http://rationalspirituality.com/articles/Ken_Wilber_Spiral_Dynamics.htm
Ken Wilber Summary of Spiral Dynamics model
Ken Wilber is perhaps the most fundamental influence on the
Rational Spirituality perspective, both because of his overarching
developmental model, and his focus on the relationship between
non-dual consciousness (experiential spirituality) and
physical//social/material reality. His use of Spiral dynamics to
simplify and communicate the essence of a developmental model in a
way that not only explains but also illuminates is one of his most
important contributions to the popular understanding of both the
existence and importance of STAGES in Human Development.
Shambhala Pulbishing has a number of pieces available for public
consumption that Ken has written on their website at
www.shambhala.com. This piece is from one of those publicly
available documents, and includes an extended quote from Ken's
book: "A Theory of Everything."
--
KW: In Integral Psychology I present charts that summarize over 100
developmental psychologists, East and West, ancient and modern and
postmodern. Spiral Dynamics is only one of the 100, but I have
recently been using it quite a bit because it is simple and fairly
easy to learn, even for beginners. Based on extensive research
begun by Clare Graves, Spiral Dynamics (developed by Don Beck and
Christopher Cowan) sees human beings evolving or developing through
eight major waves of consciousness. For convenience, I will reprint
my brief summary of these from A Theory of Everything.
SPIRAL DYNAMICS AND THE WAVES OF EXISTENCE
The first six levels are "subsistence levels" marked by "first-tier
thinking." Then there occurs a revolutionary shift in
consciousness: the emergence of "being levels" and "second-tier
thinking," of which there are two major waves. Here is a brief
description of all eight waves, the percentage of the world
population at each wave, and the percentage of social power held by
each.
1. Beige: Archaic-Instinctual . The level of basic survival; food,
water, warmth, sex, and safety have priority. Uses habits and
instincts just to survive. Distinct self is barely awakened or
sustained. Forms into survival bands to perpetuate life.
Where seen: First human societies, newborn infants, senile elderly,
late-stage Alzheimer's victims, mentally ill street people,
starving masses, shell shock. Approximately 0.1% of the adult
population, 0% power.
2. Purple: Magical-Animistic . Thinking is animistic; magical
spirits, good and bad, swarm the earth leaving blessings, curses,
and spells which determine events. Forms into ethnic tribes . The
spirits exist in ancestors and bond the tribe. Kinship and lineage
establish political links. Sounds "holistic" but is actually
atomistic: "there is a name for each bend in the river but no name
for the river."
Where seen: Belief in voodoo-like curses, blood oaths, ancient
grudges, good luck charms, family rituals, magical ethnic beliefs
and superstitions; strong in Third-World settings, gangs, athletic
teams, and corporate "tribes." 10% of the population, 1% of the
power.
3. Red: Power Gods . First emergence of a self distinct from the
tribe; powerful, impulsive, egocentric, heroic. Magical-mythic
spirits, dragons, beasts, and powerful people. Archetypal gods and
goddesses, powerful beings, forces to be reckoned with, both good
and bad. Feudal lords protect underlings in exchange for obedience
and labor. The basis of feudal empires --power and glory. The world
is a jungle full of threats and predators. Conquers, out-foxes, and
dominates; enjoys self to the fullest without regret or remorse; be
here now.
Where seen: The "terrible twos," rebellious youth, frontier
mentalities, feudal kingdoms, epic heroes, James Bond villains,
gang leaders, soldiers of fortune, New-Age narcissism, wild rock
stars, Atilla the Hun, Lord of the Flies . 20% of the population,
5% of the power.
4. Blue: Mythic Order . Life has meaning, direction, and purpose,
with outcomes determined by an all-powerful Other or Order. This
righteous Order enforces a code of conduct based on absolutist and
unvarying principles of "right" and "wrong." Violating the code or
rules has severe, perhaps everlasting repercussions. Following the
code yields rewards for the faithful. Basis of ancient nations .
Rigid social hierarchies; paternalistic; one right way and only one
right way to think about everything. Law and order; impulsivity
controlled through guilt; concrete-literal and fundamentalist
belief; obedience to the rule of Order; strongly conventional and
conformist. Often "religious" or "mythic" [in the mythic-membership
sense; Graves and Beck refer to it as the "saintly/absolutistic"
level], but can be secular or atheistic Order or Mission.
Where seen: Puritan America, Confucian China, Dickensian England,
Singapore discipline, totalitarianism, codes of chivalry and honor,
charitable good deeds, religious fundamentalism (e.g., Christian
and Islamic), Boy and Girl Scouts, "moral majority," patriotism.
40% of the population, 30% of the power.
5. Orange: Scientific Achievement . At this wave, the self
"escapes" from the "herd mentality" of blue, and seeks truth and
meaning in individualistic terms--hypothetico-deductive,
experimental, objective, mechanistic, operational--"scientific" in
the typical sense. The world is a rational and well-oiled machine
with natural laws that can be learned, mastered, and manipulated
for one's own purposes. Highly achievement oriented, especially (in
America) toward materialistic gains. The laws of science rule
politics, the economy, and human events. The world is a chess-board
on which games are played as winners gain pre-eminence and perks
over losers. Marketplace alliances; manipulate earth's resources
for one's strategic gains. Basis of corporate states .
Where seen: The Enlightenment, Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged , Wall
Street, emerging middle classes around the world, cosmetics
industry, trophy hunting, colonialism, the Cold War, fashion
industry, materialism, secular humanism, liberal self-interest. 30%
of the population, 50% of the power.
6. Green: The Sensitive Self . Communitarian, human bonding,
ecological sensitivity, networking. The human spirit must be freed
from greed, dogma, and divisiveness; feelings and caring supersede
cold rationality; cherishing of the earth, Gaia, life. Against
hierarchy; establishes lateral bonding and linking. Permeable self,
relational self, group intermeshing. Emphasis on dialogue,
relationships. Basis of value communities (i.e., freely chosen
affiliations based on shared sentiments). Reaches decisions through
reconciliation and consensus (downside: interminable "processing"
and incapacity to reach decisions). Refresh spirituality, bring
harmony, enrich human potential. Strongly egalitarian,
anti-hierarchy, pluralistic values, social construction of reality,
diversity, multiculturalism, relativistic value systems; this
worldview is often called pluralistic relativism . Subjective,
nonlinear thinking; shows a greater degree of affective warmth,
sensitivity, and caring, for earth and all its inhabitants.
