Part. 11.
In each of those cases, those great realms (psychic, subtle, causal, nondual)
are no longer experienced merely as states, but have instead become
permanently available patterns or structures of consciousness--which is why,
when they become a permanent competence, I then call them the psychic level
(or structure or wave), the subtle level, the causal level, and the nondual.
The use of those four terms (psychic, subtle, causal, and nondual) to cover
both structures and states has led some critics to assume that I was
confusing structures and states, but this is not the case.[12]
The important question then becomes: do those four states, as they become
permanent structures, show stage-like unfolding? Are they then actually
levels of consciousness? In many ways, the answer appears to be "yes" (again,
not as rigid rungs but as fluid and flowing waves). For example, a person who
reaches stable (permanent) causal witnessing will automatically experience
lucid dreaming (because stable causal witnessing means that one witnesses
everything that arises, which includes the subtle and dream states), but not
vice versa (i.e., somebody who reaches stable subtle awareness does not
necessarily reach pure causal witnessing)--in other words, this is a stage
sequence (i.e., the causal is a higher level than the subtle--e.g., the
anandamayakosha is a higher level than the vijnanamayakosha, or the overmind
is a higher level than the intuitive mind, and so on--exactly as maintained
by the great wisdom traditions [Smith, 1976; Walsh 1999]).
This is why Aurobindo says, of these higher, transpersonal levels/structures:
"The spiritual evolution obeys the logic of a successive unfolding; it can
take a new decisive main step only when the previous main step has been
sufficiently conquered: even if certain minor stages can be swallowed up or
leaped over by a rapid and brusque ascension, the consciousness has to turn
back to assure itself that the ground passed over is securely annexed to the
new condition; a greater or concentrated speed [which is indeed possible]
does not eliminate the steps themselves or the necessity of their successive
surmounting" (Aurobindo, The Life Divine, II, 26).
It is interesting to note the first quote of any substantial length to be of
the Indian mystic Gore Aurobindo who wrote in English upon many philosophical
matters and regarded reality to be One.
Perhaps a survey of Aurobindo would be of more value than this essay?
His overall writing makes it clear that he does not mean that in a rigid
ladder fashion, but more as was suggested: a series of subtler and subtler
waves of consciousness unfolding, with much fluid and flowing overlap, and
the possibility of nonlinear altered states always available. But for those
states to become structures, "they obey the logic of a successive unfolding,"
as all true stages do. The world's contemplative literature, taken as a
whole, is quite clear on these points, and in this regard we justifiably
speak of these transpersonal structures as showing some stage-like and
level-like characteristics.[13]
Again, that is not the entire story of spirituality. In a moment I will
suggest that spirituality is commonly given at least four different
definitions (the highest levels of any of the lines, a separate line, an
altered state, a particular attitude), and a comprehensive or integral theory
of spirituality ought charitably to include all four of them. Thus, the
developmental aspects we just discussed do not cover the entire story of
spirituality, although they appear to be an important part of it.
To give a specific example: If we focus on the cognitive line of development,
we would have these general levels or waves in the overall spectrum of
cognition: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, formal
operational, vision-logic, psychic, subtle, causal, and nondual. Those nine
general levels or structures Aurobindo respectively calls: sensory/vital,
lower mind, concrete mind, logical mind, higher mind, illumined mind,
intuitive mind, overmind, and supermind, stretching along a single rainbow
from the densest to the finest to the ground of them all.
Again, strong appeals to Aurobindo.
Aurobindo's assimilation of science and scientific theories such as evolution
appear to be a forerunner of Wilber's approach.
Why are there heavy appeals to Aurobindo at precisely that point in the essay
when a review of A. H. Maslow's work would be most appropriate and revealing?
Part. 12. follows.
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