Exploring Big Questions in the Integral World

Crossposting from Terry Pattens blog this. Valuable considerations. Just in time. Personally I am adding those impulses, projects and endevors which do not even carry the i-label. Leverage in the belly of the spiral as much as anywhere else (not only in the body:): requires perhaps abolutely individual fingerprints and action which will never be on any radar screens.

 The dark matter of emergence, the mystery Terry himself described in this years GIA interview with Craig Hamilton. Terry is one of the very few who acknowledge explicitly the strange power of that which can never be mapped out but only experienced in deepest intimate relationship and communion with the absolute.

Heres to his blog:

 Exploring Big Questions in the Integral World

This, the first in my series of monthly newsletters, is written as an open letter from The Crossings, a retreat center near Austin, where the Integral Leadership in Action (ILiA) conference has just concluded.

Tomorrow my wife Deborah and I set out for Perpignan, France, where I've been asked to serve as the Master of Ceremonies at Renaissance2: The Great Shift Gathering, a “network of world-changing networks” that aims to catalyze a whole series of high-impact practical projects in the fields of renewable energy, enlightened enterprise, integral governance, and resilient environments.

This newsletter is full of juicy ideas. Future newsletters will sometimes be more inspirational or contain a specific practice—and some will wade into philosophical territory more directly. But I hope you will find this one very “meaty”!

In the midst of a rich series of inspiring dialogues at ILiA with many Integral and evolutionary leaders “at the frothy edge” of human possibility, here are a few of the ideas on my mind. Each is controversial, and even my own thoughts are evolving on all these topics.

Please add your two cents in the comments section where this newsletter is posted as a blog entry on my website! keep reading

Re: Exploring Big Questions in the Integral World

These big, controversial questions are relvant for me even for EVERYTHING which is new under the sun.

Right now not only thousands of dots are unconnected.

The newsletter for example isnt mentioning presencing and other approaches of social innovation.

its not referring to the growing weight of online communities and asynchronous communication in virtual worlds.

It points however into right directions. And its avoiding the question how diverse cultures are contributing.

I am missing what terry articulated in this summers GIA interview with Craig Hamilton. The deep mystery, miracle and enigma of touching the absolute.

A latent tendency of integral is often the temptation to label in cognitive ways. And with purpose.

Thats insufficient.

Not radical enough.

I was born in the German Ruhr area. Where coal mining was for decades the core industry. The workers had to do dangerous work hundreds of meters under the earth surface. To find the black gold. And so I wish more readiness to explore realms which cannot imediately be labeled.

To burn away experimentally the seet I spot in the brain where all seems so nicely. In a certain sense its needed to kill the Wilber factor.

I am apreciating work of KW in the highest way. Since 1980.

Unfortunately too many Wilber mutants have appeared. As always in history new impulses, faces, voices and wildcards, black swans and migrations movements are needed. Simply to give weight to new magmatic expressions.

The evolution of the internet itself gives examples. All pioneers of the first wave have no impact anymore at the leading/cutting/bleeding edge. They are doing good work and have their place in the history books. Yes.

The next towring moments and breakthroughs need strange attractors and surprises. Infrastructures of fantasy and imagination. As Howard Bloom says in his new book “Genius of the Beast”.

I am thankful for Terry to get the ball rolling in new ways. May it be a new expedition for many!

Cheers,

Albert

Re: Exploring Big Questions in the Integral World

Albert: The newsletter for example isnt mentioning presencing and other approaches of social innovation.

I have recently learned to understand better the importance of social innovation for collective evolution. Individual evolution through the different stages is highly dependent on the existent collective LL and  LR structures.
What do you mean by the word presencing in this context?

 I long ago read the book Presence, Human Purpose and the Field of Future by Senge, Scharmer, Jaworski and Flowers. I felt then that it was an important book on how to facilitate true transformation in organizations and businesses.I met the concept presencing there, but haven't seen it being used since then.

Btw. soon after I had read the book Scharmer visited Finland. My friend's son, who works for EU in Brussels, had invited him. Scharmer stayed for  a little while also during his visit at my friend's home. I got invited there too, but could not make it then.

Irmeli

Re: Exploring Big Questions in the Integral World

Irmeli,

I refer to the approach and work of Otto Scharmer whom I know personally.

www.presencing.com

www.ottoscharmer.com

Otto has created a presencing community too. The online platform is at Ning. You find the link on his presencing homepage.

The approach has lots of fans in Europe and is for sure integral in part too. Check out the 2004 interview interview of Otto with Ken Wilber about mapping the integral U.

In my conversation with Otto in 2004 it became clear that AQAL AND presencing still have a lots to learn from each other.):)

Best,

Albert

Re: Exploring Big Questions in the Integral World

Albert, thank you for the links.

Otto Scharmer seems to be doing great work in an important area, which is our co-evolving, co-operating in groups, in organizations, in businesses etc.

Have you been participating in some ways in that work?

I definitely want to read Scharmer's book Theory of U, as soon as I have finished the few books that I going on just now!

And I'm planning to call  my friend's son and ask more about his connections to Otto Scharmer.

Irmeli

Re: Exploring Big Questions in the Integral World

Whew!!! That sure lifted my vision up a few notches!!! Thank you !!!!!

Blessings, OM Bastet