What do you think?
Rate this book
The Ever-Present Origin
The Ever-Present Origin is a translation of Ursprung und Gegenwart, a book which was published in German in two parts around 1949 and 1953. The central contribution of this book is Gebser's analysis of the history of culture -- mainly but not exclusively Western culture -- in terms of the predominance of different modes of consciousness. Gebser details five structures of consciousness: the archaic, the magical, the mythical, the mental, and the integral (or aperspectival). His theory seems to be that these structures unfold in a sequential but non-linear fashion (i.e. in quantum increases in the self-transparency of consciousness), and have different kinds of characteristic ways of experiencing self, other, and world. With each leap, the previous structures of consciousness are superceded and yet retained in a subordinate fashion. Meanwhile, the other structures lie largely latent and untapped. VERY briefly, the archaic is instinctual and primitive. The magical is tribal and involves participation mystique. The mythical is imaginative and often involves seeing through complementary polarities (darkness and light, good and evil). The mental is analytical, dualistic, and skeptical of the other structures of consciousness. And the integral structure allows for a re-membering of all of the structures of consciousness without the problematic reification of their respective "worlds". The integral or aperspectival structure additionally involves going beyond the previous four structures in something akin to Buddhist or Christian (a la Meister Eckhart) enlightenment as understood in terms of the perennial philosophy.
647 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1949
60 people are currently reading
1560 people want to read
About the author
Jean Gebser
31 books41 followersJean (Hans) Gebser was a philosopher, linguist, and poet whose work on human consciousness was a major influence on the later "Integral" movement.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
August 23, 2021
While Gebser is a metaphysical continuation of Spengler; the inversions done to the latters cyclical rhythms constitute a new mode in which to view the field [that I've formalized as] of 'metahistory'. Though he uses the term 'mutations of consciousness', Gebser maintains that one should purposefully avoid using evolutionary (only insofar as its 'progress' based) and organism-related analogy. One sees in this schema [though attempting to work past schemas] a 5 structure-model of consciousness, each qualitatively creating a new 'structure' itself. The archaic, the magical, the mythical, the mental, and the Integral: the final of which we are now entering into [This review will end with a linguistic summary of all 5 structures, whereas in the book it is done diagrammatically]. The main key to this polyvalent opus is almost a proper application of Heideggers main project, modeling or mapping the "Being-events" where a radically novel Event changes the way Being itself is thought of. Of which, Heidegger seems almost lackluster in only positing his two Beginnings, the First with the Greeks and the one that we are about to enter into with the "Coming of the Last God" and the transitional stage of which he [in his time] was only caught inbetween. Nonetheless, even 5 structures seem too little to properly access every civilizations mode of consciousness also keenly paired with the fact that the first 3 structures [Archaic, Magical, Mythical] have insufficient detailing to properly see them metahistorically. While the execution is a step down from Spengler; the first half of the book being a detailing of the 5 structures of consciousness, and the second half being a sort of repetition of the coming of the newest Integral structure of consciousness: the poetry of the 'Decline' has been replaced with a more neutrality of 'mutation'. The rejection of a progression model, similar as it is in evolutionary theory proper, is constantly reaffirmed in EPO.
The pre-birth of the mental (rational) consciousness structure happens in the first sentence of the first work of the Western mind, the Iliads opening words Menin of Menin aidre thea . . . , "Sing, Goddess, the wrath . . ," this Menin is the same root for words such as mental, and even Man [Mensch]. Discovered here is the advent of seeing etymologies as spiritual resonances; eteologemes. As if history has an unconscious of its own. This ma:me primal root extends across many fronts from the maniac and a menace (who is wrathful), the Sanskrit ma- me- prefixes, the Greek menis or menos, the Latin mens - the mental 'directs' itself, imposing itself on the world wrathfully (in the abstract) to create directed 'ratio'cinative thought. The act of rationality is one of, by definition, isolation, atomization, dissection. Mirrors of Heidegger echo clearly, as when he states that Being is showing itself as if its not showing itself, "Being conceals its own concealment". This is a very small example of the kind of thing Gebser attempts to survey, the usage of resonance to realize the origins of all things. Historical examples across all fields [art, science, jurisprudence, sociology, economics, music, painting, mathematics, poetry, literature, philosophy]. To be able to analyze beyond analysis, and even deeper, this can be used to inform gnosis for the mystic, where one can realize the variance within invariance, the origin is ever-present. The Integral consciousness structure is the one that realizes all its past modes of consciousness and transcends yet includes them [as if a Hegelian Aufhebung] yet is not a mere summation of its past parts.
It is as if history has a meta-pattern of its own, as if the world is a dream with its own unconscious to psychoanalyze.
The Archaic consciousness structure - zero-dimensional, no perspectivity, pre-spatial and pretemporal, no sign or geometry, essence based in identity, its properties are integral, its potentiality is integrality, Outer emphasis is unconscious spirit, its inner emphasis is none or latency, its consciousness-degree is deep-sleep, its consciousness-relation is universe-related: breathing-spell, its forms of manifestation has nothing when efficient and presentiment/foreboding while deficient, its basic attitude is of Origin / Wisdom, its organ is none, its basis is none, its mode is originary, its process and expression is presentiment, its formulation of thought is world-origin, no Limits, Valence, forms of expression or articulation, its temporal and social relation are none, its general relation is Universal or "cosmic", the Universe is the localization of its soul, it has no form of bond or tie, its Motto is (All).
The Magic consciousness structure - one-dimensional, preperspectival, spaceless and timeless, its sign / geometry is the Point, essence based in Unity, properties in non-directional unitary Interwovenness or fusion, potentiality in Unity by unification and hearing/hearkening, its outer emphasis is Nature, inner emphasis is Emotion, consciousness-degree is Sleep while consciousness-relation is Outer-related (Nature: exhalation), its forms of manifestation are spell-casting in the efficient mode and witchcraft in the deficient mode, basic attitude is Vital: instinct, drive and emotion, and its organ is the Viscera or the Ear, forms of realization are in empathy and identification and Hearing in basis, pre-rational pre-causal analogical in Mode, and Associative, analogizing, and sympathetically interweaving in Process, vital experience in Expression, World-knowledge, the 'recognized' world in Formulation, conditioned in Limits, univalent, its forms of expression are in Magic: graven images, idol, ritual, and asserted in Petition (prayer): being "heard", relationally it is temporally undifferentiated, socially tribalistic, clan/kith and kin, natural, generally egoless and terrestrial, soul localized in semen and blood, forms of bond or tie are Proligio, emotive and pointlike and its Motto is "Pars pro toto"
the Mythical consciousness structure - two-dimensional, unperspectival, spaceless with a natural temporicity, Sign / geometry is the Circle 〇, essence based in Polarity (ambivalence), properties are circular and polar with Complimentarity, potentiality based in unification by complementarity and correspondence, outer emphasis in Soul/Psyche, inner emphasis in Imagination, consciousness-degree of Dream, consciousness-relation is inner-related (Psyche: inhalation), forms of manifestation are primal myth (envisioned) in the efficient and Mythology (spoken) in the deficient, basic attitude is Psychic (Imagination, Sensibility, Disposition), organ is the Heart / Mouth, its forms of realization have basis in imagination and utterance (contemplation and voicing), irrational (non-causal, polar) in mode, internalized recollection, contemplation (externalized utterance, expression) in process, undergone experience in expression, world-image or Weltanschauung (the contemplated and interpreted world), temporally bound in Limits, ambivalent, form of expression is the Mythologeme (Gods, Symbols, Mysteries), form of assertion in Wishes (Ideals: fulfillment; "wish (pipe-) dreams"), related temporally to the past (recollection, muse), socially to the parental world [ancestor worship, predominantly matriarchal], generally in the egoless "we"-oriented psychic, soul localized in the Diaphragm and heart, forms of bond / tie are in Relegio observing, internalizing and externalizing (recollecting and expressing), its Motto is "Soul is identical to life (and death)"
the Mental consciousness structure - three-dimensional, perspectival, spatial and abstractly temporal, sign / geometry is the Triangle 🛆, essence based in duality (opposition), properties are directed dual oppositionality, potentiality in unification by synthesis and reconciliation, outer emphasis in space - world, inner emphasis on abstraction, consciousness-degree in Wakefulness, consciousness-relation in outer-related (Spatial world: exhalation), forms of manifestation are Menos (directed, discursive thought) in efficient, and Ratio (divisive, immoderate hair-splitting) in deficient, basic attitude is Cerebral (Reflection, Abstraction, Will/Volition), its organ emphasis is Brain - Eye, its forms of realization are conceptualization and reflection (seeing and measuring) in basis, rational (causal and directed) in mode, projection speculation (oceanic, paradoxical, then perspectival thinking) in process, representation (conception, ideation) in expression, World-conception: (the thought and conceptualized world) in formulation, limited and trivalent, forms of expression in Philosophemes (God, Dogma, Method), forms of assertion in Volition (attainment), related temporally to the future (purpose, goal), socially to the first-born son and Individuality [child-adulation, patriarchality], generally egocentric and materialistic, soul localized in the spinal cord and brain, forms of bond or tie are religion [religare]: believing, knowing and deducing, its Motto is "Thinking is Being"
The Integral consciousness structure - four-dimensional, asperspectival, space-free and time-free, sign / geometry is the Sphere ⬤, essence based in Diaphaneity (transparency), its properties are in Presentiating, diaphanous "rendering whole", potentiality is integrality by integration and presentiation, outer emphasis in Conscious Spirit, inner emphasis in concretion, consciousness-degree in transparency, consciousness-relation in inward-related (breathing-spell, inhaling?), forms of manifestation are Diaphainon (open, spiritual 'verition') in the efficient and Void (atomizing dissolution) in the deficient, basic attitude is Integral (Concretion, rendering diaphanous, Verition, its organ emphasis is the Vertex, form of realization is concretion and integration in basis, arational (acausal) in mode, integrating in process, verition in expression, World-verition (the world perceived and imparted in truth) in formulation, open and free in Limit, and polyvalent, form of expression in the Eteologeme (Divinity, Synairesis, Diaphany), forms of assertion are Verition (present), temporally related in (presentiating), social in Mankind [neither matriarchy nor patirarchy but integrum], generally ego-free [amaterial and apsychic], soul localized in the cerebral cortex [humoral], forms of bond are Praeligio: presentiating, concretizing, integrating, its Motto is "Origin: present perceiving and imparting truth".
The pre-birth of the mental (rational) consciousness structure happens in the first sentence of the first work of the Western mind, the Iliads opening words Menin of Menin aidre thea . . . , "Sing, Goddess, the wrath . . ," this Menin is the same root for words such as mental, and even Man [Mensch]. Discovered here is the advent of seeing etymologies as spiritual resonances; eteologemes. As if history has an unconscious of its own. This ma:me primal root extends across many fronts from the maniac and a menace (who is wrathful), the Sanskrit ma- me- prefixes, the Greek menis or menos, the Latin mens - the mental 'directs' itself, imposing itself on the world wrathfully (in the abstract) to create directed 'ratio'cinative thought. The act of rationality is one of, by definition, isolation, atomization, dissection. Mirrors of Heidegger echo clearly, as when he states that Being is showing itself as if its not showing itself, "Being conceals its own concealment". This is a very small example of the kind of thing Gebser attempts to survey, the usage of resonance to realize the origins of all things. Historical examples across all fields [art, science, jurisprudence, sociology, economics, music, painting, mathematics, poetry, literature, philosophy]. To be able to analyze beyond analysis, and even deeper, this can be used to inform gnosis for the mystic, where one can realize the variance within invariance, the origin is ever-present. The Integral consciousness structure is the one that realizes all its past modes of consciousness and transcends yet includes them [as if a Hegelian Aufhebung] yet is not a mere summation of its past parts.
It is as if history has a meta-pattern of its own, as if the world is a dream with its own unconscious to psychoanalyze.
The Archaic consciousness structure - zero-dimensional, no perspectivity, pre-spatial and pretemporal, no sign or geometry, essence based in identity, its properties are integral, its potentiality is integrality, Outer emphasis is unconscious spirit, its inner emphasis is none or latency, its consciousness-degree is deep-sleep, its consciousness-relation is universe-related: breathing-spell, its forms of manifestation has nothing when efficient and presentiment/foreboding while deficient, its basic attitude is of Origin / Wisdom, its organ is none, its basis is none, its mode is originary, its process and expression is presentiment, its formulation of thought is world-origin, no Limits, Valence, forms of expression or articulation, its temporal and social relation are none, its general relation is Universal or "cosmic", the Universe is the localization of its soul, it has no form of bond or tie, its Motto is (All).
The Magic consciousness structure - one-dimensional, preperspectival, spaceless and timeless, its sign / geometry is the Point, essence based in Unity, properties in non-directional unitary Interwovenness or fusion, potentiality in Unity by unification and hearing/hearkening, its outer emphasis is Nature, inner emphasis is Emotion, consciousness-degree is Sleep while consciousness-relation is Outer-related (Nature: exhalation), its forms of manifestation are spell-casting in the efficient mode and witchcraft in the deficient mode, basic attitude is Vital: instinct, drive and emotion, and its organ is the Viscera or the Ear, forms of realization are in empathy and identification and Hearing in basis, pre-rational pre-causal analogical in Mode, and Associative, analogizing, and sympathetically interweaving in Process, vital experience in Expression, World-knowledge, the 'recognized' world in Formulation, conditioned in Limits, univalent, its forms of expression are in Magic: graven images, idol, ritual, and asserted in Petition (prayer): being "heard", relationally it is temporally undifferentiated, socially tribalistic, clan/kith and kin, natural, generally egoless and terrestrial, soul localized in semen and blood, forms of bond or tie are Proligio, emotive and pointlike and its Motto is "Pars pro toto"
the Mythical consciousness structure - two-dimensional, unperspectival, spaceless with a natural temporicity, Sign / geometry is the Circle 〇, essence based in Polarity (ambivalence), properties are circular and polar with Complimentarity, potentiality based in unification by complementarity and correspondence, outer emphasis in Soul/Psyche, inner emphasis in Imagination, consciousness-degree of Dream, consciousness-relation is inner-related (Psyche: inhalation), forms of manifestation are primal myth (envisioned) in the efficient and Mythology (spoken) in the deficient, basic attitude is Psychic (Imagination, Sensibility, Disposition), organ is the Heart / Mouth, its forms of realization have basis in imagination and utterance (contemplation and voicing), irrational (non-causal, polar) in mode, internalized recollection, contemplation (externalized utterance, expression) in process, undergone experience in expression, world-image or Weltanschauung (the contemplated and interpreted world), temporally bound in Limits, ambivalent, form of expression is the Mythologeme (Gods, Symbols, Mysteries), form of assertion in Wishes (Ideals: fulfillment; "wish (pipe-) dreams"), related temporally to the past (recollection, muse), socially to the parental world [ancestor worship, predominantly matriarchal], generally in the egoless "we"-oriented psychic, soul localized in the Diaphragm and heart, forms of bond / tie are in Relegio observing, internalizing and externalizing (recollecting and expressing), its Motto is "Soul is identical to life (and death)"
the Mental consciousness structure - three-dimensional, perspectival, spatial and abstractly temporal, sign / geometry is the Triangle 🛆, essence based in duality (opposition), properties are directed dual oppositionality, potentiality in unification by synthesis and reconciliation, outer emphasis in space - world, inner emphasis on abstraction, consciousness-degree in Wakefulness, consciousness-relation in outer-related (Spatial world: exhalation), forms of manifestation are Menos (directed, discursive thought) in efficient, and Ratio (divisive, immoderate hair-splitting) in deficient, basic attitude is Cerebral (Reflection, Abstraction, Will/Volition), its organ emphasis is Brain - Eye, its forms of realization are conceptualization and reflection (seeing and measuring) in basis, rational (causal and directed) in mode, projection speculation (oceanic, paradoxical, then perspectival thinking) in process, representation (conception, ideation) in expression, World-conception: (the thought and conceptualized world) in formulation, limited and trivalent, forms of expression in Philosophemes (God, Dogma, Method), forms of assertion in Volition (attainment), related temporally to the future (purpose, goal), socially to the first-born son and Individuality [child-adulation, patriarchality], generally egocentric and materialistic, soul localized in the spinal cord and brain, forms of bond or tie are religion [religare]: believing, knowing and deducing, its Motto is "Thinking is Being"
The Integral consciousness structure - four-dimensional, asperspectival, space-free and time-free, sign / geometry is the Sphere ⬤, essence based in Diaphaneity (transparency), its properties are in Presentiating, diaphanous "rendering whole", potentiality is integrality by integration and presentiation, outer emphasis in Conscious Spirit, inner emphasis in concretion, consciousness-degree in transparency, consciousness-relation in inward-related (breathing-spell, inhaling?), forms of manifestation are Diaphainon (open, spiritual 'verition') in the efficient and Void (atomizing dissolution) in the deficient, basic attitude is Integral (Concretion, rendering diaphanous, Verition, its organ emphasis is the Vertex, form of realization is concretion and integration in basis, arational (acausal) in mode, integrating in process, verition in expression, World-verition (the world perceived and imparted in truth) in formulation, open and free in Limit, and polyvalent, form of expression in the Eteologeme (Divinity, Synairesis, Diaphany), forms of assertion are Verition (present), temporally related in (presentiating), social in Mankind [neither matriarchy nor patirarchy but integrum], generally ego-free [amaterial and apsychic], soul localized in the cerebral cortex [humoral], forms of bond are Praeligio: presentiating, concretizing, integrating, its Motto is "Origin: present perceiving and imparting truth".
September 21, 2012
Gebser's non plus ultra magnum opus; you must be extremely committed to do a reading of this massive work justice.
An unrivaled phenomenology of consciousness, interpreted a la early historicity.
"Five modes of consciousness" sounds new-agey but make no mistake, with five disparate yet complementary interpretations covering the entire history of human activity, art, perception, philosophy, religion, and science, any conceivable limit in cognitive essentialism is well worth enduring.
Reading this, one can actually embody the thin screen door between historicism and historicity; the transformation of all theory from a thorough revaluation of humankind's engagement with existence and being.
An unrivaled phenomenology of consciousness, interpreted a la early historicity.
"Five modes of consciousness" sounds new-agey but make no mistake, with five disparate yet complementary interpretations covering the entire history of human activity, art, perception, philosophy, religion, and science, any conceivable limit in cognitive essentialism is well worth enduring.
Reading this, one can actually embody the thin screen door between historicism and historicity; the transformation of all theory from a thorough revaluation of humankind's engagement with existence and being.
June 18, 2009
Without a reliable and observable evolutionary "spine" to collective and individual consciousness, the world is condemned to its present schizoid state of savage cleverness. This book is arguably the single most significant book on the planet, putting Flatland archaic "scripturalisms" to shame. Please note that the title associated with this cover is not quite right, lacking the word "The" and being Parts One and Two. The title choice available that was correct lacked this image, which is correct for the full text.
January 27, 2022
Holy Moses this is such a great book. "The Ever-Present Origin" is about the evolution of consciousness. Gebser traces its evolution in 4 stages, which are represented by shapes. How does he do this? He uses etymology, literature, painting, sculpture, cave scribblings, journals, scientific developments, and more to show that the evolution of consciousness proceeds in distinct stages which initiate a qualitative transformation of the human condition. The etymological research is especially fascinating. Super high recommendation: a book that parallels Spengler and Jaynes in depth and breadth.
January 11, 2010
I first came upon Jean Gebser about 15 years ago. I would not be who I am if it were not for that chance encounter.
Ever Present Origin is never far from my reach ... I read ... and re-read ... and re-read
Ever Present Origin is never far from my reach ... I read ... and re-read ... and re-read
October 17, 2018
The Ever-Present Origin by Jean Gebser, Noel Barstad (Translator), Algis Mickūnas (Translator)
In my brief review of Jean Gebser's greatest single work, I outline two breakthroughs and conclude.
1. Epochs in history categorized by perspective (outlook, view) of man's consciousness in structures. In these structures are various perspectives: pre-spatial, pre-temporal perceptivity, prepersectival, unperspectival, perspectival, and aperspectival. (If we discuss morality, we can refer to amoral, moral and immoral.)
the archaic structure (pre-spatial, pre-temporal perceptivity)
the magic structure (prepersectival)
the mythical structure (unperspectival)
the mental structure (perspectival, causal, rational, thinking is being)
the integral structure (aperspectival, acausal, arational, present perceiving and imparting truth)
2. The aperspective integral epoch is not an ontology, a theory of being or existence of the mental structure, but etiology (anatomy, diagnosis). In the etiology of the integral structure, being is existence (life). The philosophical issue of being versus non-being becomes an out-of-date mental artifact. The integral structure of consciousness is no longer a conception: it is the present.
In conclusion, "The increasing attention to the interconnection-integration structure-is arational, making possible an integrating mode of realization and a liberation from mere systemization, as well as lending perception to an 'open' world" (434).
In my brief review of Jean Gebser's greatest single work, I outline two breakthroughs and conclude.
1. Epochs in history categorized by perspective (outlook, view) of man's consciousness in structures. In these structures are various perspectives: pre-spatial, pre-temporal perceptivity, prepersectival, unperspectival, perspectival, and aperspectival. (If we discuss morality, we can refer to amoral, moral and immoral.)
the archaic structure (pre-spatial, pre-temporal perceptivity)
the magic structure (prepersectival)
the mythical structure (unperspectival)
the mental structure (perspectival, causal, rational, thinking is being)
the integral structure (aperspectival, acausal, arational, present perceiving and imparting truth)
2. The aperspective integral epoch is not an ontology, a theory of being or existence of the mental structure, but etiology (anatomy, diagnosis). In the etiology of the integral structure, being is existence (life). The philosophical issue of being versus non-being becomes an out-of-date mental artifact. The integral structure of consciousness is no longer a conception: it is the present.
In conclusion, "The increasing attention to the interconnection-integration structure-is arational, making possible an integrating mode of realization and a liberation from mere systemization, as well as lending perception to an 'open' world" (434).
June 27, 2010
This is one of the 3 books you grab on your way out of your burning house.
April 26, 2012
I decided to first store up on historical overview, i.e. Richard Tarnas and Ken Wilber, and then return to this. What I can tell it's a masterpiece and even those 36 pages changed my view on life!
December 11, 2017
I am going to do something I have never done before. I am going to immediately read this book again. It is difficult, it is dense, it is 600 odd pages long, but I don't want to miss a drop. I can't say it is because I agree with him on everything. I don't. I'm not even sure his starting point, by any standard of rigor is "sound". I have none of his theological leanings. I don't share his broad characterizations of "the orient". But this book. This book is more important than any of the details we may squabble about. As I read it, an understanding emerged... bits of what I already understood from previous experience began to coalesce. My whole mentality changed, and I saw through barriers that were impenetrable to me before. I felt emotions flowing through me, from top to bottom, making sense of things I could never before quite place. This book did me a profound good. The concepts are strange and difficult: words like systasis, diaphony, achronon... but... they fit together... they peice together in a methodology I have always known, but dimly, and this book brought me to a clarity I have a hard time describing. And of course. This is a book of theologically aligned philosophy... but... that dissolves. It is irrelevant to me in accepting or rejecting this text, because quite frankly there is no acceptance or rejection of this text. There is simply a development of that which you become aware of through putting the energy required into reading it. This book is a profound gift, and, whatever it may come to... it is of the utmost importance. I'm not saying read it and become a Gebserian. I am just saying: Read it, and you might glimpse the Ever Present Origin. I'm going to look again.
November 21, 2007
The greatest book ever written. Or, at the very least, the best book ever written about right now. (And it was written over 50 years ago. Go figure.)
May 16, 2012
A profound book that brings ever-new insights into the significance of existence and evolution.
December 1, 2025
Describes and explains the structure and dynamic of Man as higher dimensional entity
October 23, 2024
Jean Gebser’s The Ever-Present Origin (1949) offers a profound analysis of the evolution of human consciousness, providing an interdisciplinary perspective that merges philosophy, cultural history, psychology, and metaphysics. Gebser presents a vision of human development that is deeply rooted in the unfolding structures of consciousness, which, he argues, manifest through historical and cultural epochs. His work is notable for its breadth, theoretical ambition, and innovative framework, yet it poses significant challenges to the reader due to its dense style and abstract content. Despite these difficulties, The Ever-Present Origin remains a critical text for understanding the philosophical and cultural dimensions of consciousness.
Central to Gebser’s work is his theory of “structures of consciousness.” Gebser identifies five primary structures: the archaic, magical, mythical, mental, and integral. Each of these structures corresponds to a distinct way of perceiving and experiencing reality. Gebser’s thesis is that consciousness evolves not merely in a linear, progressive manner, but through discontinuous leaps, where each structure builds upon its predecessor while also revealing fundamentally new ways of being.
• The archaic structure is characterized by a pre-differentiated, pre-conscious state where there is no distinct separation between the individual and the world.
• The magical structure reflects a nascent awareness of individuality but remains deeply embedded in a collective experience where reality is perceived as interconnected and imbued with a sense of magic or animism.
• The mythical structure introduces a narrative form of consciousness, one rooted in stories and symbols, giving rise to cultures defined by myths and rituals.
• The mental structure, which Gebser locates in the development of rationality and analytical thought, comes to prominence with the rise of the Enlightenment. It emphasizes objectivity, linearity, and the separation of subject from object.
The final structure, the integral consciousness, is Gebser’s vision for the future of humanity. The integral structure, he argues, transcends and includes the previous stages, embracing multiple perspectives simultaneously and integrating diverse modes of experience and knowledge. In this state, time is perceived not as linear but as “aperpectival,” meaning that it is free from the constraints of past, present, and future distinctions.
A key theme in The Ever-Present Origin is Gebser’s critique of the dominance of the mental-rational structure in modern Western culture. He argues that this mode of consciousness, while responsible for scientific and technological advancements, has also led to fragmentation and alienation. By prioritizing objective analysis and compartmentalization, the mental structure neglects the holistic, integrative qualities of the earlier modes of consciousness. Gebser suggests that the mental-rational structure has reached its limits and must give way to the integral consciousness to overcome the crises of modernity—particularly the ecological, social, and existential challenges facing humanity.
Gebser’s concept of “origin” is another significant philosophical contribution. He argues that origin is not merely a point in time, but an “ever-present” source of all being that exists beyond temporal constraints. In this sense, origin is understood as the source of all structures of consciousness. The integral structure allows one to be aware of this origin and experience it in an unmediated way, without the distortions or limitations imposed by earlier modes of thought.
Gebser’s notion of the “aperspectival” is particularly relevant in contemporary discussions of postmodernism and pluralism. His idea that reality can be understood in a way that transcends traditional, perspective-based thought systems anticipates many of the concerns of postmodern philosophy. However, where postmodernism often embraces relativism, Gebser maintains a commitment to a higher integrative vision that preserves meaning and coherence without collapsing into mere subjectivism.
While The Ever-Present Origin offers a sweeping and ambitious theory, it is not without its challenges and limitations. One difficulty lies in the text’s style and structure. Gebser’s writing is highly dense and layered with philosophical, historical, and cultural references, making it a difficult read for those not already familiar with the discourses he engages. The complexity of his terminology—such as “aperspectival,” “diaphanous,” and “concretion of time”—adds to the difficulty. This has limited the book’s accessibility to a broader audience, particularly outside of academic circles specializing in philosophy, cultural studies, or consciousness studies.
Another area of critique is the lack of empirical grounding in Gebser’s theory. While his descriptions of consciousness structures resonate with various historical periods and cultural artifacts, his framework is largely speculative and philosophical. This raises questions about the universality of his claims. Can these structures be observed cross-culturally, or are they more reflective of a particular Western historical narrative? Gebser’s reliance on a metaphysical understanding of evolution, while intellectually stimulating, may also be viewed skeptically by those who prioritize scientific or psychological approaches to understanding human consciousness.
Despite these critiques, Gebser’s work remains influential and has been taken up by thinkers in fields such as integral theory, consciousness studies, and transpersonal psychology. His influence can be seen in the work of later thinkers such as Ken Wilber, who built upon Gebser’s structures of consciousness in his own integral framework.
Jean Gebser’s The Ever-Present Origin is a monumental work that offers a richly textured analysis of the evolution of human consciousness. While its density and abstractness may deter some readers, those who engage with Gebser’s ideas will find a deeply insightful and visionary exploration of how consciousness shapes both individual experience and cultural development. Gebser’s call for a new, integral consciousness offers a hopeful yet challenging vision for the future, one that seeks to reconcile the fragmented nature of modern life by transcending and integrating the past. His work continues to inspire philosophical inquiry into the nature of human development and offers a timeless reflection on the possibilities of human consciousness in an era of uncertainty.
GPT
Central to Gebser’s work is his theory of “structures of consciousness.” Gebser identifies five primary structures: the archaic, magical, mythical, mental, and integral. Each of these structures corresponds to a distinct way of perceiving and experiencing reality. Gebser’s thesis is that consciousness evolves not merely in a linear, progressive manner, but through discontinuous leaps, where each structure builds upon its predecessor while also revealing fundamentally new ways of being.
• The archaic structure is characterized by a pre-differentiated, pre-conscious state where there is no distinct separation between the individual and the world.
• The magical structure reflects a nascent awareness of individuality but remains deeply embedded in a collective experience where reality is perceived as interconnected and imbued with a sense of magic or animism.
• The mythical structure introduces a narrative form of consciousness, one rooted in stories and symbols, giving rise to cultures defined by myths and rituals.
• The mental structure, which Gebser locates in the development of rationality and analytical thought, comes to prominence with the rise of the Enlightenment. It emphasizes objectivity, linearity, and the separation of subject from object.
The final structure, the integral consciousness, is Gebser’s vision for the future of humanity. The integral structure, he argues, transcends and includes the previous stages, embracing multiple perspectives simultaneously and integrating diverse modes of experience and knowledge. In this state, time is perceived not as linear but as “aperpectival,” meaning that it is free from the constraints of past, present, and future distinctions.
A key theme in The Ever-Present Origin is Gebser’s critique of the dominance of the mental-rational structure in modern Western culture. He argues that this mode of consciousness, while responsible for scientific and technological advancements, has also led to fragmentation and alienation. By prioritizing objective analysis and compartmentalization, the mental structure neglects the holistic, integrative qualities of the earlier modes of consciousness. Gebser suggests that the mental-rational structure has reached its limits and must give way to the integral consciousness to overcome the crises of modernity—particularly the ecological, social, and existential challenges facing humanity.
Gebser’s concept of “origin” is another significant philosophical contribution. He argues that origin is not merely a point in time, but an “ever-present” source of all being that exists beyond temporal constraints. In this sense, origin is understood as the source of all structures of consciousness. The integral structure allows one to be aware of this origin and experience it in an unmediated way, without the distortions or limitations imposed by earlier modes of thought.
Gebser’s notion of the “aperspectival” is particularly relevant in contemporary discussions of postmodernism and pluralism. His idea that reality can be understood in a way that transcends traditional, perspective-based thought systems anticipates many of the concerns of postmodern philosophy. However, where postmodernism often embraces relativism, Gebser maintains a commitment to a higher integrative vision that preserves meaning and coherence without collapsing into mere subjectivism.
While The Ever-Present Origin offers a sweeping and ambitious theory, it is not without its challenges and limitations. One difficulty lies in the text’s style and structure. Gebser’s writing is highly dense and layered with philosophical, historical, and cultural references, making it a difficult read for those not already familiar with the discourses he engages. The complexity of his terminology—such as “aperspectival,” “diaphanous,” and “concretion of time”—adds to the difficulty. This has limited the book’s accessibility to a broader audience, particularly outside of academic circles specializing in philosophy, cultural studies, or consciousness studies.
Another area of critique is the lack of empirical grounding in Gebser’s theory. While his descriptions of consciousness structures resonate with various historical periods and cultural artifacts, his framework is largely speculative and philosophical. This raises questions about the universality of his claims. Can these structures be observed cross-culturally, or are they more reflective of a particular Western historical narrative? Gebser’s reliance on a metaphysical understanding of evolution, while intellectually stimulating, may also be viewed skeptically by those who prioritize scientific or psychological approaches to understanding human consciousness.
Despite these critiques, Gebser’s work remains influential and has been taken up by thinkers in fields such as integral theory, consciousness studies, and transpersonal psychology. His influence can be seen in the work of later thinkers such as Ken Wilber, who built upon Gebser’s structures of consciousness in his own integral framework.
Jean Gebser’s The Ever-Present Origin is a monumental work that offers a richly textured analysis of the evolution of human consciousness. While its density and abstractness may deter some readers, those who engage with Gebser’s ideas will find a deeply insightful and visionary exploration of how consciousness shapes both individual experience and cultural development. Gebser’s call for a new, integral consciousness offers a hopeful yet challenging vision for the future, one that seeks to reconcile the fragmented nature of modern life by transcending and integrating the past. His work continues to inspire philosophical inquiry into the nature of human development and offers a timeless reflection on the possibilities of human consciousness in an era of uncertainty.
GPT
April 25, 2025
”...Only an aggregation or quantification—an indication of an exhausted qualitative potency—can guarantee a new mutation which seems to emerge from "the whole" that forms the decisive element in each mutation. We can assume on the other hand that the mutations occurring in man "strive toward" or enable the integration into the whole…” (That the aim is “spiritual” is made clear in the last chapter & Postscript.)
This, essentially, is Gebser’s thesis & style. From the Archaic, through Magic, Mythic, Mental structures (of human consciousness): pursuing an Integral structure already foreshadowed. A journey through art, literature, history, philosophy, science and many strained etymological connections. There is a gain in dimension at each structural stage but “….everything depends on an intensification, not on an expansion or extension of consciousness….” (Although Gebser has a few “expansions”; e.g. where Death’s scythe is finessed as the sickle (moon); to fit his death pole for the soul.]
Beyond our current etiolated, mental structure, the integral is signaled and given birth to by an increasing anxiety. Not an evolutionary birth, but a mutation, a “leap”. [Cf. the Sufi story, The Tale of the Sands.] This new mutation “.. lifts man out of his confinement in matter and the psyche, and changes him so the spiritual becomes transparent to him…” A transparency dependent not only on the “ever present” source/origin but on the ruins of the current structure - “...nowhere does the “new” seem so visible as where something is going to rack and ruin…” Fulcanelli is more catastrophic but similar. A sophisticated type of millennialism, the Fall of Rome.
Unfortunately Gebser’s tortuous writing lets him down. He qualifies every statement, anticipates every imagined criticism, uses clumsy academic neologisms. A prime example of the aggregated Mental structure he wants to discard. Conversely, a sentence or phrase may be the perfect aphorism & examples & images provide the life his writing tends to obscure. Although, (see aperspectival hints in sociology) examples of supportive academic writings are often just theory not evidence. But, whether a necessarily blindfold Gebser has pinned the time-free tale on the donkey or not, this is an attempt on the grand scale & well worth the effort (in small bites).
This, essentially, is Gebser’s thesis & style. From the Archaic, through Magic, Mythic, Mental structures (of human consciousness): pursuing an Integral structure already foreshadowed. A journey through art, literature, history, philosophy, science and many strained etymological connections. There is a gain in dimension at each structural stage but “….everything depends on an intensification, not on an expansion or extension of consciousness….” (Although Gebser has a few “expansions”; e.g. where Death’s scythe is finessed as the sickle (moon); to fit his death pole for the soul.]
Beyond our current etiolated, mental structure, the integral is signaled and given birth to by an increasing anxiety. Not an evolutionary birth, but a mutation, a “leap”. [Cf. the Sufi story, The Tale of the Sands.] This new mutation “.. lifts man out of his confinement in matter and the psyche, and changes him so the spiritual becomes transparent to him…” A transparency dependent not only on the “ever present” source/origin but on the ruins of the current structure - “...nowhere does the “new” seem so visible as where something is going to rack and ruin…” Fulcanelli is more catastrophic but similar. A sophisticated type of millennialism, the Fall of Rome.
Unfortunately Gebser’s tortuous writing lets him down. He qualifies every statement, anticipates every imagined criticism, uses clumsy academic neologisms. A prime example of the aggregated Mental structure he wants to discard. Conversely, a sentence or phrase may be the perfect aphorism & examples & images provide the life his writing tends to obscure. Although, (see aperspectival hints in sociology) examples of supportive academic writings are often just theory not evidence. But, whether a necessarily blindfold Gebser has pinned the time-free tale on the donkey or not, this is an attempt on the grand scale & well worth the effort (in small bites).
December 22, 2023
One of the best perspectives on contemporary culture out there, although, the form of 'integral consciousness' Gebser saw mutating has not exactly come into proper form yet. Modernity is in a state where it lacks a proper identity of its own consciousness/it's own self.
July 25, 2017
An extraordinary book. One of the most influential books I have ever read.
April 25, 2020
I prefer binge-reading
October 16, 2023
One of the best book ill proabably read during my lifetime.
The closest we will ever get to the key of our times.
Although, sadly, I cannot see society becoming this integral structure Gebser saw in the 20th century. His dreams in my opinion got erased by the mental concourses striking back witch twice as much force as any artist and philosopher ever could...
This book is sort of a response to Spengler's Decline of the West, amazing morphology of history and mentality of previous civilizations.
A marvellous, masterpiece created by a master and a visionary. One of the last one of this scope, detail and understanding (if not the last one), that this world will ever see...
The closest we will ever get to the key of our times.
Although, sadly, I cannot see society becoming this integral structure Gebser saw in the 20th century. His dreams in my opinion got erased by the mental concourses striking back witch twice as much force as any artist and philosopher ever could...
This book is sort of a response to Spengler's Decline of the West, amazing morphology of history and mentality of previous civilizations.
A marvellous, masterpiece created by a master and a visionary. One of the last one of this scope, detail and understanding (if not the last one), that this world will ever see...
February 22, 2009
Amazing. This is where some of Ken Wilber's ideas come from.
December 1, 2008
I picked this book up way before I was able to digest it. But now I am looking at a possible re-read.
August 10, 2012
Excellent!
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews