Conscious Evolution

CONSCIOUS EVOLUTION Flow Consciousness Institute 1 CONSCIOUS EVOLUTION Abstract We are reaching Recent breakthroughs in the field of quantum physics are revealing that consciousness is a point where primary to our experience of reality, yet there remains no consensus as to the nature of “ consciousness itself nor to the nature of reality. Furthermore in the great spiritual and psy- the evolution of chological traditions, which have traditionally concerned themselves with these topics, no formal consensus exists as to the objective nature of such things. In this paper, I attempt to consciousness, holistically integrate these often times compartmentalized viewpoints into the nature of consciousness and reality from the fields of quantum science, psychology and the great spiritual can be mapped philosophies into a unified theory and framework of human psychospiritual development that to a relatively provides deep insight into the nature of reality and consciousness itself. high degree of 1.1 Introduction what was known and unknown. It has been accuracy. my experience and the experience of most As the fields of science and spirituality con- all who have stepped onto the path of self- tinue to merge there becomes an ever more actualization and spiritual development, that pressing need to understand the underly- there is essentially no consensus, model, ing mechanics of self actualization, spiritual roadmap or ‘collective puzzle’ widely shared development and the evolution of conscious- in the spiritual community in a similar way ness. One of the qualities that has made the that there has been in the scientific commu- scientific method so extraordinarily success- nity. The spiritual community, in this sense, ful as a tool for the exploration and under- is somewhat fragmented and plagued with standing of reality over the last few hundred conjecture and wild claims with almost no years is the shared understanding, language, way to prove or disprove their truthfulness or ideas, methodologies and philosophies that accuracy. allowed researchers around the world to However, with great inroads being made linearly pickup and continue development into understanding the nature of reality precisely where their predecessors had left through the study of quantum physics along- off. At any given time there has always been side significant although severely underpub- a prevailing consensus and model that guides licized developments in the larger field of the progress of the field and that shifts and psychology and all its offshoots (transper- changes as new discoveries are made. Like a sonal, integral, neuro linguistic, Jungian, collective puzzle, each person contributes and depth, developmental and so on) coupled adjusts individual pieces as necessary with with the insights of the great wisdom tradi- the aim of building a coherent whole—a grand tions and enlightened sages, we are reaching unified theory of existence in which all phe- a point where the evolution of consciousness, nomena known and unknown fit neatly into which encompasses spiritual development by place and are explained with elegance. its very nature, can be mapped to a relatively The spiritual community, on the other high degree of accuracy, so much as fluid hand, has been far more mystical in nature up things like perception and awareness can be. until recently, lacking the abovementioned Now, this is not to say that no roadmaps characteristics of the scientific method that or models of the evolution of consciousness allowed for rapid breakthroughs, advance- and spiritual development exist, because they ments and a collective understanding of certainly do. The work of prominent figures 2 Justin Faerman CONSCIOUS EVOLUTION such as Ken Wilber, David Hawkins, Sri Au- and practical model that readers can use to robindo, Clare Graves, Erik Erikson, Abraham gauge and guide their own personal evolution Elegant models Maslow, Jean Gebser, Carl Jung, Jane Roberts as well as the evolution of others that syn- and Rudolf Steiner exemplify these efforts (to thesizes the collective wisdom of all the fields exist to simplify the name but a few) alongside organizations such listed above alongside insights garnered from“ as the Integral Institute, Theosophical Society the great spiritual traditions, which each offer basic underlying and various spiritually oriented institutes their own valid perspectives into the nature and universities around the world. However, of reality and development of consciousness. principles that the few models that exist tend to be highly As Ken Wilber so eloquently stated: academic, overly complex or generalized to guide the evolution the point that it makes them impractical as a “There are all sorts of ways to slice and tool for the average person to understand the dice development... All of them can be of awareness and specifics of what is involved in the act of rais- useful. In the chakra system, for exam- ing consciousness. As Einstein famously said ple, there are 7 major stages or levels of specifically spiritual “Everything should be made as simple as pos- consciousness. Jean Gebser, the famous sible but no simpler.” Furthermore, although anthropologist, uses 5: archaic, magic, development. consciousness is inherently complex, I believe mythic, rational, and integral. Certain that elegant models exist to simplify the basic Western psychological models have 8, 12, underlying principles that guide the evolution or more levels of development. Which is of awareness and specifically spiritual devel- right? All of them; it just depends on what opment so that anyone can fundamentally you want to keep track of in growth and understand what is involved and required development.” in a relatively straightforward manner. The framework I present below is not intended to This is by no means an exhaustive survey be a comprehensive catchall of all the differ- of the different models and theories of con- ent aspects of the development of conscious- sciousness and spiritual development. It is a ness and self-awareness, but a roadmap to high-level overview of a working model of what my research and experience has shown the evolution of consciousness and psycho- to be the most essential aspects of spiritual spiritual development that I believe is ex- development, self-actualization and personal tremely useful for understanding and gauging evolution and primarily those having to do the development of awareness and as a tool with the perception of oneself and the larger for shifting into higher stages of conscious- reality in which we exist and actively co-cre- ness that has much overlap and synergy with ate. As such, I would like to offer this model the prevailing scientific understanding and as ‘scaffolding’ for a larger collective conver- ancient wisdom traditions. sation around the mechanics of the evolution of consciousness and spiritual development. 2.1 The Mechanics of Conscious In this way, I believe we can collectively begin Evolution and Spiritual Develop- to create a shared framework, like that which ment: Foundational Concepts we find in the various fields of science, which will allow for a more complete and full ‘map One of the most fundamental concepts that of the territory’ to be drawn and a common needs to be understood by anyone seeking to language and understanding to develop that understand or raise consciousness and prog- encompasses most, if not all, aspects of the ress along the path of spiritual or personal often fragmented spiritual community. development is the idea of states and stages. In this paper, I will be outlining a unique This concept has been popularized by Ken Flow Consciousness Institute 3 CONSCIOUS EVOLUTION Wilber although I will be offering additional psycho-spiritual stage development is a more Stages serve as distinctions and insights that expand upon reliable marker of one’s level of conscious- his foundational work and are particularly ness than one’s experience of states. This is milestones and relevant to the evolution of consciousness and because high states of consciousness can be “ the spiritual experience. experienced in any stage of development demarcation through meditation, shaktipat, drugs, ec- 2.2 States, Stages and Their Role in static dance, near-death experience, breath- points on the path Psycho-Spiritual Development work, mindfulness, ritual, spiritual practice, etc., meaning that someone who is unevolved of the evolution of States is shorthand for ‘State of Experience’, at a stage level can still access high states of which is best understood as an emotional consciousness temporarily. This includes consciousness, state but also applies to states of perception but is not limited to experiences of oneness, and states of consciousness. For example, rapture, ecstasy or bliss, transcendence of psycho-spiritual sleeping, waking and dreaming are all states the physical body, seeing or feeling ‘energy’, of consciousness. Happy, sad and excited are experiencing ‘God’, psychic connection and development and all states of emotion, and oneness, separation, phenomena, expanded states of awareness confusion and clarity are all states of percep- and so on. In the spiritual community these self-actualization. tion. They are generally transitory in nature, are generally considered to be ‘semi-enlight- although in later stages of development ened states’ and when someone experiences expansive, positive states can and do become them, even temporarily, they often believe more permanent. themselves to be, and are believed by others Stages is shorthand for ‘Stage of Develop- to be, highly conscious, evolved and spiritu- ment’, which is best understood as a phase of ally aware. mental, emotional, perceptual and psycho- However, without a corresponding logical development. Stages are a bit harder to shift to a higher level of stage development, define, but the simplest analogy I can give is these experiences cannot be maintained and one of developmental maturity. It is the level eventually the person will ‘return to earth’ of awareness with which we perceive and or ‘return to reality’ where the unevolved interact with ourselves and the world around and unhealed psycho-emotional aspects of us.

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