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Journal of Experiential Psychotherapy, vol. 21, no 2 (82) June 2018

Understanding Human : and Application

Maretha Prinsloo, PhD*i *Cognadev, UK

“Consciousness implies : subjective, phenomenal experience of internal and external worlds... Our views of , of the universe, of ourselves depend on consciousness. Consciousness defines our .” (Hameroff & Penrose, 2014, p. 39)

Abstract Introduction: The study of consciousness attracts the of psychologists, philosophers and scientists. It is, however, mostly dealt with in a descriptive and speculative manner, without explaining the of the subjective experience and the dynamics involved. Objectives: This article aims to provide a brief overview of prominent philosophical, psychological, sociological and quantum perspectives on consciousness. The practical implications of consciousness theory are also addressed. Methods: review. Results: From a social sciences point of view, Gebser’s Structure of Human Consciousness model, Clare Graves’s Spiral Dynamics (SD) model and Ken Wilber’s Integral AQAL model are briefly discussed to understand the of levels of consciousness and to differentiate between the developmental themes which characterise each of these levels. This is followed by a description of scientific and findings. Here the work of prominent philosophers of science, including Dennett and Laszlo, is briefly explored. Neurological and quantum physics discoveries, including the work of Bohm, Pribram, McTaggart, Hameroff and Penrose are referred to and the phenomenon of consciousness is explained in terms of the physics of quantum nonlocality and entanglement. Next, the application of consciousness theory is addressed within the contexts of societal transformation, leadership, organisational development, organisational and . Conclusions: The subject of consciousness thus remains deeply mysterious but of profound importance for the proliferation of life and our continued existence and growth.

Keywords: Consciousness, Collective consciousness, Values, Valuing systems, Organisational culture, Leadership

i Corresponding author: Maretha Prinsloo, www.cognadev.com.

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Journal of Experiential Psychotherapy, vol. 21, no 2 (82) June 2018

1. Introduction and progressive. The structures of consciousness find Consciousness is a complex phenomenon, a expression through various forms of economic pearl in the crown of . It is man’s most powerful development, namely foraging, horticultural, agrarian, defence against meaninglessness, chaos and decline. No industrial and informational modes. wonder then that the topic has become the focus of According to Gebser, the Archaic epoch scholars across the physical-metaphysical divide. includes all structures of consciousness up to, and The study of consciousness largely attracts the including, the first hominids. The Magical epoch involves attention of psychologists and philosophers and is a relatively undifferentiated body and . Here, the therefore often dealt with in a descriptive and symbolic representation of reality becomes possible. speculative rather than an explanatory manner. The Although close to nature, there is little or no for elusive nature of consciousness has, however, not the environment and immediate advantage is pursued. discouraged scientists, quantum physicists in particular, The collective of tribal kinship, from also peering into the void. Efforts at integrating however, progressed from based on a common qualitative and quantitative research findings on ancestor to that of common rules, which leads to the consciousness have subsequently followed. of mythology. During the Mythic epoch a This article is aimed at providing a brief transition from the tribal identity to an abstract identity overview of some interesting views of consciousness takes place. Gebser describes mythic membership as including philosophical, psychological, sociological, socio-centric or ethnocentric. The Mythic-rational spiritual and quantum physics perspectives. A number of structure is reflective of the rationality of concrete practical implications of the consciousness theories from operations (as also referred to by Piaget) where a social sciences perspective are also touched upon. thinking about thinking emerges. In transitioning from the mythical to the rational, the mythological is 2. Theory justified rationally. During this phase, the capability to 2.1. Social science perspectives of consciousness take different perspectives, formulate hypothetical Humans have always been intrigued by the possibilities and become possible. The mystery of consciousness and the quest to understand it mythic-rational enables the emergence of a global, is as old as known human itself. The following planetary consciousness. This global tendency is relatively recent theoretical contributions from expressed by extending a particular mythology to , and provide world-embracing dimensions via military power, for particularly useful perspectives of consciousness example. In the past this gave rise to the emergence of development. great empires such as those of the Incas and Romans. The rational justification of the mythologies of such 2.1.1. Jean Gebser (1905 – 1973): The structure of empires, also resulted in the emergence of rational human consciousness philosophy and science. Noteworthy in this regard is the work of the With Integral consciousness, dualism and Polish philosopher, linguist and poet, Jean Gebser, who categorical thinking give way to transparency. Here, the published The ever-present origin in 1945. In this book, distinct categories of past, present and are he identified five major epochs in human evolution, each replaced by systemic thinking. is also viewed as anchored in a particular structure of consciousness. an indivisible whole. The whole and purpose thus These are the Archaic, the , the Mythic, the become important. To Gebser, Integral consciousness Mental and the Integral epochs. transcends rationality and introduces a transpersonal As each consciousness structure emerges, it dimension. Gebser’s find expression in the work also eventually becomes deficient. Gebser proposed that of various other consciousness theorists, including the transformation of consciousness involves structural Graves and Wilber. changes in body and mind that he refers to as mutations which are of a radical emergent nature - an also 2.1.2. Clare Graves (1914 – 1986): The Spiral reflected by the work of Graves (see below). Each of Dynamics (SD) model these structures of consciousness entails a specific In 1952 Graves came to the conclusion that he experience of space and time. The Mythical structure, “had it” with Psychology as it was, and that it was time to for example, experiences time as cyclical and rhythmic, order the fragmented chaos which characterised whereas for the Mental structure time is linear, directed psychological theories. He subsequently proposed an

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Journal of Experiential Psychotherapy, vol. 21, no 2 (82) June 2018 integrated framework aimed at guiding all further systems, and the sacrificial We or collectively oriented psychological research - a comprehensive biopsychosocial systems. In terms of development, external factors model of consciousness. His model reflected a close link normally push awareness towards the group-oriented between human neurological functioning, referred to as systems, while internal factors normally pull awareness capacities of mind or internal conditions, and the way in towards the expressive modes. At the lower levels of the which people learn and perceive their world, which pose spiral, in the A-N, B-O, C-P and D-Q levels, the external life conditions. Consciousness development is is normally fear based; at the middle levels of the spiral, triggered by a dissonance between internal and external at the E-R and F-S levels, motivation takes on a broader conditions. emotional nature, whereas at levels of being at the high The Spiral Dynamics model which Graves end of the spectrum, the G–T and H-U systems, an proposed and referred to as the Emergent Cyclical integrative and transcendent orientation prevails. Levels of Existence Theory (ECLET), provides a The progression to higher levels of profound and elegant framework in terms of which consciousness involves moving from a state of - human development can be understood. It is, however, preservation or survival (A-N); to one of in-group not unique as a variety of consciousness and belonging (B-O); to an egocentrically driven state of psychological development theorists came up with discovering own and power (C-P); to a moralistic comparable conceptualisations. Examples of such orientation in holding the space for others (D-Q); to one similar views of psychological development include the of self-empowerment in creating the future (E-R); to one work of Loevinger on ego states, Kohlberg on moral characterised by embracing complexity (F-S); to an development as well as Perry and Piaget on intellectual understanding of the dynamic whole (G-T); to a state of development, to mention but a few (see 2.1.4.). transcendence (H-U). Further states at increasingly higher According to Graves, humans respond to life level, can also emerge. The process may also be arrested conditions by developing certain adaptive views and along the way due to a variety of factors. Both progression capacities which he refers to as levels of human and regression are, therefore, possible. existence. These adaptive responses can be grouped into A detailed description of the Spiral Dynamics specific levels of consciousness, valuing systems or model can be found in Beck and Cowan (1996). cultural which permeate individual and collective and . Each level of awareness 2.1.3. Ken Wilber: The All Quadrants All Levels forms the basis for the emergence of a greater and more (AQAL) model encompassing level of consciousness. The levels are Graves’ ideas were further expanded on by Ken organised as a soft hierarchy and are not to be seen as Wilber who viewed consciousness development in fixed, but represent flowing waves that are continuously terms of altitude as implied by Gardner’s of overlapping and interweaving with one another. the whole course of human development… as a Higher order neurological systems or states of continuing decline in egocentrism (Wilber, 2001). This consciousness thus emerge in a hierarchically organised means that a or group can be more or less aware. manner as new existential challenges, crucial for human The more conscious we are, the less we are held ransom survival, are encountered. The existential states, referred by the ego and immediate circumstances, and the larger to as A-N, B-O, C-P, D-Q, E-R, F-S, G-T, and H-U, our world becomes. As our awareness expands, so do which Graves represents as a double helix, surface as a our spheres of influence and concern. result of the process of mutual adjustment between the Wilber’s Integral Model (2000(a), 2000(b), organism and the environment. 2001) represents an encompassing All-Quadrant-All- The various systems, or states of evolvement, Level (AQAL) conception of human existence. The can be referred to as valuing systems, , integrative AQAL model represents four dimensions of , , perceptual systems, decision the cosmos, along the axes of the exterior and the interior making frameworks, values or cultural memes, each of as well as the individual and the collective. Wilber refers which is characterised by a unique orientation. To each to the various quadrants as the I, We, It and Its. of these, Graves allocated a colour to simplify references Various developmental lines or streams can be to the valuing systems. identified within each of the quadrants. These The various systems are organised on an correspond with one another across the quadrants. The ever-growing dynamic spiral where there is a fluctuation Individual quadrant, for example, includes the cognitive, in focus between the expressive I, or individualistic moral, psychosexual, affective, interpersonal, and

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Journal of Experiential Psychotherapy, vol. 21, no 2 (82) June 2018 spiritual lines all at various levels of awareness. These 2.2. Physical sciences perspectives on consciousness lines are not necessarily equally well-developed. In Philosophical and developmental theories such other words, a person can be at a high level cognitively as the already discussed views of Gebser, Graves and and a low level morally. The ethical line, for example, Wilber, emphasise, but do not address the physical develops from egocentric, to ethnocentric, to world aspects of consciousness in any depth. Graves, however, centric, to integration centric. The levels of development strongly promoted an integrated cross-disciplinary view within the quadrants, however, correspond. For in the case of consciousness studies. The integration of example, a particular value system in the upper-left philosophical and physical of quadrant will correspond with a particular level of consciousness is, however, not yet possible. neurophysiological development on the upper-right Physical science approaches to the study of quadrant. Due to the scope of this article, the AQAL consciousness broadly involve the model will not be described in detail, though. approaches; neurological studies of the structure and The AQAL model of Wilber offers a function of the brain; as well as the abstract mathematical comprehensive metatheory to explain both reality and the conceptualisations offered by quantum physics. related academic disciplines. Like Graves, Wilber also describes the process of consciousness development in 2.2.1. Philosophy of science terms of levels or stages which are fluid waves. The Self A meta-perspective in this regard is provided is the core system that navigates the waves, streams and by Pribram (1986) who addressed the issue of mind- states. The self-, identity, or ego, thus climbs the brain duality. He reviewed the eclectic interpretations ladder of levels of consciousness, alternatively referred to involved by pointing out that “Philosophical positions as fulcrums, or centres of gravity. The upper-left quadrant on the mind/brain relationship such as identity, dualism, or The Interior - Individual, indicates the intension and interactionism, , , and the consciousness of the individual, and is of particular mentalism are described as theories that cannot be interest for psychology. extended beyond their databases into overarching .” (p. 507). To Pribram, these perspectives 2.1.4. Other theoretical contributions all represent a metaphysical approach to awareness. A number of other theorists also contributed He also evaluated this epistemological valuable models to enrich our understanding of pluralism from a scientific perspective by pointing out consciousness and psychological development. Most of that concepts such as , energy and entropy these models focus on the developmental processes of are neutral to the mind-brain controversy and constitute particular lines or streams as postulated by Wilber. grounds for an integrative theory which he refers to as Examples include the work of Jane Loevinger on ego structural , in terms of which similar states; Mary May’s on consciousness development; information structures underlie the functioning of both Lawrence Kohlberg on moral development, William the brain and the mind. Perry on ethical development; Jean Piaget on intellectual Many examples of the above-mentioned development, Shalom Schwartz on values and Caroline positions on the mind-brain relationship can be found. Myss on spiritual awareness (Prinsloo, 2012). One example is the popular materialist examination of A number of Spiritual models, as integrated by human consciousness as relatively recently proposed by Caroline Myss (1996), provide an additional perspective (1991), a philosopher of mind and on the developmental progression of awareness. Myss science, in his book . Dennett synthesised the themes identified by the Hindu Chakras, proposed the view that there is no consciousness over Christian Sacraments and the Kabbalah’s Ten Sefirot or and above the computational features of the brain. He Tree of Life (specifying ten divine energies) by linking regards what is referred to as consciousness as each to the seven sacred these systems share. amounting to illusory states generated by parallel brain Myss’s summary (2004) clearly indicates the common architecture. To Dennett, human consciousness is no ground between the notion of energy centres and the different from that of complex robots as he sees the developmental phases frequently identified in conscious, feeling mind as non-existent and a remnant consciousness literature. of folk psychology. An integration of taxonomies from various Critics regard what they refer to as Dennett’s as linked to the SD (Spiral Dynamics) eliminative materialist views as unscientific and as a can also be found in Prinsloo (2012). category error. (1992), for example, points

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Journal of Experiential Psychotherapy, vol. 21, no 2 (82) June 2018 out the differentiation between – which 2.2.2. is about what and how we know things, and From a neurological perspective, – which is about what things are, implying that the map consciousness is regarded as a developmental outcome is not the territory. He also differentiated between of the biological evolution involved in the subjectivity and objectivity. Something is of living systems. Brain processes are generally epistemically objective if its existence is experienced regarded as a fundamental component of by a subject. Searle sees any value as consciousness. Neurological studies which touch on epistemically subjective. To say that one mountain the subject of consciousness include research on sleep peak is prettier than another, is epistemically and dreaming, the effects of anaesthetics, the subjective, but to say one peak is higher than another, phenomenon of flow, aging and dementia, is epistemically objective as the latter statement can be neurological syndromes and psychiatric disorders, to evaluated in terms of specific criteria, whereas no mention but a few. universally legitimate criteria for prettiness exist. Neurosciences approaches largely explain Searle argues that the goal of science is to validate consciousness as an emergent property of interactions epistemically objective (where the can be and/or calculations in the form of complex neuronal discovered) as opposed to ontologically objective firings, or synaptic transmission, among brain . statements. According to Searle, where consciousness Electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic is concerned, the existence of the appearance is the resonance imaging (fMRI) techniques are often used to reality, an approach which Dennett rejected. study these processes. The research results have, for Almost on the opposite side of the spectrum to example, indicated that axonal firings are preceded by the views of Dennett, are those of Ervin Laszlo, a synchronised dendritic integrations and that gamma Hungarian philosopher of science, who integrated synchrony EEG, which is regarded as the best indication scientific and spiritual perspectives to introduce the of consciousness, primarily involves dendritic and Akashic (Lazlo, 2004). He contextualised the somatic integration potential. concept of consciousness within the universe as Inherently, proponents of primarily consisting of energy and information - as approaches to consciousness research uphold a dualistic opposed to and space, and uses the metaphor of philosophical perspective to mind-brain matters in that energy as the hardware, and information as the software they focus on brain processes. But this scientific of the universe. According to Laszlo the universe is of the processes involved, still does not rooted in coherence and he describes it as an entangled, explain the phenomenon of consciousness. holographic, non-local, connected field of information. If the energy in the universe was not coherent but 2.2.3. Quantum physics random, complex systems would not have emerged. He Pribram’s (1986) ontologically neutral position refers to the coherent and interactive nature of sub- regarding mind-brain duality, points towards the atomic particles in the universe as the quantum vacuum. viability of a quantum sciences, as opposed to classical It contains all information since the big bang and its sciences, approach to the understanding of interactive nature implies its awareness. The complexity consciousness. Here the diverse contributions of Bohm, and the inherent coherence characterising the quantum Laszlo, Hameroff, Penrose, McTaggart and others are of vacuum, result in jumps in complexity of organisation - particular interest. otherwise referred to as evolution. This enables the Essential to any discussion of consciousness, is quantum vacuum, also referred to as the universe or the work of the theoretical physicist and philosopher of cosmos, to be conscious. science, . In 1980 he introduced the To Laszlo, life, and ultimately consciousness, possibility of a deeper reality in his book Wholeness and thus originate from the quantum vacuum. He compared the Implicate Order. Bohm links the activity of the quantum vacuum to the ancient Hindu spiritual consciousness with that of the Implicate Order of the ’s concept of the Akashic field – a record of universe. His term of implicate order reflects an ultra- that ever was, is, or will be. In his 2004 book holistic cosmic view in which everything is connected Science and the Akashic field: an integral theory of to everything else and every element can reveal detailed everything, Laszlo discusses possible for the information of any other element in the universe. The existence of the quantum vacuum or zero point field as layers of the implicate order infinitely enfolds and the fundamental element of the cosmos. unfolds itself at deeper levels.

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Journal of Experiential Psychotherapy, vol. 21, no 2 (82) June 2018

His theory thus provides a quantum physics understanding is non-computable, which is a well- perspective of the totality of existence including matter defined mathematical concept related to the and consciousness. Physicists have subsequently referred incompleteness of quantum theory. to Bohm’s implicate order of the universe as the Zero- Quantum theory deals with physical point Field (ZPF), universal field, or physical space-time. phenomena at microscopic scales and the The mind-brain relationship, central to governing quantum entities, differ from the more consciousness theory, is also addressed by Bohm. He predictable laws governing classical reality. According used the concept of the hologram as proposed by Dennis to Max Planck's famous formula E = hν, the term Gabor (1948) to explain the nature of brain functioning quantum indicates a discrete element of energy, or E, as and human awareness. relies on light-wave the energy of a particle in a system, where E is related to interference to photographically record or enfold a light the frequency ν of its oscillation (with h as the constant). field into a three-dimensional image, each point of The deep relation between discrete energy levels and which contains the entire whole. According to Bohm, frequencies of oscillation underlies the wave-particle consciousness too, reflects the totality of an duality of quantum phenomena. interconnected whole. Heisenberg’s uncertainty , which The Holonomic brain theory which was underlies what is known as the measurement problem at subsequently developed by Pribram (1991, 2007) and quantum levels, however, poses certain challenges for Bohm, posits that the brain can be described as a consciousness research from this perspective. The issue holographic network which involves electric was also highlighted by Einstein, Schrodinger and oscillations in the brain’s fine-fibered dendritic webs – Dirac’s findings regarding the incompleteness of which differ from the known action potentials of quantum physics. According to the measurement and . These oscillations are waves which create problem, once we know the position of a subatomic wave interference patterns for . Like particle, we cannot know its speed or its momentum. If a hologram, each part of a dendritic network in the brain a particle is at rest we would know both. But no particle contains all the information of the entire network. To is ever at rest – not even at the lowest known Pribram, time and spectral information is temperature of -273.15 degrees Celsius. In other words, simultaneously stored in the brain as a dissipative the mere observation of a quantum state, results in the structure which continually self-organises. collapse of the wavefunction. It is problematic due to the Further supporting evidence for this measurement apparatus being a quantum entity, which explanation has emerged given findings of auditory, forms a part of the entire quantum system. visual and somato-sensory processing taking place in the In order to resolve the measurement problem, wave-form domain (Foxe et al, 2000). These researchers Penrose introduced an extension of the standard also regard the brain as a wave-form analyser in which framework of quantum theory, namely the concept of information is distributed, thereby enabling objective reduction (OR), or quantum state reduction. It transcendence of the structural composition of the brain. suggests that consciousness arises from vibrations But do the holonomic brain theory and findings (moments of quantum state reductions) in protein regarding the brain as a wave-form analyser imply that polymers or microtubules inside the neurons in the brain individual consciousness can be transcended to access which connect to deeper order ripples of space-time collective consciousness? Here the informative and geometry. The microtubules act as quantum resonators. ground-breaking explanation of the nature of Hameroff and Penrose’s (2014) OR approach therefore consciousness as proposed by quantum physicists Stuart does not merely focus on the interactions between Hameroff and Roger Penrose (2014) offer greater clarity. neurons, but on quantum processes at a deeper level inside Whereas popular science and advocates of brain neurons. They also regard microtubule vibrations as strong artificial regard consciousness as the source of the EEG correlates of consciousness as computational in nature, Penrose and Hameroff, in terms found in neurology. In addition, Orch OR suggests a of Gödel’s incompleteness theorem, claim that human connection between the brain’s biomolecular processes understanding cannot be encapsulated by a and the basic structure of the universe. computational system only. Instead, they explain the The quantum perspectives of researchers such mechanisms involved in consciousness in terms of as Penrose, Hameroff, Bohm and Laszlo, all imply the quantum physical processes intrinsic to the universe. non-locality of consciousness. It means that quantum Within the context of this approach, human particles can exist in several states or locations

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Journal of Experiential Psychotherapy, vol. 21, no 2 (82) June 2018 simultaneously – which can be described perspectives on the matter, be those of a social science, mathematically by a quantum wavefunction. philosophical, physical or spiritual nature, probably offers The key concepts of entanglement and most leverage towards an understanding of nonlocality as studied in quantum information sciences consciousness. Ancient systems in particular seem to are fundamental in understanding consciousness. The offer many of the answers and are regarded by physicists term entanglement was introduced by Einstein, Podolsky as logically impeccable and worthy of further exploration. and Rosen (1935) as well as by Schrodinger (1935). It arises when two quantum systems are produced from a 3. Applications common source. The here, are complex, but A discussion of guidelines for the application it means that entangled quantum systems behave as if they of our current understanding of consciousness in are one in that they one another instantaneously, , the work environment, personal lives and public even when extremely remote from each other. They thus , follows. exhibit a form of non-locality. To summarise, quantum physicists view fields 3.1. Societal transformation through collective of consciousness in terms of long range entanglements consciousness which are nonlocal in nature. It suggests the According to the philosopher Krishnamurti transcendence of time and space. In term of time, our (1895 – 1986, https://www.google.com/search?q= waking consciousness can thus potentially access deep, krishnamurti+quotes+a+crisis+of+consciousness): “We fundamental or boundary-less consciousness. But are facing a tremendous crisis, a crisis of consciousness. neither general relativity theory nor quantum mechanics The turning point, the perceptive decision, the - which are still unintegrated given the incompatibility challenge, is not in politics, in , in the scientific of their mathematical foundations, fully explain the world; it is in our consciousness. One has to understand phenomenon of collective consciousness. Here M- the consciousness of mankind, which has brought us to theory or string theory, seems to provide fresh insights. this point.” In string theory or M-theory, there is additional Krishnamurti’s famous statement, “we have a form of matter referred to as hidden sector matter or crisis of consciousness”, refers to the lack of human shadow matter. In particle physics the term hidden sector awareness which lies at the root of many worsening refers to yet-unobserved quantum fields and the associated societal dilemmas including the corrosive power of the hypothetical particles. These fields carry minute electrical current monetary system; the widely criticised greed and charges which electromagnetically weakly interact with short-term vision of business leaders and shareholders; our bodies. It is hypothesised that this aspect may be an climate change; the impacts of the industrial complex; important constituent of what is referred to as mind, or increasing political antagonism and military activity mind which is independent of the body. globally; the devastating effects of global income From a string theory perspective of disparity and growing environmental destruction. consciousness, our hidden sector bodies, which are very In Toynbee’s 1934 masterpiece, A Study of cold and take on the characteristics of a superconducting History, the British historian indicated that over time, 22 world, is what is required for field effects or long-range of the 23 civilizations which he studied have entanglements of consciousness. Temperature seems a disappeared, which he ascribes to their inability to adapt factor as quantum entanglements are fragile and cannot to change. He refers to their final stage of survive our high temperature world, but under and rigidity as societal . superconducting conditions the decohering effects of While science and technology can well relieve temperature are reduced. through our the symptoms of this crisis, a more fundamental solution hidden sector bodies thus allow for non-local related to the transformation of the culture and values of entanglements, which seems a physical prerequisite for , organizations and individuals, are required. collective consciousness. Given the interconnectedness of human awareness and The mathematical models of quantum theory are therefore values and culture, this is not an impossible thus useful for exploring the of nature. And task. Collective consciousness and leadership may well although it clarifies subtle issues in a way which goes offer the leverage required. beyond the speculation of the descriptive sciences, it Human awareness is not merely contained nevertheless fails to go all the way in explaining within the cerebral cortex of the individual, it is in consciousness. An integration of all the various constant interaction with its world. The subsequent

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Journal of Experiential Psychotherapy, vol. 21, no 2 (82) June 2018 collective consciousness is a life force in society, rooted (2004) too, found that, given the complexity of also in the quantum physics principles of entanglement organisational change initiatives, the effectiveness of and non-locality. transformational efforts depends upon the level of Evidence of collective consciousness, or the consciousness of leadership. interconnectedness of intra-species awareness can for Scientific views from biology, neurology and example be found in Ken Keyes’s (1982) publication: physics in particular, on the energetic nature of living The Hundredth Monkey which documents his , seem aligned to spiritual and philosophical observation of the spread of new skills from a group of speculations on collective consciousness. monkeys on the island of Koshima to all other members David Hawkins (1994, 2001) explored energy of the species. This intra-species transfer of skill took fields from kinesiological and neurological perspectives. place at the moment a critical mass of awareness of a Like McTaggart (2001), Hawkins capitalises on the skill was achieved, regardless of geographical distance concept of attractor fields which are hidden energy fields or any kind of contact between the groups. extending beyond time and space. According to Hawkins The phenomenon can be explained in terms of “energy bodies at various frequency levels” congregate Rupert Sheldrake’s concept of morphogenetic fields. around attractor fields. Within consciousness theory, Morphogenesis involves fields through which members these fields reveal specific clusters of attitudes, , of a biological species can learn skills faster because and mental contents. The concept of attractor previous members of that species have already acquired fields holds fundamental implications for the impact of it. In Sheldrake’s (1981) book A New Science of Life: leadership in society, Hawkins also found that advanced The Hypothesis of Formative Causation, he explains states of consciousness are characterized by particular morphic fields in terms of the tendency of organisms to EEG profiles. strive towards a morphological aim. He regards the The phenomenon of brainwave process of evolution in terms of expressions of the synchronisation, otherwise referred to as neural morphology of inner functions as enveloped in entrainment or brainwave entrainment, has been verified morphogenetic fields aimed at fulfilling specific niches. scientifically by researchers at the Spanish Basque This pattern of evolution comprises of morphic Centre on , Brain and (BCBL). resonance beyond time and space and thus extends They have demonstrated through EEG studies that the beyond the biological brain to involve mechanisms of brain waves of people are synchronised when they talk consciousness at a collective level. According to to one another. Sheldrake, morphic fields enable resonance with past As fundamental to our understanding of the and future awareness. Sheldrake’s theory is compatible impact of leadership, is William Braud’s research on the to that of Bohm (1980) on explicate and implicate order, transmission of thoughts which started in the 1960’s. the latter indicating a deeper reality characterised by Braud (2011) found that the person with the most unbroken wholeness. cohesive electroencephalogram (EEG) pattern of brain Given the possibility of collective wave activity has the greatest influence on the EEG consciousness, society can therefore be transformed. patterns of others. How can this be triggered? The most obvious practical The wisdom traditions too, offer compelling solution can perhaps be found in leveraging leadership views on leadership. Sri Atmananda (2004), in his awareness in all spheres and at all levels of society and publication Manifesting the Divine, encapsulates the business. Over time, the worldviews of leaders are likely core messages of Hindu philosophy from the to permeate all aspects of social life. Uphanishads in this regard. According to Atmananda, man’s role is to make a collective decision about the 3.2. Leadership consciousness on earth. He explains that the challenges The concepts of values and consciousness have man face lie within. He states that man has for a fundamental implications for leadership theory. millennium put the emphasis on the expansion of matter Chatterjee (1998) is of the that leadership and ignored the expansion of . This has resulted in should be interpreted in terms of fields of awareness the emergence of global challenges. rather than in terms of personality traits or mental The ideas voiced by Atmananda are well- attributes. Reams (2005) refers to a number of studies aligned with those of Wilber, Graves, May and other indicating that world class performers, frequently consciousness theorists as well as that of Eckhard Tolle experienced higher states of consciousness. Torbert (1997). In , most of the spiritual traditions, including

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Journal of Experiential Psychotherapy, vol. 21, no 2 (82) June 2018 the Perennial philosophy, resonate with the central Cowan & Todorovic (2000) equate the specific themes of the consciousness models which, at Gravesian value systems to the underlying assumptions of sequentially higher levels, emphasise the diminishing organizations, which are responsible for its culture. This impact of egocentrism and increasing self- view is rooted in Jungian theory which regards transcendence, compassion, connection and integration, as key to why people are willing to invest their realisation of freedom of choice; awareness of personal and energy in organizations. Meaning is provided by the responsibility and power as well as the transcendence of collectively held values at the heart of an organization’s the . These spiritual perspectives on culture. This meaning can be described as “unseen consciousness thus unashamedly emphasise and psychic forces that bind people to each other and their compassion as core growth mechanism of emerging work” (Corlett & Pearson, 2003, p. xiv). consciousness. According to Corlette & Pearson (2003), these Pauchant (2005) sees integral leaders as underlying assumptions reside in the unconscious of an primarily following their higher self with moral courage, organization and are represented by archetypes. They as opposed to focusing on followers. This involves regard archetypes as the primary vehicles of meaning, drawing on something beyond themselves. Many other which can be described as psychic patterns that shape leadership theorists, such as Wigglesworth (2006), also human behavior or controlling patterns in the mind emphasise the maturity and spiritual awareness of which regulate how people experience life. second tier leaders (given the Spiral Dynamics model), Again, Graves provides useful guidelines in as a prerequisite for dealing with the increasing terms of levels of consciousness and their impact on complexity of the leadership domain. Ploughman (2000) organizational culture. He points out that the various too, discusses the centrality of consciousness to valuing systems are best suited to particular functional leadership from an integral perspective. requirements. To ensure the richness of response to As mentioned, Wilber’s integral AQAL model organizational complexity, cooperation between a provides a comprehensive four quadrant framework for diversity of value orientation on the spiral may be leadership applications as it specifies the full spectrum required. However, to avoid counter-productive of potential leadership challenges, applications, goals conflict, individuals and groups with different value and possible developmental initiatives. orientations need to learn to understand and appreciate one another. In addition, the differences in worldviews 3.3. Organizational culture or value systems, can be bridged by those who show Organizational culture can be seen in terms of more than one value orientation. In a diverse cultural a network of relationships, business processes and context, integral leadership may be required to ensure interpersonal transactions, or, to link it to Graves’ Spiral organizational coherence. Dynamics themes, the collective of interpersonal behaviour which is organized around core values or 3.4. Education themes including: group belonging, power, structure, Although Graves did not document many of his value, relationship, systems views and transcendence. insights, fragmented recordings of his conversations with An organizational culture emerges within the broader colleagues are still available. These transcriptions provide socio-cultural and business context as well as due to useful insights for application within the educational leadership orientations. People with particular value context. Here again, Graves emphasises the importance of orientations seem to be attracted to specific industries or the relationship between the mental capacities and life organizations. conditions of learners. One of his interesting findings is Beck and Cowan (1996) regard the cultures of that learners, even at the ages of 6 or 7, already show a organizations in terms of an amalgamation of the value range of value orientations, including relatively high systems of the people in the organization. Schein (2009) levels on the spiral of the SD (Spiral Dynamics) model. also describes organizational culture as a pattern of He recommends that educational practices should shared assumptions that a group adopts as it addresses accommodate for these diverse capacities. certain challenges in adaptation. The organizational Graves advises that those characterised by the culture is normally by its leadership. Ways in which survival mode of A-N systems, learn best through to perceive, think and feel about situations are thus habituation and . For those established by the leaders, adopted by new comers and showing a group belonging orientation or B-O level, reinforced by all involved. classical conditioning (involuntary) as well as

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Journal of Experiential Psychotherapy, vol. 21, no 2 (82) June 2018 by imitation and repetition, works best. At the first level manifestations of our reality, the biological and of self-realisation, or the power-oriented C-P system, subatomic dynamics involved as well as the implications learning is optimised through reward, and voluntary for collective and transcendent consciousness, all soften instrumental conditioning. The individual should be the divide between the depth of our subjective empowered while being protected from losing face, as experience of consciousness, or the territory, and our they tend to fear failure. During this phase, denial and theoretical and speculative maps of what is involved. shame may be so energy draining that it prevents the It seems that consciousness is more than individual from learning. sensory awareness, feeling and thinking. It involves a Avoidance learning seems to characterise the sense of self which is inextricably embedded in a D-Q level of consciousness evolvement which is driven delicate awareness of transcendent consciousness. It by the force of truth. This system is adrenalin dominated manifests as a psychological ambiance or mental and readily responds to and threat in an configuration which guides our decisions, often in effort to reduce own . It is also responsive to counter-intuitive ways towards achieving our emerging imposed structure and discipline. personal purpose. It also takes on a prominent role in Learning at the strive and drive E-R level is directly determining our own , preferences self-directed. This system is responsive to opportunities and decisions as well as those of others. to respond autonomously without authoritarian Consciousness may be coloured by physical, involvement. Only those that are trusted, and who have psychological and cultural factors, but may transcend been there before, are learnt from. At this individualistic those aspects. Its development seems nurtured by system, failure should not be exposed either, but richness of experience, interpersonal and love, questions on why? or why not? seems to trigger spirituality, depth of interest, introspection, productive engagement. and feeling. The key catalysts for the emergence of Those showing the F-S human bond value higher levels of consciousness, however, seems those of orientation respond best to observational learning practising compassion and observing silence. principles in an accepting environment. Learning does Although there may be fluctuations of our not depend on reinforcement. At this level, levels of consciousness at certain periods of life or under unconditional of others and high expectations need certain circumstances, an overall tendency or state of to be addressed through a degree of discipline, though. awareness mostly tends to prevail. It affects those Learners from this value orientation need to address around us and can be leveraged to transform their reliance on the others. A lack of organizations and societies. Within the contexts of interpersonal harmony negatively impacts performance individual and collective life, however, consciousness is at this level and it is the one system most characterised ever emerging – as pointed out by Graves’ predicted by depression and suicide. possibility of a next Coral level, as a higher Red, power The flexibility and freedom characterising the orientation, to be realised on the SD spiral. integral G-T system tends to result in curiosity and The subject of consciousness thus remains exploration aimed at learning and understanding. Here deeply mysterious but of profound importance for the learning is facilitated through providing access to proliferation of life and our continued existence and resources and encouraging experimentation growth. and discovery. This system holds little fear and therefore authority, networking and protection are not pursued. A combination of Graves’ educational guidelines and Kolb and Fry’s (1975) experiential Bibliography learning model, may hold significant advantages for Atmananda, B.S. (2004). Manifesting the Divine. Satyachetana instructional design in general. Ashram, Tiruvannamalia. Beck, D.E. & Cowan, C.C. (1996). Spiral Dynamics: mastering values, leadership and change. Oxford, Cornwall: Blackwell. 4. Conclusions Bohm, D. (1980). Wholeness and the Implicate Order. London: Exploring the way in which human beings Routledge. increasingly become aware and interconnected touches Braud, W.G. (2011). Transforming self and others through research: on the fundamental issue of our existential purpose. Transpersonal research methods and skills for the Human Sciences and Humanities. New York: Suny Press. Available perspectives on consciousness, its Chatterjee, D. (1998). Leading consciously: A toward self level-specific contents, how it translates across various mastery. Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann.

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