Part. 5.
Waves, Streams, States, and Self--A Summary of My Psychological Model
(Or, Outline of An Integral Psychology) Ken Wilber (PAGE 2 OF 10)
Lines or Streams
Evidence suggests that through the developmental levels or waves of
consciousness, move various developmental lines or streams (such as
cognition, morals, affects, needs, sexuality, motivation, and self-identity
[Gardner, 1983; Loevinger, 1976; Wilber, 1997a, 2000b]).
Non of this may be understood without reading the Wilber corpus.
More evidence that the 'essay' is in fact an invitation for reading the
Wilber corpus.
It further appears that, in any given person, some of these lines can be
highly developed, some poorly (or even pathologically) developed, and some
not developed at all. Overall development, in short, is a very uneven affair!
Child prodigies are well known examples of uneven development and no surprise
should be expressed that this is so.
Any mother with grown children will be able to tell you the same thing.
The reason seems to be that the numerous developmental lines are to some
degree independent modules, and these modules can and do develop in
relatively independent ways (but not totally independently).<A HREF="http://wilber.shambhala.com/html/books/psych_model/psych_model10.cfm/xid,2452282/yid,59839981/#fn5">[5]</A> Each of these
modules probably evolved in response to a series of specific tasks (e.g.,
cognition of the external world, needs and desires in different environments,
linguistic communication, sexual release mechanisms, and so on). There is an
enormous amount of theory and research on modularity (both pro and con),
although it is generally accepted in the psychological literature.<A HREF="http://wilber.shambhala.com/html/books/psych_model/psych_model10.cfm/xid,2452282/yid,59839981/#fn6">[6]</A>
According to this body of research, a person can be at a relatively high
level of development in some lines (such as cognition), medium in others
(such as morals), and low in still others (such as spirituality). Thus, there
is nothing linear about overall development.
Linearity in any development is very rare.
It would be startling if a developing system DID develop linearly.
It is a wildly individual and idiosyncratic affair (even though many of the
developmental lines themselves unfold sequentially). The most common
criticism of my model is that it is linear, a view I have not held for twenty
years. But what about spirituality itself? Does it necessarily unfold in
stages? My answer, again, is absolutely not. But before we see why, let's
discuss states of consciousness.
A model must not be confused with that which is being modelled.
Indeed, a model may even be a model of a non-existent.
A model of a unicorn does not require the existence of unicorns.
States of Consciousness
Several states of consciousness are quite familiar. For example, waking,
dreaming, and deep sleep.
Deep sleep familiar?
Deep sleep is a metaphor for being totally unfamiliar.
Those are some of the "normal" or "ordinary" states. Some of the "altered" or
"nonordinary" states appear to include peak experiences, religious
experiences, drug states, holotropic states, and meditative or contemplative
states (Goleman, 1988; Grof, 1998; Tart 1972).
A Native American Indian may have a problem with this.
Indeed, there is little to suggest, from various Native American Indian
cultures that a distinction can be made to favour what here is being labelled
'Normal.'
Part. 6. follows.
MOQ.ORG - http://www.moq.org
Mail Archive - http://alt.venus.co.uk/hypermail/moq_discuss/
MD Queries - horse@darkstar.uk.net
To unsubscribe from moq_discuss follow the instructions at:
http://www.moq.org/md/subscribe.html
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Sat Aug 17 2002 - 16:02:25 BST