California Institute of Integral Studies
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Towards an Understanding of the Mutual Dependency of Consciousness and Matter
Get PDFThe notion in quantum mechanics that observation causes the collapse of the probability wave function brings consciousness directly into physical theory. To date, however, there has not been an adequate explanation as to how this could be the case, a circumstance that leads some to view this notion as unparsimonious and speculative. This paper attempts to provide an a priori reason for the mutual dependency of consciousness and matter by considering the consequences of the indistinguishably of elementary particles and the temporally extended nature of consciousness. In doing so, it is hoped that an ontology is elucidated which is applicable within many mainstream interpretations of quantum mechanics
The Art of Evolving Consciousness
Get PDFThis paper supports the position that the arts have the capacity not only to give us information intellectually about the evolution of the human endowment of consciousness, but can also evoke a felt sense of previous stages and anticipate transitions and emerging stages. In this paper I give examples of artworks that suggest each stage of the evolution described in the writings of Jean Gebser. For purposes of this paper the artworks are limited to visual arts and sculpture. I think that much of humankind’s vast historical and multicultural endowment of the arts can remind us of previous periods of development as well as assist in our appreciation for and integration of previous stages of consciousness while incorporating the emerging stage of integral structure of consciousness. Gebser writes, “Only when they (all the structures) are integrated via a concretion can they become transparent in their entirety and present, or diaphanous (and are not, of course, merely illuminated by the mind). (Gebser, 1984, p. 99). I believe that works of art can facilitate that concretion and integration of previous structures, and play a critical role in the emergence of an integral structure of consciousness
The Bhagavad Gita: The Roadmap to Conscious Evolution: Understanding the Eternal Reality of Consciousness
Get PDFThe purpose of my study is to present the knowledge of the Self (our true nature) and the knowledge of what Consciousness is, from the sacred text of the Bhagavad Gita. I have examined how the verses of the Gita unfold into a Roadmap for the Conscious Evolution of the self
Promethean Mythopoetics & Evolutionary Consciousness: A Theoretical Journey Through the Realms of Metaphor, Media, and Mind
Get PDFThe focus of this essay is exploring the concept of the critically acclaimed comic classic Promethea (2000) by Alan Moore (writer) and J. H. Williams III (artist) as an integral work of art. To that end I utilize the integral theories of cultural historian and poet Jean Gebser (1985), and theorist Ken Wilber (2000) Having introduced the general themes and theoretical lenses, mentioned above, which are used to see Promethea, there is first an exploration of the earliest origins of consciousness according to the integral theories of Wilber (2000) and Gebser (1985). From there, a brief exploration of the significance of cave paintings and the movement from the archaic to the magical stage of consciousness is offered. Following a brief exploration of the mythic frame of consciousness we arrive at the mental-rational-egoic phase of consciousness, our current phase, described with a literary-theoretical exploration. The literary-theoretical exploration begins with the ancient Greek work Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus (480/1966), and then to the nineteenth Century British Romantic works Prometheus Unbound by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1820/1966) and Frankenstein (or The Modern Prometheus) by Mary Shelley (1818/2008). These works are examined and placed in context in terms of the Wilberian (2000) All Quadrants, All Levels (AQAL) approach, both for their mythic underpinnings in consciousness as well as to demonstrate the tradition from which Moore’s Promethea emerges. Significant time is then spent with a literary-philosophical-theoretical critique of the work of Promethea in terms of how it can be seen through the lens of the integral theories of Gebser (1985) and Wilber (2000), its place in the AQAL framework, and its use of the integral theory of Hermetic Qabalistic Tarot to accomplish the goal of being an integral work of art. A general conclusion follows and then a reflection upon these points
Re-veiling the Revealed: Insights into the Psychology of “Enlightenment” from the Kabbalah
Get PDFI explore psychological aspects of a mystically-awakened state as depicted in the Kabbalah. This awakened state is portrayed using imagery of light and is associated with wisdom. The path towards the state entails intense hermeneutic work, and the core characteristic of the awakened person is the ability to see into that which is concealed—be it in scriptural texts, fellow humans, or the outer world. The primary distinction between this kabbalistic state and awakened states as portrayed in recent psychological and perennialist conceptions is the importance of cognitive and intellectual components in the former. I argue that cultural constructions of spiritual goals are impoverished when such intellectual aspects are omitted, and that these aspects can be viewed in meaningful psychological terms
Deep Understanding: Wisdom for an Integral Age
Get PDFAlthough Paul Ray’s values survey (1996) revealed that some 20 to 45 million Americans are attracted to integral values, Ken Wilber recently pointed out (2000, Introduction) that this is not the same as possessing fully-developed integral consciousness. Citing “the extensive research of Graves, Beck and Cowan,” Wilber said that only 1 percent of the population has developed “Integrative” and 0.1 percent “Holistic” thinking. Thus, although millions of us are now pointed in the direction of an integral society and culture, a much smaller number have developed their understanding to the degree that is needed for the most effective kinds of transformational activity. Many of us who resonate with integral values and the integral agenda would like to become effective agents of transformational change and help actualize the vision of an integral society and culture. Yet, at some point, we begin to see that the quality of our doing can only reflect the quality of our understanding. We begin to see that to accomplish what we would like to accomplish we need to move toward those higher levels of psychological/spiritual development by broadening and deepening our understanding on many fronts. My interest in the nature and development of wisdom (Macdonald, 1995; Macdonald, 1996 [1993], Macdonald 1995-2000) has led me to think about this movement toward integrative and holistic thinking in terms of wisdom and its further development. Wisdom, in all its varieties, strikes me as inherently integrative because it involves assessing the IT aspects of reality (the exterior-individual and exterior-collective) from especially helpful I-grounded (interior-individual) and WE-grounded (interior-collective) perspectives.2 Wisdom also leads to an up-leveling of the I, WE, and IT realms. This happens because the way that wise people see the world and process the data of life leads them to exhibit a whole array of better-than-ordinary ways of being, living, and dealing with the world. In this essay I will discuss a variation on the wisdom theme that seems especially important as we attempt to transform the institutions and practices of the industrial age into those of an integral age. I call it deep understanding
Krishnamurti and Education: Application of Liberation
Get PDFThis paper is an exploration of Krishnamurti’s ideas on education in relation to American institutions of public education. It explores the K-12 levels and collegiate level of education. While reflecting on the nature of American public education, the paper also poses the question of how Krishnamurti’s philosophy may be applied by the educator within the system. Along with looking at both the nature of American public education and Krishnamurti’s philosophy, I include my own quest on how, if possible, to apply Krishnamurti’s teachings in the college classroom. Looking at multiple aspects of the subject, I reflect on my own conflicts in how to achieve liberation for the student or to provide an environment in which students may liberate themselves from conditioned ways of thinking. The paper concludes with a list of suggestions for a modified way of bridging the gap between Krishnamurti’s philosophy and American public higher education