This is pure "gossip talk", and I really shouldn't be indulging in it - but Vince has a good question on Ken Wilber's recent CEO Search announcement.

I will have more to say about this over the weekend - lost a pretty good post on this - but if you feel like you have the time, read the following three posts (if you haven't already)

Integralisms.

Diversity of the Integral Movement.

 Two kinds of criticisms of integral theory: internal and external:

Again, more later.

Joe does a masterful job, in the following posts, fleshing out with great descriptions, viewpoints of development, that align with the integral model.

Infrared and Magenta Stations

Red and Amber Stations

Orange and Yellow Stations

Green and Teal Stations

Update: 

Violet and Ultraviolet Stations

I recommend reading these.

One thing about developmental theory, studies, and I alluded to it in my last post (and Vince added a thoughtful comment as well), is that I'm not sure anyone is AT any particular station.  I more think that a person passes through - on a daily basis, states that reflect the stations.  As such, a particular person is infrared, magenta, red, amber, orange, yellow, green teal, depending on what is active in the person's consciousness, at that moment.

A line from Joe:  Formation of ability to trust others; the ability to embrace life as fundamentally worth living

This element of trust/no trust, of LIFE, is carried through, as an adult.  In times of tiredness, it is easy to revert to a state of "no-trust", even though most of the time one's attitude is one of trust.


And this can be wildly affected by what the surrounding environment is.   That basic primeval state can be re-engaged by life and death issues, as well as say, being put in prison indefinitely (see previous post.)

In this sense, I don't know how useful it is to label a PERSON - you can attempt to label a view, or a certain behavior set.  For example, aversion to discipline may be labeled that a "negative red", has been activated in a person. And for an honest self-evaluation, it's good to attempt to see what is motivating you.  (Don't tread on me!)  But in another situation, that same person could be incredibly disciplined.  

At the same time, if that "Don't treat on me", appears as a fixated pattern, often enough, in that person, then we can say - yes, that person is spending a lot of time in a fixated negative red pattern.  Negative self-esteem, that periodically attempts to force that esteem from others, might be an example.

There was a lot to take in, of course.  A few quick thoughts, on somewhat new stuff, and just random comments.

a. Lots of jumping from concept to concept - it is muddled to see how they all go together - lines, states, stages, quadrants, zones.
b. The zone concept especially was utilized to a great degree.  It's a good concept as well. 
c.  One very good single page summary of Advaita Vedanta.  What I thought was interesting about the "5 Bodies" - gross, dreaming, subtle, causal, non-dual (I hope that is correct, typing from memory - I'll go back and fix this post otherwise).  Now, as the Advaitins always say, these states are ALWAYS ACCESSIBLE.  Accessible, now, to you.  (And Big Mind shows, this, as well.)  Ken Wilber then jumps to "growing" on the vertical level of the Wilber-Combs lattice, and how you advance through meditation and training,  but skips over a bit, how, if the non-dual body is accessible now, then meditation isn't necessary to access the non-dual.  Which again, is part of what the older advaitins teach, and part of what neo-advaitins teach. 

d.  I would say the crux of new concepts, at least what is leaned on a lot, aren't so new, but presented in a clearer, more coherent manner.  This again, would be the Wilber-Combs lattice, and  the eight zones (modes of viewing and studying the world).  

e. Shadow work is sort of thrown in there, but a great description of me-it, on the psychological level. 

f.  There was a lot of leaning on the concept of "stages", and that people are AT certain stages, however, I'm still not sure to what degree this holds up.  I still don't find many people who are "at" only orange, or "at" only blue, etc.  People seem to hold differing values, across the red/amber/blue/green spectrum, depending on an ISSUE.  It would be great if the type of Zone #2 and Zone #4 studies, could show that "in general" a person is at so-and-so stage, but I need to see it to believe it.  Because it could just as easily be, on the values issues that:

i. Values for different issues are at different levels - and this means that a person ISN'T at a particular level.
ii.  The various studies - Graves, Leovinger, Keegan - definitely show a one-way arrow towards greater complexity, and a greater depth, in people.  From the me to the us, to the universal.  However, one thing glossed over, is that if this in any way meshes with the SD concept of colors, and thus the Wilber-Combs matrix. 

Basically, I need to see that the various types of complexity and growth - morals, cognition, values, etc - share anything other than increasing complexity.  Could it be possible that someone could be at value stage orange, yet be at moral stage 3?   I think so, as you can find fundamentalists, fully committed to the mythic religious vision, who nevertheless are operationally, at the highest ethical level, in their personal behaviour.

A lot hangs on the answer to this question though, as Wilber universalizes, the "level" or "stage" a person is at, and collects the various different developmental lines, under the same rubric.

This would be the vertical side of the Wilber-Combs matrix.

No one I meet though, is "at" a stage.  People to me seem all over the place.  I'm not sure that stages work, in the real world.  (I'm probably wrong, but thought I would point that out.)

g.  I really like the small part - but very valuable - about upper levels of faith.  Not only mythic faith, but the "i-thou" love relationship, in spirituality, continuing always, even in the midst of realizing non-duality.  Don't skip over your heart, and the heart of the world!

h. At some point, I will bet money that this "full spectrum analysis", will make its way into various evaluation tools.  Already the tools used by corporate America are very, very, good, for example, when used for hiring both for pyche traits, and for skills traits.  I can only see this being an addition.

i.  By the same token, however, related to points h (evaluations) and f (assigning people at stages), I don't even know what stage I am at!!   Especially, as is claimed, "green" can mask a power drive of red (isn't red always about a power drive anyway?), and so be mean green, it will be interesting to see what smart, in-depth assessments can pick up about where a particular person is at.

What else have you seen from the book?  Your thoughts?

I wonder about the efficacy of Big Mind, 3-2-1 - well, for me, specifically about Big Mind. 

There is no doubt, that a perspective shift is engaged in, when Big Mind practice occurs.  As always though, as for my other big realizations, it fades away. 

Perhaps it is the nature of the beast - all realizations fade away - I shouldn't expect anything else, right?

What is so, is so.  And - that means "me experienced as me", and "other experienced as other" as well. 

I'm not sure, really.  I've had enough peak experiences, enough time in silent awareness, in meditation, watching the universe quite literally "rise and fall", as one breath, in one moment - it still seems strange that I so easily revert to "me against the world", objectifying and identifying myself with - er - myself...

I'm sure there is something I am missing there, so I decided to kvetch on it...

I clearly haven't been posting a lot here - mainly because I've been pretty busy.

But also, this particular blog has focused on the "basics", of integralism (when not veering to tech stuff and philosophy!)

For various dimensions, it is now pretty clear what the basic practices are.

Physical - I've blogged before - but 2 to 3 times a week, cardio, stretching, and weighlifting for exercise.

For diet - barring special circumstances - less carbs, and balanced eating.

Meditation - while there is a lot around the map here, the basic practices involved for integral involve:

Basic Zen/Vipassana sitting
BigMind/Advaita training
Compassion/Heart work


Now, of course, I'm missing a lot of the I-Thou meditations.  Perhaps I could blog them.

In terms of professional, career - one of the best books out there for this is Pathfinder, and What Color Is Your Parachute?

Both are passionate and practical, and give a very good sense of what are the gifts one has to GIVE, in terms of skills, abilities, and desires.

Psychological/interpersonal- while there are a lot of books out there, self-assessment is fairly easy to use, and I have also used this site to point to inexpensive therapeutic options.  And then there is the Shadow Work of the 1-2-3, as well as Byron Katie's work.  I could write more about relationship as well, but it is so easy for this to become narcissistic, in my opinion.

Now - community - this is probably one of the biggest lacks that I personally have, or have not written a lot about, and I've been attempting to address this through the Ken Wilber MeetUp, and organizing the San Francisco ILP Group. 

And then, when you do all the above, do you have time for rest, play, and creativity? Where is the balance?

I still believe there are things that are important for an "integral practitioner" to deal with - deeper delving into the interpersonal, dealing with MOTIVATION and destructive subpersonalities (just because all the practices are out there, doesn't mean you are doing them!), and also re-introducing some concepts into the integral community with ethics - such as "duty", "community commitment" etc.  A community is defined by the individuals that "take on" the duties of that community, and it is duty and volunteerism that is the glue of community.  Which conflicts a bit with "my/your integral growth".  And you want to keep away from any cultism, as such.

At any rate, opening up for questions - what integrally, needs to be worked on?  My integral growth, rather than "our" integral growth?