The Integral movement in social and historical context
Integral Esotericism - Part Two Alan Kazlev
In the case of Systems theorist and Integral writer Ervin László, these two meanings - (Wilberian) Integral and (New Age) Holistic - are explicitly combined and unified. In his 2004 book, Science and the Akashic Field: An Integral Theory of Everything he refers to an underlying field of information - which he calls Akasha (after the Indian term for "space", the fifth (and most subtle) element) as the substance of the cosmos. This "Akashic field" informs not only the current universe, but all universes past and present, collectively referred to as the "Metaverse". This also explains evolution as an informed rather than a random process, and, László argues, solves the perennial disputes between science and religion.
László's integral theory is specifically "New Age", although in the category of constructive New Age science. But note the use of "integral" rather than "holistic" (as it would be defined pre- pop Wilberanity), here. In the intellectual realm, "Integral" seems to be replacing "Holistic", perhaps because of the former's more philosophical meaning, or the latter's association with New Age commercialism. REFERENCES
[1] From another perspective, integral artist Matthew Dallman argues that the "Postmodern" is actually "Late Modern"- see "Postmodernism is over - The Integral Age Arises" http://www.matthewdallman.com/essay_object/pomodeath_object.html (2003-2005) and other refernces on his website
[2] Julian Jaynes, The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind, Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1976
[3] See TLDI 2-v. For the original reference to the Intermediate zone see Sri Aurobindo,Letters on Yoga, pp 1039-1046 (third edition 1971), and The Riddle of this World pp.35-45. More recently, a number of copies have been posted on the Internet. See e.g. http://www.miraura.org/lit/sa/ly/ly3-3.html, http://intyoga.online.fr/intzone.htm, http://www.kheper.net/topics/Aurobindo/intermediate_zone.htm, http://kundalini.se/eng/aurobindo.html, etc
[4] See Roland Benedikter, Postmodern spirituality - A dialogue in five parts on Integral World (May 2006), which considers among other things the development of postmodernist proto-spirituality, and sheds a whole new light on these postmodernist philosophers, who I had always thought them to be very much in the mental realm only. In fact they arrive at very similar insights to Buddhism etc through different (or maybe not? It is introspection in both cases) means. For a transpersonal or spiritual postmodernism inspired by Richard Tarnas' Participatory Epistemology, see Jorge Ferrer, Revisioning Transpersonal Theory
[5] See Ray Harris' blog post "Hamas, Hezbollah and Islamo-fascism" http://www.openintegral.net/blog/?p=56 This remains however a controversial point. See the Wikipedia articles on Islamofascism and Islamic Fascism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamofascism and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_fascism ) these two pages may or may not end up being merged into one) for varying perspectives and arguments both pro and con.
[6] The earliest reference is by Jacques Matter in his 1828 work Histoire critique du gnosticisme et de ses influences , although the term was only popularised somewhat later by Eliphas Levi (real name Alphonse Louis Constant) in his book Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie (1856), which was translated into English by Arthur Edward Waite as Transcendental Magic, its Doctrine and Ritual See Hanegraaff New Age Religion and Western Culture pp.384-5 notes and references, and Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esotericism#Etymology for additional comments. Elphas Levi in turn had a strong influence upon Blavatsky and hence Theosophy (1875 onwards) on the one hand, and even more so the Golden Dawn and hence Hermetic occultism (1888 onwards) and later Aleister Crowley and popular occult magic, on the other.
[7]Jean Gebser, Ever-Present Origin p.102 note 4.
[8] An example with graphics by an anonymous disciple of the Sawan-Kirpal tradition of Radhasoami (e.g. Science of Spirituality http://www.sos.org/ )can be found at http://www.kheper.net/topics/Sant_Mat/index.html This incorporates traditional Hindu ideas, Sant Mat, Theosophy, Tibetan Buddhism, and more. Although this material is hosted on my site I haven't (with one exception regarding a paragraph that was offensive to one reader and regarding which I felt his concern was totally valid) edited it at all. Hence it includes some material I disagree with (the interpretation of Sri Aurobindo and other great teachers for example)
[9] these words need not be synonymous, especially in view of the diversity of the current "integral" movement or movements. Gebser for example spoke of stages or mutations but not of evolution or development
[10] Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, The Phenomenon of Man
[11] Jim Chamberlain, "Wilber on evolution, A Few Comments" www.integralworld.net/chamberlain2.html points out some contradictions in Wilber's attempt to deny that his philosophy is "teleological". In view of Wilber's denials of teleology (presumably because it is not accepted by modernity) "crypto- (hidden) "teleological" might be an alternative term to use in this context; although as Chamberlain shows, Wilber's teleology is by no means "hidden"
[12] Liselotte Frisk, "Religious Movements, Globalization and Conflict: Transnational Perspectives - Is "New Age" a Construction? Searching a New Paradigm of Contemporary Religion" CESNUR 2005 International Conference, June 2-5, 2005 - Palermo, Sicily http://www.cesnur.org/2005/pa_frisk.htm
[13] Hanegraaff New Age Religion and Western Culture, SUNY 1998, pp.365-6
[14] See the very readable summary/overview in Hanegraaff New Age Religion and Western Culture pp.176-79. Wilber's criticism of physicist David Bohm, who along with Fritjof Capra was one of the main exponents of the holistic and holographic universe, elicited a scathing rebuttal by Geoff Falk "Wilber and Bohm, an analysis of the problems with Ken Wilber's "refutations" of David Bohm's ideas" http://www.normaneinsteinbook.com/nechapters/appendix.php , and was actually the deciding point that turned Falk into such an unremitting critic.
[15] I found this quote on Nagarguna's and Tom Armstrong's blog Thoughts Chase Thoughts http://thoughtschasethoughts.blogspot.com/
[16] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_age
[2] Julian Jaynes, The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind, Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1976
[3] See TLDI 2-v. For the original reference to the Intermediate zone see Sri Aurobindo,Letters on Yoga, pp 1039-1046 (third edition 1971), and The Riddle of this World pp.35-45. More recently, a number of copies have been posted on the Internet. See e.g. http://www.miraura.org/lit/sa/ly/ly3-3.html, http://intyoga.online.fr/intzone.htm, http://www.kheper.net/topics/Aurobindo/intermediate_zone.htm, http://kundalini.se/eng/aurobindo.html, etc
[4] See Roland Benedikter, Postmodern spirituality - A dialogue in five parts on Integral World (May 2006), which considers among other things the development of postmodernist proto-spirituality, and sheds a whole new light on these postmodernist philosophers, who I had always thought them to be very much in the mental realm only. In fact they arrive at very similar insights to Buddhism etc through different (or maybe not? It is introspection in both cases) means. For a transpersonal or spiritual postmodernism inspired by Richard Tarnas' Participatory Epistemology, see Jorge Ferrer, Revisioning Transpersonal Theory
[5] See Ray Harris' blog post "Hamas, Hezbollah and Islamo-fascism" http://www.openintegral.net/blog/?p=56 This remains however a controversial point. See the Wikipedia articles on Islamofascism and Islamic Fascism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamofascism and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_fascism ) these two pages may or may not end up being merged into one) for varying perspectives and arguments both pro and con.
[6] The earliest reference is by Jacques Matter in his 1828 work Histoire critique du gnosticisme et de ses influences , although the term was only popularised somewhat later by Eliphas Levi (real name Alphonse Louis Constant) in his book Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie (1856), which was translated into English by Arthur Edward Waite as Transcendental Magic, its Doctrine and Ritual See Hanegraaff New Age Religion and Western Culture pp.384-5 notes and references, and Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esotericism#Etymology for additional comments. Elphas Levi in turn had a strong influence upon Blavatsky and hence Theosophy (1875 onwards) on the one hand, and even more so the Golden Dawn and hence Hermetic occultism (1888 onwards) and later Aleister Crowley and popular occult magic, on the other.
[7]Jean Gebser, Ever-Present Origin p.102 note 4.
[8] An example with graphics by an anonymous disciple of the Sawan-Kirpal tradition of Radhasoami (e.g. Science of Spirituality http://www.sos.org/ )can be found at http://www.kheper.net/topics/Sant_Mat/index.html This incorporates traditional Hindu ideas, Sant Mat, Theosophy, Tibetan Buddhism, and more. Although this material is hosted on my site I haven't (with one exception regarding a paragraph that was offensive to one reader and regarding which I felt his concern was totally valid) edited it at all. Hence it includes some material I disagree with (the interpretation of Sri Aurobindo and other great teachers for example)
[9] these words need not be synonymous, especially in view of the diversity of the current "integral" movement or movements. Gebser for example spoke of stages or mutations but not of evolution or development
[10] Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, The Phenomenon of Man
[11] Jim Chamberlain, "Wilber on evolution, A Few Comments" www.integralworld.net/chamberlain2.html points out some contradictions in Wilber's attempt to deny that his philosophy is "teleological". In view of Wilber's denials of teleology (presumably because it is not accepted by modernity) "crypto- (hidden) "teleological" might be an alternative term to use in this context; although as Chamberlain shows, Wilber's teleology is by no means "hidden"
[12] Liselotte Frisk, "Religious Movements, Globalization and Conflict: Transnational Perspectives - Is "New Age" a Construction? Searching a New Paradigm of Contemporary Religion" CESNUR 2005 International Conference, June 2-5, 2005 - Palermo, Sicily http://www.cesnur.org/2005/pa_frisk.htm
[13] Hanegraaff New Age Religion and Western Culture, SUNY 1998, pp.365-6
[14] See the very readable summary/overview in Hanegraaff New Age Religion and Western Culture pp.176-79. Wilber's criticism of physicist David Bohm, who along with Fritjof Capra was one of the main exponents of the holistic and holographic universe, elicited a scathing rebuttal by Geoff Falk "Wilber and Bohm, an analysis of the problems with Ken Wilber's "refutations" of David Bohm's ideas" http://www.normaneinsteinbook.com/nechapters/appendix.php , and was actually the deciding point that turned Falk into such an unremitting critic.
[15] I found this quote on Nagarguna's and Tom Armstrong's blog Thoughts Chase Thoughts http://thoughtschasethoughts.blogspot.com/
[16] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_age
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