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January 2008 
Integral: What Now?
Posted on Jan 7th, 2007
by 
P'SAL
P'SAL
So it's obvious that the Integral Movement has reached something of an impasse following the resignation of Integral Institute CEO Steve Frazee, followed by the exodus of several core staffers (including myself), founder Ken Wilber's health problems, and the resulting and understandable stagnation of I-I's marketable offerings.
The question now is: what next? More pointedly, what should those of us lit up and inspired by the integral vision do now that I-I, at least for the time being, lies in dormancy? How can we "be integral" when the world's premier integral organization is sitting on the bench?
At this point, we shouldn't be looking to I-I for any sort of leadership in the near future. The organization will get back on its feet, but it will take time, and only with serious realism on the part of those now in charge. And this, of course, places the responsibility for carrying the integral vision forward on our own shoulders.
But how?
For one, it behooves us all to continue to cultivate the intellectual curiosity which brought us to integral in the first place. The newly-released AQAL Journal is a step in the right direction, but there are also a wealth of alternative -- even contradictory -- perspectives on integral theory worth considering, from Jeff Meyerhoff's bold deconstructions of Wilber's Sex, Ecology, Spirituality to Andrew P. Smith's compelling ideas on "natural heirarchy" to Michael Bauwens' writings on Peer-to-Peer economics and Matthew Dallman's quest to revamp the Western canon and the humanities.
Second, and perhaps more importantly, a renewed commitment to personal development and practice, whether in the forms suggested by I-I's Integral Life Practice, or many other disciplines across the spectrum of human potential. ILP, in its fullest form, is already too much for most folks to practice; many of us are so lost in work or other obligations that even folding laundry and getting out of bed in the morning present significant challenges, to say nothing of exploring one's psychological shadows or meditating in the first, second, and third person dimensions. Consequently, practice as such needs to be promoted and cultivated first and foremost, starting with even very simple things like sitting in silence for five minutes a day, jogging once around the block each morning, or telling a loved one what you appreciate about them.
Third, and closest to my own heart, could be a refocusing on artistic and media-based expressionions OF an integral vision -- of a life lived with greater freedom and fullness -- which stems from the enactment of the first two suggestions (intellectual curiosity and personal development), rather than Integral Naked's audio and video clips ABOUT integral theory. The world is glutted, at this point, with endless reiterations of AQAL core concepts, and needs far more to be shown what an integral life and perspective looks like from the inside of one's own consciousness. Put in enough effort, and you'll see an entire new arsenal of YouTube-savvy viral videos and rampaging audio which stands on its own and needs no theoretical explanations for it to be grokked.
Along with this, of course, would be a community to support the suggestions above, which is already in place on Zaadz, Integral World, and countless other online venues. It's up to us, really, the community of I-I expats and other integral "outsiders", to take the lead and bring the world what it might so desperately need. Giddyup.
The question now is: what next? More pointedly, what should those of us lit up and inspired by the integral vision do now that I-I, at least for the time being, lies in dormancy? How can we "be integral" when the world's premier integral organization is sitting on the bench?
At this point, we shouldn't be looking to I-I for any sort of leadership in the near future. The organization will get back on its feet, but it will take time, and only with serious realism on the part of those now in charge. And this, of course, places the responsibility for carrying the integral vision forward on our own shoulders.
But how?
For one, it behooves us all to continue to cultivate the intellectual curiosity which brought us to integral in the first place. The newly-released AQAL Journal is a step in the right direction, but there are also a wealth of alternative -- even contradictory -- perspectives on integral theory worth considering, from Jeff Meyerhoff's bold deconstructions of Wilber's Sex, Ecology, Spirituality to Andrew P. Smith's compelling ideas on "natural heirarchy" to Michael Bauwens' writings on Peer-to-Peer economics and Matthew Dallman's quest to revamp the Western canon and the humanities.
Second, and perhaps more importantly, a renewed commitment to personal development and practice, whether in the forms suggested by I-I's Integral Life Practice, or many other disciplines across the spectrum of human potential. ILP, in its fullest form, is already too much for most folks to practice; many of us are so lost in work or other obligations that even folding laundry and getting out of bed in the morning present significant challenges, to say nothing of exploring one's psychological shadows or meditating in the first, second, and third person dimensions. Consequently, practice as such needs to be promoted and cultivated first and foremost, starting with even very simple things like sitting in silence for five minutes a day, jogging once around the block each morning, or telling a loved one what you appreciate about them.
Third, and closest to my own heart, could be a refocusing on artistic and media-based expressionions OF an integral vision -- of a life lived with greater freedom and fullness -- which stems from the enactment of the first two suggestions (intellectual curiosity and personal development), rather than Integral Naked's audio and video clips ABOUT integral theory. The world is glutted, at this point, with endless reiterations of AQAL core concepts, and needs far more to be shown what an integral life and perspective looks like from the inside of one's own consciousness. Put in enough effort, and you'll see an entire new arsenal of YouTube-savvy viral videos and rampaging audio which stands on its own and needs no theoretical explanations for it to be grokked.
Along with this, of course, would be a community to support the suggestions above, which is already in place on Zaadz, Integral World, and countless other online venues. It's up to us, really, the community of I-I expats and other integral "outsiders", to take the lead and bring the world what it might so desperately need. Giddyup.
Access: Public
well said. carry on…
~C
4. Put a few cameras in the Davis household and just stream that on YouTube 24/7. hah j/k Stu.
I like this post. Welcome to the expat world!
i find your perspective amuzing. it's difficult for me to understand what meaning “integral” has for you, if you find your laundry challenging. here's my post on this. i still hope your post is a prank, but i'm also afraid it's not.
Hokai: my initial reaction to both this comment and your blog post was to get defensive and lash back at you, but you do have a point. While obviously I'm not so unmotivated as to find laundry and early mornings to be significant challenges (if you missed the humor there, perhaps I should rewrite the sentence?), I have found it to be a general tendency amongst I-I staffers, both current and former, to lack the basic self-discipline it takes to balance committed practice and a rigorous work life, myself included. The main reason for that, of course, was certainly the lack of money, but also a deficiency of WILL, as you might say.
Either way, I'd encourage everyone here to check out Hokai's own spirited defense of Ken and I-I entitled “Integral Dreams”, along with follow-up “Partial Dreams”, which is a unique perspective on the whole deal.
hi paul.:-) thanks for not getting defensive and lashing back, because i'm not after you or anything. the thing is, i refuse to accept the position of ambivalence towards what's happening at the I-I from anyone claiming to be genuinely interested in integral anything. (as to the laundry, for some people it's really not a joke! they barely make it through the day, and they're doing their best. in that respect, practice is not for everyone, and you were writing in very general terms.) also, any participant in the I-I past or present has a certain responsibility to the public… you've had a unique opportunity to help create something which really meant a lot in lives of many bright people, and i'm not sure you can imagine what something like I-I means for those of us who live and work and practice in transitional societies, where scarcity of authentic discourse on anything is quite painful (even i can't imagine the situation in russia). this stuff really gets serious for some when their lives depend on getting proper guidance. this is not about intellectual pingponging or deconstructing this and that position. i'm on a raging sea here - as if - and i need the lightship to do its job properly. hence i tend to react at anyone who, after safely disembarking, proposes to consider other sources of dis/orientation that, anyway, mostly tend to rotate their spotlights towards themselves, as if acting on stage. it may be a good idea to hang out at various websites instead of forming real-life communities, but that's not “what the world needs”. (btw, i love your writing. keep it up.)
Hokai,
Thank you for the reminder of the responsibility we bear to the public. We've taken it for granted on many occasions, and it's hard sometimes to think outside of the “Boulder bubble”. I guess part of the “heroic self-inflation” you critiqued in my post had to do with wanting to pump myself and others up to live up to this very same responsibility, albeit in a form outside of I-I proper, where the pain is still too acute for many of us to consider going back as of right now. Thank you as well for putting our intellectual ping-ponging in sharp relief: these ideas DO matter, after all. Oh, and I agree whole-heartedly that the world also needs more real-life communities, another thing we've taken for granted here in Boulder. Lastly, thanks for the compliment on my writing, that means a lot to me.
-Paul
One of Paul's comment on world cluttered with AQAL theory to me is statistically invalid. I live in a country like India which is essentially at the cusp of massive transformation of people moving to Orange. It is a country where you have people at every spectrum of awareness from purple, red to Integral..India is an ideal ground for rolling out the AQAL, Integral theory but I dont think anyone is heard of it..AQAL applications in Indian public life is not only great but critical because else this country can implode. So I just dont understand how one need to even go looking at deconstruction of SES, Mathew Dallman work etc who all at the end are basically deoncstructing Ken's work. Fundamentally the reason I got attracted to Ken is that for typical orange guy like me in 2002, but seeking answers it made so much sense which I could apply in business, personal relationships, family, aesthetics, the full spectrum of my interests.
Everyone of Ken's critics have a unnatural shrillness about them..It puts me off , the words reek of rejection and projection. As society evolves i.e 500 years later I am sure parts of Ken's work will not be inadequate to express the manifestation of that era but that is fine.
I warmly recommend, you travel and interact with people in other lands..You may not have got satisfaction from putting those audios and videos but I am grateful for you to put it up which allowed me for two years to hear interactions with very sharp human beings..Yes I am now full and have taken a break but I will return to it..
At the end this is a football game..we need to be light and not overly depressed or elated..play the game hard and fair..shake hands at the end of the game and prepare for the next game and do it lightly with a sense of humor…
I am again grateful to allow me in India to hear those conversations, see Fred Kofman, experience the big mind process and also hear Ken talking to wonderful people
Warm Regards
Ram
bless you, ram. your comment rocks.
Ram: as I said to Hokai… thanks for your perspective!
As an admitted noob, my comment may or may not have any bearing or value on this specific conversation but I feel moved to add it anyway.
I have attempted to approach Integral studies a few times from various perspectives. Although I’m apparently pretty bright (self-taught in a wide range of subjects, author of a few dozen books, spiritual teacher focused on the convergence of modern science and ancient wisdom), I have yet to get a handle on what Integral means or does or is. I’ve been through the introductory material recommended by a colleague who is a serious student of Wilber’s work (IOS 1.0). I understand (most of) the words but, very much like “A Course in Miracles” (to w hich I suspect Wilber would not like being compared), the tendency to use common words to mean wholly different things from their standard meaning makes a verbal thicket that is difficult, at best, to penetrate.
And yet there is something stirring there just beneath the surface that keeps drawing me back into a desire to explore the subject further. I have a strong daily spiritual practice, though it is not directly influenced by Integral methods (although it does seem to have a characteristic or two in common). I’m deeply interested in the THEORY of Integral Life. I’ve listened to a lot of the audio and video clips at I-I (subscribed) and I STILL don’t get it.
So if the organization is dormant, it is perhaps because it has failed to couch and present its material in an accessible way. I always feel – indeed including this conversation – like an outsider trying to penetrate a clique of cool people who aren’t cold or off-putting, but who are intensely interested and focused on the subject so that they don’t seem to hear the importunings of outsiders like myself.