Stages of Wilberism?

I just read an interesting article called “The Cult of Ken Wilber” by Michel Bauwens who also wrote an essay on peer to peer (P2P) and integral theory posted at Frank Visser’s Integral World. It was a timely article since just this morning I was thinking about my own ‘stages,’ if you will, of Wilberism which have been full of states of Wilberium and Wilberitis at times.

Like many it seems, when I first found the work of Wilber I felt a sense of resonance, relief and excitement. Here was a map that put so much together, that covered atoms to God and everything in between. It was work that honored science and emphasized, of all things, meditation and spiritual practice. I identified with Wilber, who was a scientist throughout college yet who knew there was more than just ‘its’ in this world. When I first started reading Wilber, I had just dropped out of a physical therapy program partly due to depression and social anxiety but mainly because it just didn’t fit my purpose and interests. I felt a deep need and interest in exploring within so I read Tolle’s Power of Now and it opened something up in me. But something seemed missing from Tolle’s book that pointed so effectively toward realization or awakening. Looking back I think he was only giving half the story and no direction in how to live and function from that space and place.

Wilber’s map and emancipatory call to practice fit the bill though and his maps helped me round out my own developing “ITP.” I read more and more of Wilber and others he spoke of. My own identification and attachment to Wilber and his writing/endeavors slowly grew. He was my hero, an idealized version of an intelligent ‘book worm’ scholar that was paradoxically very cool (into pop culture/lingo/music/humor) and to top it all off spiritually attuned for lack of a better word. Someone to look up to, that challenged me intellectually and spiritually, someone’s work to share with family and friends. I read just about everything I could find on the guy, about his life, loves, work, etc. I was almost obsessed at times, sometimes adopting his views and relinquishing any independent thought of my own pretty much. He had all the answers and they all made so much sense! Of course it is easy for them to make sense sometimes when someone else has done all the thinking. I found myself saying Wilber’s model explains EVERYTHING dude, can’t you fucking see it?!?! Ok, I wasn’t that bad and didn’t verbalize that to others but that is what was going on in my mind at times.

I then decided that I can’t just keep all this Wilberium to myself but must find others to share it with no? If there was only a forum to congregate with others that know the map, that are really ‘integral’ unlike all my unintegral friends and family…yeahhh. Whoa and then out of nowhere Integral Naked and its wonderful forum is born. I actually didn’t join for quite a while then couldn’t resist and now I could see and hear Wilber in the flesh - way cool. I watched every video, listened to every talk (and still do pretty much) and met some really, really great people on the forum. It was nice to connect and cool to speak with others fluent in Wilberease. I could make nerdy references to some obscure endnote from Integral Psychology and someone would appreciate it…sweet! I made this blog, filled it with integral links and have met others through it as well that share my passion. I had a group to identify with even if it was only in cyberspace. I fantasized about moving to Colorado. I traveled to Boulder, got to check out I-I and briefly meet a few cool ‘integral’ folk and at times still think about moving to Denver. I purchased and listened to Ken’s Kosmic Consciousness cd set many, many times. I started volunteer work for IU and I took the Integral Theory course offered at IUP, to learn and apply his theory and have a chance to interact with him. I was pretty excited about “meeting” him on our concalls for class and actually got to ask him a question and talk with him briefly. Very cool. Guess I can’t make fun of those “crazy” people that obsess about movie, sports or music stars anymore eh? Hehe

After taking the course and interacting with Wilber and others at the class forum a little shift began to happen. I began to get a little burned out on Wilber and integral. After an entire course of AQAL (levels, lines, states, types and quadrants) I needed a break. How much integral can one man take? I became more interested in Wilber’s critics and the sources he uses in his own work. I began to think more critically about the ‘integral movement.’ I tried to stop color-coding every person or event I came across with SD colors. I reminded myself often that Ken’s theory is not THE integral theory but HIS version of integral theory and that integral consciousness, whatever it may or may not be, is like a wave and AQAL is just a surfboard (of many) one can use to surf it (Ken’s analogy by the way). I read about Matthew Dallman’s experiences with Wilber, which helped bring home the point that Wilber is human, he is not perfect, he is not beyond his own model (levels and lines) and certainly has his issues – strengths and weaknesses – like everyone else. I voiced my own ‘integral concerns’ in a few posts on this blog. I’m beginning to be able to appreciate and respect his work yet be able to be critical of it and him when appropriate. I can hold it all much more lightly. I still often wonder though where I can draw the line between healthy passion and excitement about Wilber, his work and the integral movement versus unhealthy attachment and fantasy. It is not that any of those ‘stages’ in my experiences with Wilberism and integral or necessarily bad, just an ever evolving relationship that is mixed with passion and possible pathology at times, healthy and unhealthy aspects as my own views of the man and integral change.

Bauwen’s own experiences with Wilber are interesting, especially some of the more personal incidents he has had with Wilber in the past. I think several of his comments regarding Wilber and integral speak true to my experience such as:

“I would venture the hypothesis that the attractiveness of the grand Wilberian scheme is that it functions as an ultimate answer, an all-encompassing system, and that I am not the only one who placed my discernment outside of myself, to an external arbiter.”

"Most of all, I believe that the integrative impulse is a worthy enterprise. In a world of such diversity to look at structure and developmental processes (which are a feature of the natural , social and personal worlds) is necessary. But the integrative, integral impulse does not belong in any way to Mr. Ken Wilber; it is a general feature of contemporary consciousness (one trend battling the fragmentation of postmodernity), with many different pioneers and alternatives to Wilber.

Thus a first thing to do is to liberate yourself to a univocal adhesion to Wilber's form of it."

"What can be a conclusion to all this? That Ken Wilber is an undoubtedly interesting and stimulating author, with an interesting Edifice. But that it is no substitute for reading primary material, other competing interpretations, but most of all, one's own spiritual and intellectual, and moral development."

Other areas of the article I tend to agree less with but I do feel some common ground with Bauwens overall experiences. For me the journey of exploring integral continues with IU/I-I/IN and with others making their own independent contributions to the wonderful world of integrative endeavors.

And in the end, I think the as the Buddha said we must always remember to be a light unto ourselves.

Comments

[elementstew]

Hi Shawn,

So, the next question is where do you go from here?

Besides stages of Wilberism, dont you think that the integral movement itself will go through stages? You know, the collectives go through stages as well as the individuals. As I see it, we are in the seperation/differentiation phase of the integral movement. So the next logical phase is the integration/transformation of integral itself.

For these ends, I am commenting on your recent blog and asking for your assistance in this endeavor.

Step one in this process will be to round-up all of the post-dogma Wilberians so that we can discuss and work out some sort of agenda or mission. In general terms, the activities of the post-dogmatic integralists are mainly on a nonconscious (sub, un or super, doesn't really matter)level. In other words, the WE does not yet have a clearly defined mission nor the cohesive vision necessary to accomplish the integration/transormation of integral itself.

There is a discussion about this over at www.integralvisioning.org, I'll try to get a page started over there for said purpose, but as you may recall, I'm a bit of a cybertard....I'd appreciate your feedback though.

PS you still have that open invitation to come to the mountains for some peddling, paddling and communing in various levels and contexts.

[Kevin Champion]

Thank you so much for writing this. This is the first critique on this strangely very hot issue that I have read which approximates my own experience and thoughts on the matter. I have been attempting to engage all the critical material out there and have found so much drivel that I am completely disheartened by it all. I think that for many of us, the key is in constantly remembering, as you do here, what it is that we found so real and refreshing and non-fragmenting about Wilber and his attempt at spelling out a map of integralism in the first place.