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Интегральная духовность: Новая роль религии в современном и постсовременном мире
В данной работе Кен Уилбер, известный своим многогранным подходом и способностью к максимально простому изложению сложных вопросов, предлагает новаторский взгляд на роль науки, религии и духовности в современном мире.
Обращаясь к широкому спектру источников (от самих духовных традиций до последних открытий в естественных и гуманитарных науках), при помощи интегрального подхода автор стремится ответить на вопросы поиска места духовности в повседневной жизни, доказательства существования Духа, стадий духовного развития, роли медитации и созерцательных практик, восточных и западных подходов к религии.
Автор показывает, каким образом духовность сегодня может совмещать путь просветления Востока, с его выдающимися успехами в области культивации высших состояний сознания, и путь просвещения Запада, который предлагают современные науки, в том числе и психология. По мысли автора, каждый из этих путей вносит свой неоценимый вклад в создание более полной, всеохватной, интегральной духовности, а также практики интегральной жизни, освобождённой от заблуждений прошлого и адаптированной под реальность двадцать первого века.
Книга предназначена для всех, кто интересуется последними веяниями в психологии и современными взглядами на жизнь, интегрирующими в единое целое практические и теоретические подходы из различных дисциплин человеческой деятельности.
Обращаясь к широкому спектру источников (от самих духовных традиций до последних открытий в естественных и гуманитарных науках), при помощи интегрального подхода автор стремится ответить на вопросы поиска места духовности в повседневной жизни, доказательства существования Духа, стадий духовного развития, роли медитации и созерцательных практик, восточных и западных подходов к религии.
Автор показывает, каким образом духовность сегодня может совмещать путь просветления Востока, с его выдающимися успехами в области культивации высших состояний сознания, и путь просвещения Запада, который предлагают современные науки, в том числе и психология. По мысли автора, каждый из этих путей вносит свой неоценимый вклад в создание более полной, всеохватной, интегральной духовности, а также практики интегральной жизни, освобождённой от заблуждений прошлого и адаптированной под реальность двадцать первого века.
Книга предназначена для всех, кто интересуется последними веяниями в психологии и современными взглядами на жизнь, интегрирующими в единое целое практические и теоретические подходы из различных дисциплин человеческой деятельности.
436 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2006
168 people are currently reading
1821 people want to read
About the author
Ken Wilber
225 books1,240 followersKenneth Earl Wilber II is an American philosopher and writer on transpersonal psychology and his own integral theory, a systematic philosophy which suggests the synthesis of all human knowledge and experience.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
April 2, 2016
In "Integral Spirituality" Ken Wilber calls himself a mapmaker and sets out to create a sort of universal coordinate system for arguments. In his view, conflict between people often results from confusion about terms, perspectives, and differences in intelligence levels.
To sort things out he divided everything up for discussion into two groups of either singular or collective things, and then divides those into two groups of either interior or exterior. This is his quadrant system, but within each quadrant are two zones, one for objective consideration and the other for subjective consideration for a total of eight zones.
Wilber sets up a mathematical-like referential system for these eight zones. "1-p" means "1st person perspective", but "1p" means the 1st person. So you get sentences like this, "Zone #1 is 1p x 1-p x 1p, which means a first person takes a first-person approach to first person realities (as with phenomenology or hermeneutics). Zone #2 is 1p x 3-p x 1p, which means a first person takes a third-person or objective approach to first person realities (as with structuralism). ..."
Wilber then cites ten different kinds of intelligence people can have and uses rainbow colors to define twelve different stages of development within each kind of intelligence.
This system is Wilber’s Integral “Operating System”. And up to this point, I can only shrug and say, sure, why not? Everyone is free to organize their garage however they want. Wilber can overlay whatever organization or categorization scheme he wants onto the real world.
But this book is “Integral Spirituality” and includes Wilber’s ordering of different spiritual intelligence levels. My chief objection to the book is that he arbitrarily ranks his preferred enlightenment-style meditation-based spirituality as the most advanced one without giving much justification for doing so. He cherry picks obscure mystics (St. Seraphim of Sarov?) and claims that they corroborate his spirituality (p. 76), and then hijacks well known saints and claims that by “union with God” these saints claimed to be the same as God, something no Christian would agree with. He ranks the major world religions near the bottom (at the “amber” or mythic / ethnocentric level), and says that anyone who disagrees with him is either a Nazi (p. 179) or too stupid to understand (p. 274).
Wilber makes many claims that most people will object to, or simple research will disprove, such as:
· Biological organisms don’t merely perceive the world but bring it forth and co-create it (p. 170)
· 70% of the world are ethnocentric Nazis (p. 179)
· The Inquisition tortured and killed millions of people (p. 186)
· Mass and energy are two names for God (p. 187)
· Popes JP2 and Benedict XVI suppress Vatican 2 and repress their spiritual intelligence (p. 199)
· You are God fully revealed (p. 209)
· You are the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person perspectives of the Trinity (p. 300)
Wilber calls himself a mapmaker and uses eight zones and ten intelligences of twelve stages of development, which equal nearly one trillion combinations of ways for two people to interact. That kind of map will not be useful for most people. But Wilber then takes the directional compass and twists it until True North is pointing towards his particular brand of eastern-style meditation-based enlightenment / spirituality, and all other religions are pointing toward Nazism.
I’ll pass on his map.
To sort things out he divided everything up for discussion into two groups of either singular or collective things, and then divides those into two groups of either interior or exterior. This is his quadrant system, but within each quadrant are two zones, one for objective consideration and the other for subjective consideration for a total of eight zones.
Wilber sets up a mathematical-like referential system for these eight zones. "1-p" means "1st person perspective", but "1p" means the 1st person. So you get sentences like this, "Zone #1 is 1p x 1-p x 1p, which means a first person takes a first-person approach to first person realities (as with phenomenology or hermeneutics). Zone #2 is 1p x 3-p x 1p, which means a first person takes a third-person or objective approach to first person realities (as with structuralism). ..."
Wilber then cites ten different kinds of intelligence people can have and uses rainbow colors to define twelve different stages of development within each kind of intelligence.
This system is Wilber’s Integral “Operating System”. And up to this point, I can only shrug and say, sure, why not? Everyone is free to organize their garage however they want. Wilber can overlay whatever organization or categorization scheme he wants onto the real world.
But this book is “Integral Spirituality” and includes Wilber’s ordering of different spiritual intelligence levels. My chief objection to the book is that he arbitrarily ranks his preferred enlightenment-style meditation-based spirituality as the most advanced one without giving much justification for doing so. He cherry picks obscure mystics (St. Seraphim of Sarov?) and claims that they corroborate his spirituality (p. 76), and then hijacks well known saints and claims that by “union with God” these saints claimed to be the same as God, something no Christian would agree with. He ranks the major world religions near the bottom (at the “amber” or mythic / ethnocentric level), and says that anyone who disagrees with him is either a Nazi (p. 179) or too stupid to understand (p. 274).
Wilber makes many claims that most people will object to, or simple research will disprove, such as:
· Biological organisms don’t merely perceive the world but bring it forth and co-create it (p. 170)
· 70% of the world are ethnocentric Nazis (p. 179)
· The Inquisition tortured and killed millions of people (p. 186)
· Mass and energy are two names for God (p. 187)
· Popes JP2 and Benedict XVI suppress Vatican 2 and repress their spiritual intelligence (p. 199)
· You are God fully revealed (p. 209)
· You are the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person perspectives of the Trinity (p. 300)
Wilber calls himself a mapmaker and uses eight zones and ten intelligences of twelve stages of development, which equal nearly one trillion combinations of ways for two people to interact. That kind of map will not be useful for most people. But Wilber then takes the directional compass and twists it until True North is pointing towards his particular brand of eastern-style meditation-based enlightenment / spirituality, and all other religions are pointing toward Nazism.
I’ll pass on his map.
January 28, 2012
I picked this book up after seeing it cited in another book; I was intrigued. When I started reading the book, I was blown away. Space does not allow me to begin to explain all that is here (even if I could). Suffice it to say that Ken Wilber is attempting to integrate psychological theory, spiritual traditions, religious traditions, and science into one integrated framework that speaks to the postmodern perspective of our age. At times I was completely lost, but in the end I was given a new lens or framework at which to consider my life and how I understand Truth and Reality. This was done not in a way that caused me to forsake my Christian tradition, but transform my understanding in a way that integrates a wide variety of other perspectives. Wilber tackles a wide range of developmental and scientific theories and models and yet writes in a way that is very accessible to the uninitiated. The only thing that needs to change is Wilber's picture. He looks like a serial killer or a cult leader in that picture. Other than that this is a book I will and will need to read again and again just to begin to grasp its basic ideas.
July 1, 2009
Back in the day, many taoists used to make fun of Confucius. It's about time some folks do the same with Wilber, who's totally lost in way too much -isms and other difficult words, fancy colors and hierarchies...
December 14, 2010
Sadly, I didn't finish this book - I gave up after the short intro to Wilber's integral theory. By the end of it my head was jumbled up with levels and stages and phases - it wasn't incomprehensible, it just wasn't enjoyable. I think the same ideas presented in a different way would have made me want to keep reading. Maybe trying an older Wilber book before attempting this one might have been a good idea...
June 7, 2012
Ken Wilber, Integral Spirituality: A Startling New Role for Religion in the Modern and Postmodern World, Integral Books, Boston, 2007.
It was only in my second reading of this book that I began to feel that I was coming to grips with its depth and complexity. I have heard Ken Wilber described as the world’s greatest modern philosopher. The pioneer of the Integral Approach, he has come up with a way of thinking that includes every aspect of knowledge. It does not add to them so much as reorganizes them and relates them to other branches of knowledge.
The key to this is the Quadrants. Take a square and divide it into four equal quadrants. The upper two are concerned with the individual, the lower two with the collective. The two left examine the interior, and the two right the exterior. Each quadrant can be further split in two as it is seen from its inside and from its outside. Most people do not distinguish between these approaches, which results in confusion. Does this sound complicated? Ken Wilber’s genius is that he can explain it and apply it to everything.
Another stroke of genius is to distinguish between stages of consciousness, and states of consciousness, which most people do not separate. Stages of consciousness, also called levels of development, are growth stages, for example, as a child grows, the child will pass through different stages of understanding. Many other writers have already observed this and described the stages. Ken Wilber draws them all together and comes up with a synthesis. States of consciousness, however, are quite different. They include waking, dreaming, states of meditation, etc. And they can occur at each of the stages of development.
In all four quadrants there is development or evolution. He sees evolution in the thinking of humanity, for example, how concepts in religion progressed from archaic to magical to premodern to rational (modern) to postmodern, and how this process is continuing and can be observed.
Ken Wilber sees Buddhism as the most highly developed form of religion, but there is value in all religions. In fact, he states that it is necessary for people to progress through states of consciousness, which are taught by religions, to grow to higher stages of consciousness. And every person has to go through this growth individually. So he encourages everyone to become involved with his or her own religion, because to Ken Wilber, it doesn’t matter which one you choose. Every religion can trap its members in a low level of development, and every religion can assist people to grow to a higher level. There are fascinating chapters on the shadow self, and on the great chain of being.
Another key insight is what he calls the pre/trans fallacy. ‘Pre’ refers to the pre-conventional stage, where a person is only concerned with his own needs. People then progress to the conventional stage where they have great respect for institutions and authorities. The next stage is trans-conventional, where a higher sense of morality emerges. The fallacy arises when these stages are confused. For example, at the time of the Vietnam war, many people were protesting against involvement in the war. Some were doing so out of fear of being drafted, they were only concerned for their own comforts. This comes from the Pre stage. Some felt it was their patriotic duty to support the war. This comes from the Conventional stage. Some were objecting to the war on the grounds that it was basically immoral. This comes from the Trans stage. So among the objectors were people in the Pre and Trans stages. But the Conventional stage people assumed all the objections were from the Pre stage, they were confusing the pre and trans stages. And this fallacy extends to many other areas of enquiry.
If you persist with this book, and are prepared to wrestle with its complexity, you cannot fail to be impressed by Ken Wilber’s breadth and depth of vision. My only criticism is that he has not taken seriously the claims of the Christian faith, which, in its most developed stages, is neither triumphalist nor exclusivist. I think the time will come when Ken Wilber will be required reading for anyone who is interested in philosophy, psychology, religion, or just about anything else. You don’t have to agree with everything, but you have to admire his brilliance.
It was only in my second reading of this book that I began to feel that I was coming to grips with its depth and complexity. I have heard Ken Wilber described as the world’s greatest modern philosopher. The pioneer of the Integral Approach, he has come up with a way of thinking that includes every aspect of knowledge. It does not add to them so much as reorganizes them and relates them to other branches of knowledge.
The key to this is the Quadrants. Take a square and divide it into four equal quadrants. The upper two are concerned with the individual, the lower two with the collective. The two left examine the interior, and the two right the exterior. Each quadrant can be further split in two as it is seen from its inside and from its outside. Most people do not distinguish between these approaches, which results in confusion. Does this sound complicated? Ken Wilber’s genius is that he can explain it and apply it to everything.
Another stroke of genius is to distinguish between stages of consciousness, and states of consciousness, which most people do not separate. Stages of consciousness, also called levels of development, are growth stages, for example, as a child grows, the child will pass through different stages of understanding. Many other writers have already observed this and described the stages. Ken Wilber draws them all together and comes up with a synthesis. States of consciousness, however, are quite different. They include waking, dreaming, states of meditation, etc. And they can occur at each of the stages of development.
In all four quadrants there is development or evolution. He sees evolution in the thinking of humanity, for example, how concepts in religion progressed from archaic to magical to premodern to rational (modern) to postmodern, and how this process is continuing and can be observed.
Ken Wilber sees Buddhism as the most highly developed form of religion, but there is value in all religions. In fact, he states that it is necessary for people to progress through states of consciousness, which are taught by religions, to grow to higher stages of consciousness. And every person has to go through this growth individually. So he encourages everyone to become involved with his or her own religion, because to Ken Wilber, it doesn’t matter which one you choose. Every religion can trap its members in a low level of development, and every religion can assist people to grow to a higher level. There are fascinating chapters on the shadow self, and on the great chain of being.
Another key insight is what he calls the pre/trans fallacy. ‘Pre’ refers to the pre-conventional stage, where a person is only concerned with his own needs. People then progress to the conventional stage where they have great respect for institutions and authorities. The next stage is trans-conventional, where a higher sense of morality emerges. The fallacy arises when these stages are confused. For example, at the time of the Vietnam war, many people were protesting against involvement in the war. Some were doing so out of fear of being drafted, they were only concerned for their own comforts. This comes from the Pre stage. Some felt it was their patriotic duty to support the war. This comes from the Conventional stage. Some were objecting to the war on the grounds that it was basically immoral. This comes from the Trans stage. So among the objectors were people in the Pre and Trans stages. But the Conventional stage people assumed all the objections were from the Pre stage, they were confusing the pre and trans stages. And this fallacy extends to many other areas of enquiry.
If you persist with this book, and are prepared to wrestle with its complexity, you cannot fail to be impressed by Ken Wilber’s breadth and depth of vision. My only criticism is that he has not taken seriously the claims of the Christian faith, which, in its most developed stages, is neither triumphalist nor exclusivist. I think the time will come when Ken Wilber will be required reading for anyone who is interested in philosophy, psychology, religion, or just about anything else. You don’t have to agree with everything, but you have to admire his brilliance.
April 8, 2019
After "No Boundary", Ken Wilber once again amazed me with his holistic, big-picture and integral understanding and approaches of spirituality and psychology. In this book, he talks about an Integral framework that he calls the AQAL (All Quadrants All Levels) framework, which, basically describes all of life if one thinks about it.
Understanding all quadrants and all levels is required if we want to have a map of human development. This framework integrates individual and collective parts of life, with it's inner and outer zones. There are very important illustrations here, which help us zoom out a little and look at one of the most comprehensive maps clearly, where we can see that intentional, behavioral, social and cultural phenomena are just parts of a whole. They are just a perspective or one aspect of our being in each moment of our lives.
But again, this is just a map, not the territory, and because of that, Ken suggests us the Integral Life Practice (ILP), which unites the practices to train 8 major zones from 4 quadrants. Those are the life-changing stuff if put in practice.
He also talks about structuralism and various models of human psychological and cultural development, including Graves' Spiral Dynamics, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, etc. and asks a very important question, how can we define Enlightenment? and is the Enlightenment from 2000 or 10,000 years ago the same as it is today? He suggests that it isn't, because we not only have to take into account the various mystical states that people can experience in each ages of history, but also the stages, that are being developed as history and evolution unfolds reality. So, some of the stages that are available today, was not available hundreds or thousands of years ago.
We are talking about the stages that Graves defined as different colors: red, blue, orange, green, yellow, turquoise, etc. According to Wilber, Enlightenment means becoming one with all the states and stages that are currently available in the memory of Kosmos today.
Also, he mentions very important issues, like "pre/post fallacy" and "the myth of the given". Those are crucial to consider if we want to understand issues such as religion vs science, science vs spirituality, why science will never answer the question of the ultimate concern, and why failing to do so creates much more evil in the world. Also, it's important to think about a whole new paradigm that comes with post-metaphysics, as Wilber call it, according to which, there is no given reality waiting for us to be discovered, and there are no pre-created structures of the human psyche that the mankind hasn't tapped into yet. No, those are all co-created and have been co-created since the beginning of the universe.
That is supposed to be the reason why only meditation won't solve your problems because there are things that just can't be seen while sitting on your cushion. Also, shadow work is worth mentioning, which Ken talks about too, and considers crucial for becoming a whole human being.
In short, this was a very interesting read. Anyone interested in holistic understanding of spirituality must read this book (and other works of Ken Wilber)
Understanding all quadrants and all levels is required if we want to have a map of human development. This framework integrates individual and collective parts of life, with it's inner and outer zones. There are very important illustrations here, which help us zoom out a little and look at one of the most comprehensive maps clearly, where we can see that intentional, behavioral, social and cultural phenomena are just parts of a whole. They are just a perspective or one aspect of our being in each moment of our lives.
But again, this is just a map, not the territory, and because of that, Ken suggests us the Integral Life Practice (ILP), which unites the practices to train 8 major zones from 4 quadrants. Those are the life-changing stuff if put in practice.
He also talks about structuralism and various models of human psychological and cultural development, including Graves' Spiral Dynamics, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, etc. and asks a very important question, how can we define Enlightenment? and is the Enlightenment from 2000 or 10,000 years ago the same as it is today? He suggests that it isn't, because we not only have to take into account the various mystical states that people can experience in each ages of history, but also the stages, that are being developed as history and evolution unfolds reality. So, some of the stages that are available today, was not available hundreds or thousands of years ago.
We are talking about the stages that Graves defined as different colors: red, blue, orange, green, yellow, turquoise, etc. According to Wilber, Enlightenment means becoming one with all the states and stages that are currently available in the memory of Kosmos today.
Also, he mentions very important issues, like "pre/post fallacy" and "the myth of the given". Those are crucial to consider if we want to understand issues such as religion vs science, science vs spirituality, why science will never answer the question of the ultimate concern, and why failing to do so creates much more evil in the world. Also, it's important to think about a whole new paradigm that comes with post-metaphysics, as Wilber call it, according to which, there is no given reality waiting for us to be discovered, and there are no pre-created structures of the human psyche that the mankind hasn't tapped into yet. No, those are all co-created and have been co-created since the beginning of the universe.
That is supposed to be the reason why only meditation won't solve your problems because there are things that just can't be seen while sitting on your cushion. Also, shadow work is worth mentioning, which Ken talks about too, and considers crucial for becoming a whole human being.
In short, this was a very interesting read. Anyone interested in holistic understanding of spirituality must read this book (and other works of Ken Wilber)
December 24, 2008
This book is not an easy read. You have to really want to read it, but it's worth it especially for the chronic seeker such as myself. For me it really made sense and helped me reconcile where I am vs. where a lot of fundamentalist Christians, etc. are; even atheists. Highly recommended - but it's not easy!
August 4, 2008
Ken Wilber is an incredible intellectual and author. He is a great source for those of us who enjoy exploring the crossroads between philosophy, science, and spirituality.
This book is WIlber's latest thinking on spirituality. It has some really mind blowing concepts.
This book is WIlber's latest thinking on spirituality. It has some really mind blowing concepts.
December 14, 2017
Interesting idea, but very poorly written. It would benefit from a good editor for structure, repetition, and to remove the crude analogies and overused idioms.
March 23, 2024
An extension of some of the ideas outlined in A Brief History of Everything, this book by Ken Wilber further explores the depths of his AQAL theory, postulating that full holistic development requires growth in all 4 quadrants, both internally and externally. He discussed the shortcomings of meditative and religious practices, as they are blind to the influences of other quadrants on the psyche.
He also emphasizes the antiquity of the large religious institutions, only allowing room for a mythic understanding of God and stunting the growth of spiritual practice. He discussed the “level-line” fallacy, claiming that religion is assumed to be mythic and lower while science is rational and above, when in fact spiritual and scientific development can happen in parallel.
I enjoyed the beginning of the book but towards the end became fatigued with the breadth of complex vocabulary and concepts. I became lost and could not catch back up. Plus the marketing elements scattered throughout the book were a bit off putting to me.
I preferred Brief History of Everything over this book, but I plan to return to it in the future to see if time provides understanding.
He also emphasizes the antiquity of the large religious institutions, only allowing room for a mythic understanding of God and stunting the growth of spiritual practice. He discussed the “level-line” fallacy, claiming that religion is assumed to be mythic and lower while science is rational and above, when in fact spiritual and scientific development can happen in parallel.
I enjoyed the beginning of the book but towards the end became fatigued with the breadth of complex vocabulary and concepts. I became lost and could not catch back up. Plus the marketing elements scattered throughout the book were a bit off putting to me.
I preferred Brief History of Everything over this book, but I plan to return to it in the future to see if time provides understanding.
December 6, 2023
I don’t really know what I’ve just read.
This was my introduction to Wilber and to integral thinking and it’s given me… the ick. Strange writing littered with *bold text*, cringey parenthetical jokes and insanely complex geometric/numerical structures mapping how one presumably ought to spiral towards becoming something like an integral Ubermensch.
It’s also riddled with suspicious nods to eugenics, a weird kind of transhumanist rejection of our earthly animal status and tone of contempt for the poor undeveloped masses, and the whole thing felt… kinda culty, with not-so-subtle appeals to join the movement punctuating the whole book. It’s just AGHGHG.
I did enjoy with the section on psychoanalysis and the shadow in relation to meditation and other ‘first-person’ spiritual methods, and one or two other passages in the first half of the book. But that was about it. Maybe he’s a genius that I’ll never understand, but I feel life is too short to try to again.
This was my introduction to Wilber and to integral thinking and it’s given me… the ick. Strange writing littered with *bold text*, cringey parenthetical jokes and insanely complex geometric/numerical structures mapping how one presumably ought to spiral towards becoming something like an integral Ubermensch.
It’s also riddled with suspicious nods to eugenics, a weird kind of transhumanist rejection of our earthly animal status and tone of contempt for the poor undeveloped masses, and the whole thing felt… kinda culty, with not-so-subtle appeals to join the movement punctuating the whole book. It’s just AGHGHG.
I did enjoy with the section on psychoanalysis and the shadow in relation to meditation and other ‘first-person’ spiritual methods, and one or two other passages in the first half of the book. But that was about it. Maybe he’s a genius that I’ll never understand, but I feel life is too short to try to again.
February 5, 2018
It is important and good book.
Well-documented scientific approach to spirituality, once you get through the first eight chapters of scientific analysis and hypothesis, then the main point is clearly spelled out in the Chapter 9 – The Conveyor Belt ☺
Over all for me there is too much of a “plug” – for The Institute, however it is worth reading it.
Advancing in spiritual development requires becoming aware of the Integral Spiritual approach – enjoy it if you dare.
Well-documented scientific approach to spirituality, once you get through the first eight chapters of scientific analysis and hypothesis, then the main point is clearly spelled out in the Chapter 9 – The Conveyor Belt ☺
Over all for me there is too much of a “plug” – for The Institute, however it is worth reading it.
Advancing in spiritual development requires becoming aware of the Integral Spiritual approach – enjoy it if you dare.
Read
January 29, 2012DNF I'm adding this to my list of books read in 2012 even though I couldn't finish because it was so painful to read the parts I did get through.
The problems with this book that made it impossible to go on:
* pseudo-intellectual jargon. Wilber creates a whole new language for the whole of reality, then writes a whole book in it, expecting readers who are smart enough and enlightened enough to 'get it and appreciate it'. (This is like taking a crash course in a foreign language then trying to read a novel in it.)I actually AM smart enough to "get" what he's saying, and also smart enough to see through the game he's playing. I refuse to play his game.
* I couldn't escape the "scientology" feel of the book. It came across as a little culty and he doesn't waste any opportunities to pimp the stuff he has to sell and his website. After he's already made it clear he doesn't want to be accessible to the "common person", it isn't a big leap to say he's pushing a new pseudo-intellectual version of "special revelation" on the level of a cult-leader.
* I got the distinct impression Wilber thinks he's more enlightened than Buddha. He felt he had the right to "get rid of the metaphysical trappings" of the world's wisdom traditions. Oh really? What gave him that right? Just because *he* finds something extraneous and useless and unevolved, doesn't mean it empirically is... which leads me to my final point...
* I got a strong impression that Wilber doesn't really understand he, too, is a perceiving being with his own biases and, just like the rest of us, probably has piece of truth but not the whole of it. While he pays lip service to the idea that his map is just one way to view things... I'm pretty sure he thinks his way is superior... not just for him, but for everyone.
In reading this stark, and cold book, the question I was confronted with was... so where's the spirituality? Once we reduce everything to lines and quandrants and holons and whatever other jargon he wants to introduce, aren't we as guilty as a reductionistic materialist? And isn't that, by definition, NOT spiritual?
Wilber might do better to just follow Buddha, at least that guy made sense, AND had some humility.
The problems with this book that made it impossible to go on:
* pseudo-intellectual jargon. Wilber creates a whole new language for the whole of reality, then writes a whole book in it, expecting readers who are smart enough and enlightened enough to 'get it and appreciate it'. (This is like taking a crash course in a foreign language then trying to read a novel in it.)I actually AM smart enough to "get" what he's saying, and also smart enough to see through the game he's playing. I refuse to play his game.
* I couldn't escape the "scientology" feel of the book. It came across as a little culty and he doesn't waste any opportunities to pimp the stuff he has to sell and his website. After he's already made it clear he doesn't want to be accessible to the "common person", it isn't a big leap to say he's pushing a new pseudo-intellectual version of "special revelation" on the level of a cult-leader.
* I got the distinct impression Wilber thinks he's more enlightened than Buddha. He felt he had the right to "get rid of the metaphysical trappings" of the world's wisdom traditions. Oh really? What gave him that right? Just because *he* finds something extraneous and useless and unevolved, doesn't mean it empirically is... which leads me to my final point...
* I got a strong impression that Wilber doesn't really understand he, too, is a perceiving being with his own biases and, just like the rest of us, probably has piece of truth but not the whole of it. While he pays lip service to the idea that his map is just one way to view things... I'm pretty sure he thinks his way is superior... not just for him, but for everyone.
In reading this stark, and cold book, the question I was confronted with was... so where's the spirituality? Once we reduce everything to lines and quandrants and holons and whatever other jargon he wants to introduce, aren't we as guilty as a reductionistic materialist? And isn't that, by definition, NOT spiritual?
Wilber might do better to just follow Buddha, at least that guy made sense, AND had some humility.
September 10, 2020
It's hard to read because the subject itself is really complex and Ken does everything to translate this wisdom in plain words.
Long story short, he combined multiple models into one integral model - All Quadrants All Levels(AQAL). If you are familiar with Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and Spiral Dynamics then AQAL is something you shouldn't miss.
If you ever wondered why only meditation is not enough probably this book will give you an answer.
May 17, 2024
It is beneficial to grasp the fundamental concepts of Ken Wilber's Integral System before applying it to spirituality. therefore, I recommend readers to first read Wilber's Theory of Everything prior to delving into Integral Spirituality.
One of the worst drawbacks of blindly following religion or dogmas is, it can sometimes lead individuals to prioritize religious rules over ethical considerations or human rights. This can create moral dilemmas and conflicts between personal conscience and religious doctrine. True spiritual growth often involves personal reflection, questioning, and exploration. Blind adherence to religious dogma may prevent individuals from engaging in these transformative processes, limiting their potential for deepening their spiritual understanding and connection.
Integral Spirituality, authored by the modern philosopher Ken Wilber, is a groundbreaking exploration of consciousness, spirituality, and the human experience. Wilber proposes that reality can be understood through four fundamental dimensions or "quadrants": the individual-interior, the individual-exterior, the collective-interior, and the collective-exterior. According to Wilber, these dimensions offer a comprehensive map of human experience, encompassing both subjective and objective realities. "If you leave out science, or leave out art, or leave out morals and ethical considerations, something is going missing, something will get broken." just like the 'unified theory " in physics which proposes to unify the four fundamental forces of nature: gravity, electromagnetism, the weak nuclear force, and the strong nuclear force.
One of the key concepts in Integral Spirituality is the notion of "holons," which are entities that are simultaneously whole in themselves and parts of larger wholes. This concept illustrates Wilber's emphasis on the interconnectedness and interdependence of all phenomena in the universe. By recognizing holons at various levels of existence, from atoms to galaxies to human societies, Wilber offers a powerful framework for understanding the hierarchical nature of reality and the evolution of consciousness.
What sets Wilber apart as a writer is his inspiring vision of human potential and possibility. His writing conveys a sense of optimism, hope, and empowerment, inviting readers to embark on a journey of self-discovery, growth, and transformation.
In conclusion, Integral Spirituality stands as a seminal work in the fields of philosophy, psychology, and spirituality, offering a rich tapestry of insights and perspectives on the nature of consciousness and reality. Whether one agrees with all of Wilber's ideas or not, his work continues to stimulate thought and dialogue among scholars, practitioners, and seekers alike. Integral Spirituality invites readers on a transformative journey of self-discovery and understanding, challenging them to embrace a more holistic and integrated vision of life and spirituality.
this book deserves a 5 star.
One of the worst drawbacks of blindly following religion or dogmas is, it can sometimes lead individuals to prioritize religious rules over ethical considerations or human rights. This can create moral dilemmas and conflicts between personal conscience and religious doctrine. True spiritual growth often involves personal reflection, questioning, and exploration. Blind adherence to religious dogma may prevent individuals from engaging in these transformative processes, limiting their potential for deepening their spiritual understanding and connection.
Integral Spirituality, authored by the modern philosopher Ken Wilber, is a groundbreaking exploration of consciousness, spirituality, and the human experience. Wilber proposes that reality can be understood through four fundamental dimensions or "quadrants": the individual-interior, the individual-exterior, the collective-interior, and the collective-exterior. According to Wilber, these dimensions offer a comprehensive map of human experience, encompassing both subjective and objective realities. "If you leave out science, or leave out art, or leave out morals and ethical considerations, something is going missing, something will get broken." just like the 'unified theory " in physics which proposes to unify the four fundamental forces of nature: gravity, electromagnetism, the weak nuclear force, and the strong nuclear force.
One of the key concepts in Integral Spirituality is the notion of "holons," which are entities that are simultaneously whole in themselves and parts of larger wholes. This concept illustrates Wilber's emphasis on the interconnectedness and interdependence of all phenomena in the universe. By recognizing holons at various levels of existence, from atoms to galaxies to human societies, Wilber offers a powerful framework for understanding the hierarchical nature of reality and the evolution of consciousness.
What sets Wilber apart as a writer is his inspiring vision of human potential and possibility. His writing conveys a sense of optimism, hope, and empowerment, inviting readers to embark on a journey of self-discovery, growth, and transformation.
In conclusion, Integral Spirituality stands as a seminal work in the fields of philosophy, psychology, and spirituality, offering a rich tapestry of insights and perspectives on the nature of consciousness and reality. Whether one agrees with all of Wilber's ideas or not, his work continues to stimulate thought and dialogue among scholars, practitioners, and seekers alike. Integral Spirituality invites readers on a transformative journey of self-discovery and understanding, challenging them to embrace a more holistic and integrated vision of life and spirituality.
this book deserves a 5 star.
May 7, 2022
Mind-expanding.
What can I say? Ken Wilber helped me put my worldview into perspective.
Where I thought Terence McKenna made a lot of sense, I now realize how there's a lot more nuance to it than I realized, and Wilber helped me see it!
There are a couple of tremendously powerful concepts and ideas introduced in this book, and I can really recommend anyone interested to take the time and study them.
Among them are the Pre/Trans-Fallacy, the Level/Line Fallacy, the Myth of the Given, finding the Kosmic Address and more.
Ken Wilber writes in and articulates in a way that I perceive as incredibly 'heady/brainy/cognitive, and might put off people. However, I found that it was well worth my time to persevere.
And now and again he unexpectedly goes into his 'mystic mode' and attempts to describe the ineffable.
Highly recommended for integral thinkers and seekers of truth. Although Wilber attempts to write in a digestible manner in order to present his ideas in an accessible manner, it still was demanding something of me.
However, his casual style, repetitions and examples after concepts made this book a lot easier for me to go through, and I do appreciate this approach a lot, especially as this was my second Ken Wilber book.
What can I say? Ken Wilber helped me put my worldview into perspective.
Where I thought Terence McKenna made a lot of sense, I now realize how there's a lot more nuance to it than I realized, and Wilber helped me see it!
There are a couple of tremendously powerful concepts and ideas introduced in this book, and I can really recommend anyone interested to take the time and study them.
Among them are the Pre/Trans-Fallacy, the Level/Line Fallacy, the Myth of the Given, finding the Kosmic Address and more.
Ken Wilber writes in and articulates in a way that I perceive as incredibly 'heady/brainy/cognitive, and might put off people. However, I found that it was well worth my time to persevere.
And now and again he unexpectedly goes into his 'mystic mode' and attempts to describe the ineffable.
Highly recommended for integral thinkers and seekers of truth. Although Wilber attempts to write in a digestible manner in order to present his ideas in an accessible manner, it still was demanding something of me.
However, his casual style, repetitions and examples after concepts made this book a lot easier for me to go through, and I do appreciate this approach a lot, especially as this was my second Ken Wilber book.
act47-org
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December 23, 2020
I guess it's a good read for those who are already on board with Wilber's ideas. I'm not a stranger to all sorts of weird social science texts and theories, but this was hard to get through. Now I have to admit that his general point is interesting and relevant, but nobody needs a >300 pages book full of weird diagrams and acronyms to get it across.
Like so many writers who came up with A Big Theory of All Stuff, Wilber is over-confident, prone to cherry-picking facts and references. These kind of texts rarely hold up to any scrutiny if you're trained in any of the sciences he uses (or misuse?). I was quickly irritated and didn't get to the very end, to be honest.
Like so many writers who came up with A Big Theory of All Stuff, Wilber is over-confident, prone to cherry-picking facts and references. These kind of texts rarely hold up to any scrutiny if you're trained in any of the sciences he uses (or misuse?). I was quickly irritated and didn't get to the very end, to be honest.
May 9, 2018
The 10% of the book that I was able to follow was really interesting :)
Wilber had some interesting points but I really struggled to follow what he was talking about, the graphs he kept referring to for various stages and levels, etc. To be honest I was also unsure how to relate to the these theories because I don't have a context for who the author is and how these findings compare to other research or theories in this field. That may not be fair criticism of the book, but it certainly held me back.
If you don't know what this "field" is yet, this may not be the best introductory book.
Wilber had some interesting points but I really struggled to follow what he was talking about, the graphs he kept referring to for various stages and levels, etc. To be honest I was also unsure how to relate to the these theories because I don't have a context for who the author is and how these findings compare to other research or theories in this field. That may not be fair criticism of the book, but it certainly held me back.
If you don't know what this "field" is yet, this may not be the best introductory book.
December 31, 2020
I think I'll definitely need to re-read this at a later date; at which point I'm sure I'll give it five stars. As of now though, I have to admit, most of this went way over my head. There are some really compelling and powerful ideas presented here. But this is indeed extremely dense and complex material to try and make sense of in one go. I would probably suggest doing a bit of reading on spirituality, religion, developmental psychology, and metaphysics before trying to tackle this. Although I do look forward to giving it another try when I'm ready.
Read
October 7, 2020Did not really read this, but attempt to read it. Could not get into it in the introduction, tried other chapters, the more I tried the less I succeeded. There might be an interesting message hidden in there, but clearly, it is not for me. Way to complicated, convoluted, constructed. Not giving a ranking, because that would not be fair after my failed attempts at even getting anywhere with this.
January 15, 2021
While I am generally on the same page with Ken Wilber, and I believe his theories here are accurate, this book is too heady to be much of a help to those on a Spiritual continuum and lacking in heart to assist Spiritual companions with meeting people where they are. I had to get to the very last chapter in the book to find truly helpful thoughts.
November 13, 2022
Wonderful map for a spirituality that embraces all of life as we know it. Lots of repetition, which got a bit old, but maybe it was needed when the book was first written. Appreciate this very helpful integral perspective and look forward to reading more.
November 6, 2023
The main point that I got from this is the persistence of the myth of the given in the philosophy of meditation.
Every meditator needs to know this!
Also: the sections on shadow work changed my life.... incredible experience.
Every meditator needs to know this!
Also: the sections on shadow work changed my life.... incredible experience.
December 17, 2023
Integral Spirituality (Hardcover) is a masterful exploration of the transformative power found in quiet contemplation. The book's gentle strokes guide readers to embrace the art of stillness, unlocking profound insights and inner serenity.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2019
Never mind the Dark Ages! Wilber is here with a message of happiness.
July 20, 2019
Gives religion a purpose in our present day world
October 8, 2019
Profoundly influenced my worldview and path
April 6, 2020
Love it! I re-listen to this in audio format, very often. Ken Wilber is very concise here.
March 20, 2021
Wilber's book is incredibly thorough. It was more academic than what I was hoping for. Even so, I can see how useful this book will be for others.
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