the American Psychological Association centennial convention, where standing room only crowds attended several sessions on the subject. Both chaos theory and Taoism claim that change, no matter how chaotic, can also proceed toward self-organization, that is, producing a new, more complex, order out of apparent disorder. It is quite possible that the mythologies of ancient cultures provided the roots from which the new science of chaos theory found its nourishment. Several chaos theorists describe scientific chaos, associated with what scientists' properly consider chaos.
