From: Matthew Purdon (playinmantis@hotmail.com)
Date: Sat Nov 18 2000 - 14:38:24 MST
[Non-member submission]
I want to clear the air about Ken Wilber. Originally, yes, he was a
transpersonal philosopher/psychologist. His first book, "Spectrums of
Consciousness" was a corner stone of the movement. However, that was almost
thirty years and he has revised his thinking. He no longer considers
himself a transpersonal philosopher because it puts too much emphasis on the
transpersonal modalities of understanding.
Integral Psychology (which is the name of his latest book) is how there are
multiple developmental lines (cognitive, emotional, biological, etc.) within
the individual and society. Each person's development is the process of
integrating all lines of development into a unified whole. It does not
emphasize spiritual ascendance or material descendance. It's about
navigating all relaties as you work towards continual self-improvement.
Yes, there are gaps in his theories. He is not trying to flesh out all
points. He is trying to integrate the teaching of philosophy, psychology
and spiritual traditions into a unified model of consciousness. He's
creating a framework for others to flesh out.
One of the most interesting points he has to make is that during
development, different neurosis can develop at each stage. In order to
heal, you need to apply the right type of therapy for that stage of
development. Another recommended book is his "A Brief History of
Everything".
For those of you who want an introduction to his ideas, I suggest visiting
this website:
http://members.ams.chello.nl/f.visser3/wilber/overview.html
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