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For my Homecoming project this past year, I attempted a basic synthesis of the Law of One and Integral Theory. Similar to my project the year before doing the same thing with Jung, I was very excited about this project as I was doing it, intending to continue the work beyond the presentation, but have not picked it up since Homecoming. It's something I still feel is worthwhile and will probably pick it back up at some point, but here is my preliminary examination. I want to emphasize that a lot of the examples used for describing Integral Theory concepts come from various sources and I cannot claim them.




Integral Theory and the Law of One


“Introduction”
A couple of years ago I found myself expanding out from the Law of One, which was my initial entry into spirituality and exploration of the nature of the self, into other similar frameworks and philosophies. I was particularly drawn to Jungian theory and psychology, quickly realizing the correlations between Ra and Jung. I didn’t know exactly how deep the correlations went until I initiated a cursory exploration of these similarities for my presentation at last year’s Homecoming. This exploration was enlightening but currently remains an unfinished project, as I feel an entire book could be written synthesizing Jung with Ra.
 
Around the same time that I got into Jung, another theoretical framework entered my peripheral that has since slowly teased its way into my studies and recently my curiosity and eagerness to explore this new framework has blown open.
 
Integral Theory found its origins in the works of Jean Gebser, a Swiss linguist and philosopher who is known for describing structures of human consciousness, and Sri Aurobindo, an Indian nationalist, philosopher, and yogi who is known for developing a spiritual practice he called Integral Yoga.
 
Ken Wilber is perhaps the most prominent voice of Integral Theory today, having founded a think-tank called the Integral Institute in 1998, which is dedicated to gathering and integrating knowledge and viewpoints from a vast number of fields and refining the theory and application of Integral Theory. He’s written many books about Integral Theory and has also helped create several public-facing organizations meant to help make Integral Theory accessible to the masses. The majority of this presentation and its subsequent project will be based on his work and the work of his colleagues involved with the various organizations focused on studying and disseminating Integral Theory.
 
Due to the nature and accessibility of Integral Theory, I feel that a synthesis of Integral Theory and the Law of One could be extremely beneficial not only because I feel that the two systems have much to offer each other, but also because much work has already been done to synthesize many different frameworks, worldviews, and philosophies within Integral Theory that a bridge between the Law of One and Integral Theory could effectively serve as a bridge between the Law of One and these other numerous systems of thought.


What is Integral Theory and AQAL?
Integral Theory is aptly named as it essentially seeks to integrate the best of a multitude of various systems of thought while seeking to avoid exclusion or reductionism. It has been portrayed as a “theory of everything” – not in the same sense as material scientists have been searching for in the world of physics, but in the sense that it seeks to incorporate, examine, understand, and use everything which we have at our disposal as human beings capable of thought.
 
While there are likely an infinite number of ways to investigate and understand our experience in the universe, Integral Theory has been developed taking the best of both modern and ancient understandings of spirituality, philosophy, science, history, cross-cultural examination, humanities, and whatever else the Integral Theorists can get their hands on.
 
Ken Wilber developed a specific system called AQAL (pronounced ah”-kwul”) meant to be a comprehensive approach to applying Integral Theory in any given situation, such as personal evolution, business, ethics, ecology, spirituality, or practically any other aspect of our reality. It stands for “All Quadrants, All Levels,” or more thoroughly, “All Quadrants, All Levels, All Lines, All States, and All Types.” Wilber has determined that these five key components are the most effective way to grasp an holistic view of reality.
 
I will give a basic overview of each component and share my initial observations of how these may relate to the Law of One.


The Four Quadrants
The four quadrant system is a key component of the AQAL system and for Integral Theory itself. Wilber and other Integral Theorists claim that the complexity of nearly everything, from something like the crisis in Gaza to the nature of one’s self, is arranged in co-arising pattern of four, formed by one horizontal line and one vertical line to give us four separate quadrants. Some of the following examples are lifted straight from various sources on IntegralLife.com and other publications offered by Integral Theorists.
 
The vertical line represents a separation of space or different dimensions of reality: the inner and the outer, or the interior and the exterior.
 
[Image: BDtSkHz.jpg]
 
For instance, if there is a scientist who is observing an the brain activity of a person who is experiencing happiness, but this scientist has never had the experience of being happy before, then they are only understanding half of the phenomenon. Full consideration of happiness would be understanding both the interior experience, perceived through inward perception, and the exterior material processes correlating to the happiness, perceived using our outer senses (with the aid of sensory extensions which read brain activity).
 
The horizontal line indicates a distinction between to different dimensions: the individual and the collective.

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A simple example of the upper and lower dimensions would be the distinction between the individual tree and the collective forest.
 
When we combine these two lines with their distinctions, we end up with four separate quadrants and four different dimensions of any given phenomena:
 
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The easiest example to use in considering the four quadrants is your Self at this moment:
 
[Image: 2BqHOg1.jpg] 

Or more generally:

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The four quadrants can be described in other specific terms:
 
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By using the quadrants as a lens with which to view our reality, we can gain perspectives which ensure we approach a topic in a holistic way. Take religion as an example, and the question as to how and why religion has been used to control populations and enact violence upon others. The four quadrants offer a view of four different dimensions involved with this phenomenon:

[Image: 2J1NEFk.jpg]
 
The Quadrants are a way to keep a perspective of wholeness and integration and steer away from a perspective of fragmentation or reductionism. It’s a matter of “forest and trees.” If we compare any issue we wish to examine as a tree, the four quadrants help us maintain a consistent view of the forest. It allows us to investigate the nuance of something specific without losing sight of its context, or look at a collective system while maintain an acknowledgment of the individuals involved within that system. “Dwelling in the nuance of a particular experience without honoring the context in which it is all taking place.” It is a great way to maintain the perspective which allows us to see the interconnectedness of our reality and recognize the patterns within the cosmos.
 
Here are various examples to help solidify the nature of the quadrants and connect them to some recognizable aspects of our own experiences:

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Keep in mind that these are all very simple examples of the quadrants.
 
The quadrants are a very fundamental aspect of the AQAL system because each other aspect within the AQAL framework is viewed using each of these four perspectives as a lens.

The Law of One and the Four Quadrants
So how can we relate the Law of One to the Four Quadrants? I see one large correlation which would also be helpful in using the Four Quadrants to apply the teachings of the Law of One to our life.
 
From Infinity to Finity - The First Distortion
This correlation relies on an understanding of the Law of One which I gleaned from Sephira Vox’s (JustLikeYou on Bring4th) presentation and handout material from Homecoming 2012 dealing with the First Distortion, or first “movement” from infinity to finity, from the unified one to the many. Ra discusses intelligent infinity discerning the concept of finity here:
 

Quote:13.12
The intelligent infinity discerned a concept. This concept was discerned due to freedom of will of awareness. This concept was finity. This was the first and primal paradox or distortion of the Law of One. Thus the one intelligent infinity invested itself in an exploration of many-ness. Due to the infinite possibilities of intelligent infinity there is no ending to many-ness. The exploration, thus, is free to continue infinitely in an eternal present.

 
And in other words here:
 

Quote:27.8
In this distortion of the Law of One it is recognized that the Creator will know Itself.

 
Sephira points out that both the terms “infinite” and “unity” both etymologically mean “without boundary.” In these simple terms, we can easily see the first distortion being introduced as being the first boundary. This boundary exists between that which is aware and that within the awareness. In other terms, on one side of the boundary is subject, and on the other side of the boundary is object. Within the First Distortion is an implicit existence of subject and object duality, which is the basis upon which all experience springs. The Creator knowing itself is the subject (as Creator) knowing the object (as Creator). The very concept of subject and object are inseparable from the concept of finity, the concept of boundaries, the concept of distortions, and thus the First Distortion itself.
 
One of the easiest way to depict this first boundary is to take a sheet of paper, which would signify Intelligent Infinity. The blankness of the paper is unified in that there are no boundaries which separate the paper from itself (this metaphor only goes as far as the edge of the paper, obviously). To draw a single vertical line down the center of the paper is to signify the first boundary, or the First Distortion. We have now gone from infinite to finite, from one to many. We now have two aspects of Intelligent Infinity – subject and object.
 
This vertical line and these two aspects happen to be same vertical line and the same two aspects from the Four Quadrant system – subject on the left, object on the right, or the interior and exterior dimensions.
 
With the introduction of this distortion or the drawing of this line, our next line also becomes implicit. The idea of finity or many-ness automatically holds the idea of individual and collective - to have a subject means you must have one aspect of many-ness in relation to another aspect of many-ness, and when those two aspects are taken together, they form a collective. Any type of individual implies a relationship to a collective, for an individual must be individual to something.
 
And so we get our horizontal line, which is simply another type of dimension created by the introduction of the First Distortion. And thus, here in the First Distortion of the Law of One lies the AQAL system’s Four Quadrants.
 
While this cosmology is specific to the Law of One material, it also applies to the most commonly accepted scientific theory of the Big Bang. Prior to the Big Bang, supposedly all that is contained in our universe was collected together in a singular state. At some point soon after the Big Bang, there existed a type of many-ness, whether these were atoms, sub-atomic particles, or some other similar building block of the universe. We can take two atoms which begin interacting for example and ascribe a perspective to one of them. This atom would then be the subject with the other being the object, either of them being the individual and the two of them together being the collective. In this sense, the Four Quadrants were also primal to this particular cosmology as well, though I feel that Sephira’s interpretation of Ra’s cosmology is much more eloquent, interesting, and useful.
 
Application
As Sephira also points out, since this is the First Distortion, it is present within each subsequent distortion. This supports the Integral Theory claim that each occurrence within the universe, which could also be called “distortion,” contains the Four Quadrants, and thus can be examined using the Four Quadrants.
 
So how is this useful? I don’t mean to imply that utilizing the Four Quadrants will cut directly through all distortions straight to the first, but that there is no situation which can evade examination using this method. Any distortion may be looked at through this lens to ensure that the full context of the first distortion is being acknowledged.
 
Ra suggests several times the utilization of our analytical skills towards our experiences:

Quote:18.5
The proper role of the entity is in this density to experience all things desired, to then analyze, understand, and accept these experiences, distilling from them the love/light within them. Nothing shall be overcome. That which is not needed falls away.

It is, shall we say, a shortcut to simply ignore or overcome any desire. It must instead be understood and accepted. This takes patience and experience which can be analyzed with care, with compassion for self and for other-self.

Quote:49.4
It may seem that the rational or analytical mind might have more of a possibility of successfully pursuing the negative orientation due to the fact that, in our understanding, too much order is by its essence negative. However, this same ability to structure abstract concepts and to analyze experiential data may be the key to rapid positive polarization. It may be said that those whose analytical capacities are predominant have somewhat more to work with in polarizing.

Quote:85.16
To the student of the balancing process we may suggest that the most stringent honesty be applied. As compassion is perceived it is suggested that, in balancing, this perception be analyzed. It may take many, many essays into compassion before true universal love is the product of the attempted opening and crystallization of this all-important springboard energy center.

 
I have found that upon my personal path, while analyzation of my experiences, emotions, biases, distortions, and perceptions isn’t the entirety of the spiritual journey, it has been key to my own spiritual growth as Ra is suggesting here. What I believe the Four Quadrant system offers is a tool for analysis which utilizes the First Distortion is a holistic sense. Understanding that each occurrence or distortion contains these aspects of the First Distortion helps us to ensure that we are not ignoring a crucial aspect of what we are analyzing, and most importantly helps us understand how all things are connected and bound by the underlying unity of all things.
 
Reductionism
One of the most enlightening aspects of the quadrant system for me was recognizing the many ways in which we might reduce the universe into one particular quadrant and completely ignore the others, or use one of the quadrants to outright deny another. The application of the Four Quadrants helps us to avoid this easy habit. Reductionism is extremely common within many fields, including both science and spirituality, two communities which tend to be at odds with each other most of the time, even though both could gain much from the other.
 
Reductionism is the conceptualization of a phenomenon within a certain context and ignoring the greater context in which the phenomenon exists. Reduction can happen in any direction and ultimately stifles our ability to fully understand our experience of the universe around us.
 
For example:
Reduction to the upper-right quadrant: a statement which commonly comes from the scientific community is “Spiritual experiences aren’t real, they’re just firings of certain neurons within the brain.” The statement reduces all meaning and truth to the upper right quadrant, rejecting and devaluing both of the interiors and reducing truth to only that which is measurable, observable, or exterior. It is also failing to take into account the lower right quadrant by reducing the phenomena to its lowest or most fundamental material component, in this case the neuron within the brain. This can be called extreme scientism, material reductionism. Motto: Matter alone is real.
 
Reduction to the lower-right quadrant: similar to the upper right reduction, it involves the collapsing of the left hand interiors to the exterior correlates, specifically reducing everything to a lower right material system manifestation. Instead of seeing systems of interpreted cultural beliefs and meaning, all that’s seen are the behavioral, technological, ecological, and objective systems properties of the lower right quadrant. You might here these statements from a lower right reductionist: “Technology today is over-stimulating our youth, creating various attention disorders.” “America’s healthcare crisis is the sole result of a dysfunctional cost structure.” “A system of gun control is the key to reducing gun violence.” Motto: Systems alone are real.
 
Reduction to the lower-left quadrant: this can be seen in movements and mindsets which take postmodernism or cultural interpretation to its extremes, such as extreme relativism. In this reduction, proponents go overboard in stressing the cultural, historical, and intersubjective nature of all knowledge. Everything, including objective facts, subjective experiences, and social processes, become merely cultural interpretation. Within this reduction, all claims to truth become somewhat invalid as any claim is dismissed as simply being a result of cultural impressions. A lower left reductionist might say “Violence against women is the sole result of a patriarchal mindset.” “The ethics of an action cannot be determined as any judgment of good or bad is simply the impression from one’s cultural imprint.” Motto: Culturally constructed meaning alone is reality.
 
Reduction to the upper-left quadrant: an upper left reductionist believes ultimate reality is based on one’s individual mind or ideas. Here the exterior world is reduced only to personal consciousness or perception - not in the sense that the universe itself is consciousness, an idea which is upheld not only by the Law of One but also by proponents of Integral Theory, but rather in the sense that one’s personal consciousness alone shapes their exterior reality. There is a failure to recognize the individual consciousness that plays a part in the shared culture, or the objective world within which our consciousness exists. There is an elevation of personal opinions, feelings, and desires to the level of ultimate reality.  An upper left reductionist would say “Whatever you think becomes your reality.” “You must have attracted this negative experience to you with negative thoughts.” “Think positive and only positive things will happen to you.” This ideal is upheld very strongly in the New Age movement. Motto: Mind alone is real.
 
I feel that these types of reductionisms are extremely common all around us, in various fields and cultures, supported by different dogmas from all aspects of life. When we utilize the Four Quadrants, we can easily see how we could be reducing our own experience or ideas to one particular quadrant or dimension. Keep in mind that whatever we reduce an occurrence to isn’t necessarily false, simply incomplete. We could be correct in our perception but only partially so.
 

Levels
With the Four Quadrants firmly in place as a basis for the AQAL system, we come to the next aspect: Levels. Levels refer to “stages” or “waves” of development. The idea of Levels maintains that there are higher and lower (or more and less evolved, more and less aware) structures within consciousness and within the Four Quadrants.
 
If we look at any particular aspect of evolution, we can identify incremental changes which happen periodically which give rise to emergent properties, where something new comes forth into being. Each new emergence can be seen as a stage, level, or wave of development. In the upper-right quadrant, we have physical and biological evolution. In the lower-right quadrant, we have socioeconomic and technological evolution. In the lower-left quadrant, we have cultural evolution. And in the upper-right quadrant, we have evolution of the individual consciousness. All of these unfold in a discernable pattern.
 
The pattern of emergence can easily be seen within biological evolution, going all the way back to the supposed Big Bang. Directly after the Big Bang, our universe did not pop out fully formed, but instead had to evolve to get to where we are now. At first there was simply energy and subatomic particles; then molecules; then single-celled organisms; them multi-cellular organisms; then various forms of plants and animals; then human beings, and here we are.
 
There’s a consistent theme throughout these evolutionary stages of the biological organism which is key among the other types of evolution through Levels, which is the fact that each stage both transcends and includes each former level. Human beings are a long shot from a simple carbon atom, but they are included in the very makeup of our body complexes. And just as we include carbon atoms, we include basically every other aspect of the entire evolutionary sequence between atoms and humans. This evolution is a deepening from simpler to more complex, from less conscious to more conscious, and each stage or Level is built upon the prior.
 
These stages of upper right biological evolution can be linked to the other quadrants with their own stages which emerged alongside the biological stages. As a specific example, with the emergence of the complex neocortex, we also saw an emergence of higher intelligence in the upper-left quadrant. With this higher intelligence, we saw the emergence of what we understand as human culture in the lower left, and the development of civilization in the lower-right quadrant. All of these quadrants evolved simultaneously into higher Levels of complexity.
 
As spiritual seekers, our evolution tends to be that of the development of personal consciousness, focusing mostly on the upper-left quadrant. It’s important to note that focusing on a single quadrant isn’t necessarily reducing your experiences to that quadrant, as long as we maintain awareness of the other quadrants and where they may correlate to our personal development. Because of this aspect of personal development, the primary focus of the levels tends to be on developmental psychology.
 
The AQAL system bases its own stages of developmental psychology on a synthesis of a multitude of other various models, drawing most heavily on a system called Spiral Dynamics, which itself was a synthesis of many other models of cognitive development.
 
Both AQAL and Spiral Dynamics utilize colors to denote the different stages of development, though for some reason each system uses different colors to signify similar stages in some cases. Each of these systems views the developmental levels to exist on a sort of upward spiral of development, or as Dr. Don Beck, co-developer of Spiral Dynamics says, “What I am proposing is that the psychology of the mature human being is an unfolding, emergent, oscillating, spiraling process, marked by progressive subordination of older, lower-order behavior systems to newer, higher-order systems.”
 
The movement through these levels can be described in all Four Quadrants, with both personal and cultural values in the interior dimensions, personal behaviors in the upper-right quadrant, and technological and social structure development in the lower-right quadrant. Here is a basic description of the stages starting with the lower stages and moving up the scale in awareness and complexity:
 
(In lieu of the basic chart I created for my presentation, here is a great depiction of the AQAL system with the Levels on the left, in full color with full descriptions. Click to see a full-size version.)

 
[Image: SteveSelf-Altitude.jpg]

These stages are essentially an amalgam of a great amount of historical and cross-cultural research, determining consistent stages across cultures of both individuals and cultures themselves. Growth through the Stages is experience by both individuals and collectives in both the interior and exterior dimensions.
 
Densities, Sub-Densities, and Energy Centers
A student of the Ra material may notice an immediate correlation between this system of Stages and a major topic within the Law of One material – stages of consciousness expressed as densities, or more applicably sub-densities, and the energy centers.
 
Before we go further, it would be useful to point out that an obvious correlation must exist between the energy centers and the sub-densities, but this correlation necessarily cannot be a one-to-one correlation. For instance, the 7[sup]th[/sup] sub-density of 3[sup]rd[/sup] density would naturally be the last sub-density before moving on to 4[sup]th[/sup] density. However, as Ra describes a locus or meeting point of inner and outer energies within the energy system in 49.6, it is stated that “when this uncoiled energy approaches universal love and radiant being the entity is in a state whereby the harvestability of the entity comes nigh.” In this description, universal love indicates the green ray and radiant being most likely indicates the blue ray. So somewhere along the 4[sup]th[/sup] and 5[sup]th[/sup] chakras lies the harvestability point for an entity, at this same point must logically exist the 7[sup]th[/sup] sub-density. The crucial point here being that, while a correlation exists, it is not necessarily an easy one to point out.
 
Ra speaks at much greater length about the energy centers than the nature of the sub-densities, and these energy center descriptions serve as their own type of developmental psychology system. It is clear that there exist some correlations between the energy centers and AQAL’s stages as well. Though these correlations are clearer than that between the sub-densities and the energy centers, it still cannot be seen to be a one-to-one relationship. This could potentially be a massively confusing topic as not only do the colors of Spiral Dynamics, which is commonly used by Integral Theorists, and the AQAL system differ, but both are different from the rainbow colors used in Ra’s energy centers. While the AQAL system did use a similar spectrum of color as that of the rainbow, they do not seem to line up perfectly with the chakra system as described by Ra.
 
For instance, in the AQAL Levels of infrared to orange we can see aspects of Ra’s red, orange, and yellow energy centers. The green ray center and the green level seem to have the strongest correlations which can be drawn. After this, the teal to indigo seem to describe a type of functioning of an individual utilizing the upper energy centers in various distortions.
 
Center of Gravity and the Uncoiling Energies
Ra describes how a certain locus exists which moves through the energy centers in a sequential way in session 49:
 

Quote:49.5
Questioner: Will you expand on the positive and negative magnetic polarizations in general and how it applies to, say, individuals and planets, etc.? I think there is a correlation here, but I’m not sure.
 
Ra: I am Ra. It is correct that there is a correlation between the energy field of an entity of your nature and planetary bodies, for all material is constructed by means of the dynamic tension of the magnetic field. The lines of force in both cases may be seen to be much like the interweaving spirals of the braided hair. Thus positive and negative wind and interweave forming geometric relationships in the energy fields of both persons, as you would call a mind/body/spirit complex, and planets.
 
The negative pole is the south pole or the lower pole. The north or upper pole is positive. The crisscrossings of these spiraling energies form primary, secondary, and tertiary energy centers. You are familiar with the primary energy centers of the physical, mental, and spiritual body complex. Secondary points of the crisscrossing of positive and negative center orientation revolve about several of your centers. The yellow-ray center may be seen to have secondary energy centers in elbow, in knee, and in the subtle bodies at a slight spacing from the physical vehicle at points describing diamonds about the entity’s navel area surrounding the body.
 
One may examine each of the energy centers for such secondary centers. Some of your peoples work with these energy centers, and you call this acupuncture. However, it is to be noted that there are most often anomalies in the placement of the energy centers so that the scientific precision of this practice is brought into question. Like most scientific attempts at precision, it fails to take into account the unique qualities of each creation.
 
The most important concept to grasp about the energy field is that the lower or negative pole will draw the universal energy into itself from the cosmos. Therefrom it will move upward to be met and reacted to by the positive spiraling energy moving downward from within. The measure of an entity’s level of ray activity is the locus wherein the south pole outer energy has been met by the inner spiraling positive energy.
 
As an entity grows more polarized this locus will move upwards. This phenomenon has been called by your peoples the kundalini. However, it may better be thought of as the meeting place of cosmic and inner, shall we say, vibratory understanding. To attempt to raise the locus of this meeting without realizing the metaphysical principles of magnetism upon which this depends is to invite great imbalance.
 
49.6
Questioner: What process would be the recommended process for correctly awakening, as they say, the kundalini and of what value would that be?
 
Ra: I am Ra. The metaphor of the coiled serpent being called upwards is vastly appropriate for consideration by your peoples. This is what you are attempting when you seek. There are, as we have stated, great misapprehensions concerning this metaphor and the nature of pursuing its goal. We must generalize and ask that you grasp the fact that this in effect renders far less useful that which we share. However, as each entity is unique, generalities are our lot when communicating for your possible edification.
 
We have two types of energy. We are attempting then, as entities in any true color of this octave, to move the meeting place of inner and outer natures further and further along or upward along the energy centers. The two methods of approaching this with sensible method are first, the seating within one’s self of those experiences which are attracted to the entity through the south pole. Each experience will need to be observed, experienced, balanced, accepted, and seated within the individual. As the entity grows in self-acceptance and awareness of catalyst the location of the comfortable seating of these experiences will rise to the new true-color entity. The experience, whatever it may be, will be seated in red ray and considered as to its survival content and so forth.
 
Each experience will be sequentially understood by the growing and seeking mind/body/spirit complex in terms of survival, then in terms of personal identity, then in terms of social relations, then in terms of universal love, then in terms of how the experience may beget free communication, then in terms of how the experience may be linked to universal energies, and finally in terms of the sacramental nature of each experience.
 
Meanwhile the Creator lies within. In the north pole the crown is already upon the head and the entity is potentially a god. This energy is brought into being by the humble and trusting acceptance of this energy through meditation and contemplation of the self and of the Creator.
 
Where these energies meet is where the serpent will have achieved its height. When this uncoiled energy approaches universal love and radiant being the entity is in a state whereby the harvestability of the entity comes nigh.

 
The sort of mish-mash of energy centers we see within the AQAL Levels is likely indicative of the fact that, even though this specific locus exists, it does not dictate the entirety of our experience. As a person grows and utilizes their experiences, the locus will naturally move upwards, yet that doesn’t mean that they are completely done with balancing the energy centers through which their locus already moved. Accessing energy centers “higher” on the spectrum may even open up new opportunities for balancing and crystallization of the lower. There seems to be a dance between the energy centers even as the locus continues its movement upwards.
 
For example, in the red ray energy center we have the basic striving for survival. We see these survival aspects strongly within the infrared and the magenta levels. But starting in magenta, we begin to see the development of social structures in the form tribal order, going beyond a simple pack mentality and developing a conscious order of social interaction. This type of social structure formation is indicative of the yellow ray energy center. Other yellow ray mentalities can be seen strongly expressed within the red, amber, and orange levels. We also see the orange ray expressions from magenta to amber in a development of sense of self beyond just survivalism.
 
So we can see that the sequence of emergence within the Levels of the AQAL system is a similar sequence as that of Ra’s description of the energy centers. Certain perceptions and behaviors can be linked to a certain locus within the energy centers, and to similar altitude on the AQAL Level system.
 
Just like the energy centers, development along the Spiral of Levels isn’t always a direct progression either. There exists what the AQAL system calls a “center of gravity,” or a certain level at which an individual or a culture is attracted to, but each individual or culture may possess “sub-personalities” or Types (our next topic within the AQAL system) which reach below or above that particular center of gravity.
 
For example, just as a person whose energy center locus may be around the green ray energy center, they could still have distortions within their lower energy centers which express themselves in certain situations or contexts. Similarly, a person with a center of gravity within the green level may possess sub-personalities within the lower levels which occur in similar situations or contexts. On the other hand, the entity with a locus within the green ray center may experience moments of clarity or unity brought by temporary access to blue or indigo, which would be the same situation as an entity with a green center of gravity experiencing a type of cognitive tickle down from the teal level. This experience of the higher energy centers or levels can be related to what Ra called the “inevitable pull” or the “pull forward in evolution.”
 
Cultural Gravity
One strong force within the spectrum of levels as well as energy centers is what I would call cultural gravity, where the lower-left evolution of cultural orientation has strong pull upon the individuals within the culture. It seems natural that an individual who grows up and develops within a certain culture, holding certain values, will necessarily adopt those values as part of their natural development within the culture. That’s not to say that we cannot individuate within the culture and seek values outside of the social norm, but the more values imposed upon us within a certain level means that that particular level will exert a certain force upon our consciousness.
 
There are subtle examples of this throughout the Ra material. Ra themselves were a culture upon Venus, a culture which existed in contrast to at least one other culture (“those who seemed to dwell in darkness”). Ra themselves harvested successfully while the other culture they spoke about seemed to remain cynical of Ra’s progression within the light. Being an individual within the culture of Ra would no doubt make an individual more likely to evolve and become harvestable than dwelling within the other culture(s) upon Venus.
 
In a similar case we have those who attained harvestability in Earth’s second cycle, who Ra calls the Elder Race. They existed as a group or a culture and attained harvestability together. Additionally, Ra speaks about “those peripherally associated with this culture” who were very near harvestability. It seems that in a sort of cross-section of these two cultures, there existed a mutual pull towards harvestability. Again, being an individual within these cultures would seem to allow one a certain gravity towards that of evolution and harvestability.
 
To take an example of a particular individual within a culture which is drawn to that culture’s level would be an individual like Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson wrote eloquently about the equal rights of all humans, and according to Ra he was a Wanderer who came here for that very purpose. Yet here we see a great contradiction in this individual – one who believed in freedom and sovereignty owned slaves. This contradiction makes more sense when we realize that the culture within which we develop exerts a force upon us.
 
The Integral Theorists who use the AQAL system will often describe that cognitive lines will normally develop before behavioral lines. Thus Jefferson, who offered the thought of freedom to his culture, was still held by his culture’s ideals and actions, and thus he himself owned slaves despite his beliefs in freedom. As Ra puts it, “The thought must precede the action.” (26.13) Were Jefferson alive today, there’s no doubt that he would not even consider the idea of slavery to be a proper behavior, because (thanks partly to his introduction of thought), our culture has adopted ideals which do not support outright slavery. Cultural context affects the development of the individual.
 
Transcend and Include
One of the points continually emphasized within the AQAL system is the fact that transcending the levels is not a method of “Transcend and Reject” but rather a method of “Transcend and Include.” Much like the previous example of how we, as biological humans, contain every aspect of our evolutionary path up to this point within us, right down to the carbon atoms, the same goes for the ever-expanding and increasingly complexity of consciousness. The key point of Integral Theory is that all perspectives are “true but partial,” meaning each perspective or Level contains concepts and aspects which are essential and fundamental to the higher Levels. This is not a type of radical or egalitarian inclusion, but rather an inclusion of those enduring aspects upon which the next levels are built. Each person within each stage will necessarily have some “baggage” or what the AQAL system calls “transitional aspects” which will be shed as we grow into each new stage.
 
This is a very similar concept as discussed by Ra in 18.5:
 

Quote:18.5
The proper role of the entity is in this density to experience all things desired, to then analyze, understand, and accept these experiences, distilling from them the love/light within them. Nothing shall be overcome. That which is not needed falls away.
 
The orientation develops due to analysis of desire. These desires become more and more distorted towards conscious application of love/light as the entity furnishes itself with distilled experience. We have found it to be inappropriate in the extreme to encourage the overcoming of any desires, except to suggest the imagination rather than the carrying out in the physical plane, as you call it, of those desires not consonant with the Law of One; this preserving the primal distortion of free will.
 
The reason it is unwise to overcome is that overcoming is an unbalanced action creating difficulties in balancing in the time/space continuum. Overcoming thus creates the further environment for holding onto that which apparently has been overcome.
 
All things are acceptable in the proper time for each entity, and in experiencing, in understanding, in accepting, in then sharing with other-selves, the appropriate description shall be moving away from distortions of one kind to distortions of another which may be more consonant with the Law of One.
 
It is, shall we say, a shortcut to simply ignore or overcome any desire. It must instead be understood and accepted. This takes patience and experience which can be analyzed with care, with compassion for self and for other-self.

 
Ra describes the process of integration of essential desires and the falling away of “transitional” desires (desires, in this case, being one aspect of the upper left expression of the stages). And not only is this dynamic hinted about throughout the material, we see another correlation in the simple fact that when the locus of the energy centers moves upwards within the energy body, that does not signify a rejection of the lower centers. The lower energy centers are still active and essential to the balanced being, having their own expressions within the harmony of each experience, continuing their own crystallization as we grow and balance in our evolution. Thus we go from utilizing a lesser number of energy centers to a greater number, growing in complexity within our energy body and within our consciousness – the growing of complexity being indicative in the AQAL system of increase along a path of evolution.
 
Jump From 1[sup]st[/sup] Tier to 2[sup]nd[/sup] Tier – the Emergence of 4[sup]th[/sup] Density Energy
Both Spiral Dynamics and AQAL recognize a certain cognitive shift somewhere along the spiral between the green level and the teal level. This has been described as a “radical phase shift” or a “quantum shift.” Because of this recognized shift, these systems have divided the levels into two groups – green and all prior levels being First Tier, teal and all succeeding levels being Second Tier. The teal level is often called the “integral” level, and indicates a major change in the type of worldview held by individuals who make the shift from First to Second Tier.
 
Part of this radical shift is an orientation towards the acceptance and integration of all other levels, all experiences, all perceptions – it is here in this level that the AQAL system finds its inception. In previous levels, though each is built upon the fundamentals of the former, there is a type of cognitive rejection of the former levels. For instance, it was in the cultural shift to orange that we found the rational movement and the implementation of the scientific method as a universal way to examine the universe. Thus, throughout the development of orange, there was a dismantling of the mythic mindsets of the former levels. Religions were cast aside, magical ideas were disproven, and a fundamental rejection of spirituality continues to resonate throughout the scientific community. With the wave of the green level came post-modernism, or deconstructionism, which then sought to dismantle science as a less-than-reasonable way to successfully investigate the universe. Within green, objective scientific findings were described as simply culturally derived and interpreted, and so the green level rejected the orange.
 
The shift to the teal level brought about the concept of pluralism – the idea that multiple worldviews may hold validity in various contexts, that each worldview may be successfully seeing part of the picture without recognizing the value of other worldviews, and an ultimate acceptance of all the levels which came prior to it, recognizing that each was fundamentally built upon the former.
 
This shift in orientation brought about rather unique worldviews, a recognition of evolution and an implicit dedication upon the path of self-realization. Within teal, an individual starts to recognize the processes we go through as we grow and acknowledge that we have achieved much in our evolution, and have much yet to achieve in the future. One recognizes the potential wealth of examining the darker and hidden parts of one’s psyche, utilizing catalyst and using it to bring to light those things which may maintain our sub-personalities.
 
According to Integral researchers, the teal level of worldview appeared at some point between the last 150 and 50 years. According to Ra, another significant even happened within this time-span as well: 78 years ago, “the first harbingers” of 4[sup]th[/sup] density vibrations began to be expressed with Earth’s energy. One might extrapolate then that, at this same time, a type of “4[sup]th[/sup] density thought” was first made available at this time. With the teal level being seen as emerging 50 years ago, I believe it’s very possible that the teal level of development would be the closest we have in our current reality which would signify the first sub-density of 4[sup]th[/sup] density. While it’s true we are still within 3[sup]rd[/sup] density in the most apparent ways, Ra says “thought precedes action” – thus, any 4[sup]th[/sup] density action of evolution or behavior will necessarily be preceded by thought, which is exactly what we see with the Second Tier values – a sort of precedent of 4[sup]th[/sup] density thought. The other levels so far described in Second Tier, while I personally believe to be very incomplete and speculative descriptions, seem to correlate with how Ra defines 4[sup]th[/sup] density existence. In the turquoise level we start to see what is called “collective individualism” – the synthesis of fully fledged individuals back into a collective. According to Wilber, around this level, individuals may start to receive glimpses of perceptions of a mass social mind – or as Ra would say, social memory. I believe that a Social Memory Complex is formed once individuals naturally find themselves synthesizing into the collective and realizing an innate access to our social memory, or a singular mind within our culture and among our planet.
 
The AQAL description of Second Tier values is naturally much less developed than that of the First Tier values. According to many Integral Theorists, around 10% of the world’s population is at a green level of development, making this worldview prominent and easy to explore for researchers. According to the same theorists, only 1% is at the teal level of development, meaning that cultural expression of this worldview is much harder to study. These percentages are determined by various studies utilizing the multitude of developmental models available to researchers – psychologists and sociologists wielding a certain model, each with its own equivalents of the AQAL levels, go out into the world with methods of determining where individuals are in their personal development. Populations are tested and percentages are determined for each level of development. Due to the scarcity of cultural expressions and individuals to study, many Integral Theorists rely on their sharing their personal experiences within the Integral community for exploring the Second Tier levels, and so it suffers from a lack of clarity because of that.
 
Acceptance of Lower Levels and Blue Ray Communication
Another indication of the connection between the shift between First and Second Tier and the shift from 3[sup]rd[/sup] to 4[sup]th[/sup] density draw upon an earlier correlation made regarding energy center correlations to harvestability. It was established that the locus of energies within the energy centers would land somewhere between the green ray center and the blue ray center at the point of harvestability. I conclude from this that, in the jump from 3[sup]rd[/sup] to 4[sup]th[/sup] density development, an individual will have a decently balanced energy spectrum including a somewhat developed green ray center with some utilization of the blue ray center. I believe this correlation between 2[sup]nd[/sup] Tier development and the blue ray center is important for a couple of reasons.
 
As explained earlier, the First Tier levels, while being fundamentally based upon the former levels, tend to deny or reject the very levels they are based upon. This can be seen, in a sense, to be dishonest. Orange level science is enthusiastic about discovering the human relationship to the universe, and when you see an enthusiastic scientist discuss the universe in the context of their particular interest, you can clearly see the flame of spirit within them. But many would never call this spirituality, and would outright deny that their calling to the quest to explore the universe is at all the same as the previous levels’ quest to do the same in different terms, namely what they might call spirituality. While modern mainstream science is showing signs of evolving past this orange mentality, this type of denial is clearly seen in a solidly orange individual.
 
A similar type of dishonest denial can be seen in the green level values. While touting an extreme sense of egalitarianism, the green level will attempt to deny the natural hierarchies found using the scientific method and dispel scientific findings based on cultural deconstruction – all without realizing that this egalitarianism is essentially based upon a realization brought about by the orange level, a discovery of universality in all things and all people. Orange science discovered empirically with a universal method that we are all essentially the same and we are all connected – biologically, chemically, atomically. Orange science found our (material) origins within the stars, showing we all come from the same primal source within the universe.
 
This type of dishonesty is the same paucity of honesty which I believe Ra refers to in 48.7:
 

Quote:48.7
There is always some difficulty in penetrating blue primary energy for it requires that which your people have in great paucity; that is, honesty. Blue ray is the ray of free communication with self and with other-self. Having accepted that an harvestable or nearly harvestable entity will be working from this green-ray springboard one may then posit that the experiences in the remainder of the incarnation will be focused upon activation of the primary blue ray of freely given communication, of indigo ray, that of freely shared intelligent energy, and if possible, moving through this gateway, the penetration of violet-ray intelligent infinity.

 
In other words, the activation and utilization of the blue ray center would necessarily require one to realize that the things which were formerly denied – aspects of the former levels – are all indeed still present and that those worldviews are all true in their own right, at least partially. I believe that this indicates a strong correlation between the jump to 2[sup]nd[/sup] Tier level teal and working within the blue ray of Ra’s energy center system. This can be seen further in another explanation of the blue center from Ra:
 

Quote:15.12
The blue-ray center of energy streaming is the center which, for the first time, is outgoing as well as inpouring. Those blocked in this area may have difficulty in grasping the spirit/mind complexes of its own entity and further difficulty in expressing such understandings of self. Entities blocked in this area may have difficulties in accepting communication from other mind/body/spirit complexes.

 
An entity who “may have difficulties in accepting communication from other mind/body/spirit complexes” may have this difficulty because they are within a First Tier level which rejects other levels of development, both above and below it. Once the blue ray is activated, the entity may then understand other entities because they grasp how that entity is communicating from its respective level, with its unique language and expression which is valid for it at the time, and contains its own valid truths for the blue ray entity.
 
At another point, Ra also acknowledges the integral nature of the blue ray center and its recognition of containing the learning/teachings in each density:
 

Quote:39.10
When green ray has been activated we find the third primary ray being able to begin potentiation. This is the first true spiritual ray in that all transfers are of an integrated mind/body/spirit nature. The blue ray seats the learning/teachings of the spirit in each density within the mind/body complex, animating the whole, communicating to others this entirety of beingness.

 
There is even direct correlation in the terminology, as AQAL calls the teal level the “integral self,” and Ra claims that the blue ray transfers are of an “integrated” nature. The idea that the blue ray “seats the learning/teachings of the spirit in each density” could hint at the fact that within the jump to Second Tier, an entity realizes the lessons it has learned while progressing through the First Tier, no longer rejecting its former levels and understanding its process of evolution up to that point.

The Upward Spiral
One of the aspects of Spiral Dynamics adopted by the AQAL system is its upward spiraling depiction of the evolution of consciousness. In simple terms, the spiral indicates that the method of evolution remains rather consistent in its application to our evolutionary path. While we go through a certain process of integrating experiencing, death and rebirth, we find ourselves back where we began, but on a new level of consciousness. Very similar is Joseph Campbell’s depiction of the “hero’s journey,” where he recognized a common archetypal theme within mythology of a hero departing on a journey, experiencing the process of evolution through various trials, and returning to where they began, yet renewed, with a different perspective, viewing their reality with a new light.
 
Ra speaks about the upward spiral of consciousness towards the Creator in several places throughout the material, as well as discusses the more generally upward spiraling light of evolution. This seems to be a rather direct correlation to the upward spiral of the AQAL levels of evolution.
 
There is also a correlation with this upward spiral and the work which Sephira Vox has done with the archetypes. In his curriculum for the 2014 Archetypes Workshop, he describes a similar type of upward spiral which is created in utilization of a particular archetypal pattern or method. Sephira’s idea utilizing the archetypes is the same as that of the spiral in AQAL – that the process of evolution remains the same, as if we are following the same circle, but each subsequent revolution finds us upon a new level.


Lines
The next component in the AQAL system has its expressions in both the Quadrants and in the Levels portions. The idea of Lines is based upon Howard Gardner’s idea of multiple intelligences. Gardner, who is a developmental psychologist and researcher of cognitive sciences at Harvard, developed an idea that humans have a variety of intelligences and not just a single intellectual capacity. For a long time, the general intelligence of a person was based off of the popular IQ number, but with the idea of multiple intelligences, a person may have a high IQ and be lacking in a different type of intelligence, or vice versa.
 
These other types of intelligences include such capacities as cognitive intelligence, emotional intelligence, musical intelligence, kinesthetic intelligence, and so on. Most people seem to excel at one or two types of intelligence, but perform poorly in others. This sort of imbalance isn’t necessarily detrimental to our growth, as it is natural that some people have certain intelligent capacities that others may lack. However, the AQAL system helps us to maintain a clear vision of our strengths and weaknesses, how we are best suited and where it may be better for us to accept help. Maintaining this picture can also help us understand where a lack of development of a particular line may be holding us back, or how some lines may overshadow others in an unhealthy way.
 
The reason the AQAL system calls these different types of intelligences “lines,” or “developmental lines,” is because they show a type of independent progression and development. In fact, these lines develop on the same path as was outlined in the levels sections.
 
For the sake of example, we can simplify the stages into three basic progressions – egocentric, ethnocentric, and worldcentric. Taking emotional intelligence in the egocentric stage, our emotions are focused no “me,” such as the emotions and drives for survival (hunger, self-protection, etc.) Development of the emotional intelligence to the ethnocentric stage, our emotions begin to expand from “me” to “us,” and we start to form emotional attachment and commitment to those around us (family, friends, tribe, nation, etc.). Emotional development into the worldcentric stage will see us grow emotional bonds to not just those who we consider part of our own circle, but to all humans regardless of origins or situation. Other lines of intelligence develop similarly up through the stages.
 
Another way to look at lines is as questions asked of us by life, and the level of development informs how we answer them. Some simple examples being:
 
What am I aware of? (cognition)

Who am I? (self-identity)

How do I feel about this (emotional intelligence)

How should we interact? (interpersonal development)

What is of ultimate concern? (spirituality)
 
These are a small few of the many multitude of lines contained within each person’s being. Contemplation of these questions lets us understand the health of our developmental evolution through these lines and leads us to greater self-knowledge, contemplation and self-knowledge both being explained by Ra to be keys to service and evolution of self.
 
These lines, like all other aspects of the AQAL system, are not arbitrary or unique to AQAL. They are developed from the work of many researchers around the world. Researchers in the field of developmental psychology would question people across cultures and over time noticed underlying patterns behind the answers and independent paths of development of these patterns. This is an example of how Integral Theory synthesizes all information available in an attempt to create an all-inclusive and holistic system, taking the information provided by these various researchers all using different methods investigating different types of intelligences and combining them into one complete system.
 
Attributes of the Self
In 5.2 in the Law of One, Ra gives some basic teachings for understanding and knowing the mind. In that passage, Ra states:
 

Quote:5.2
 “It is not for a being of polarity in the physical consciousness to pick and choose among attributes, thus building the roles that cause blockages and confusions in the already-distorted mind complex. Each acceptance smoothes part of the many distortions that the faculty you call judgment engenders.”

 
We all contain all of the lines of development, and while some may be naturally more developed than others, it would be imbalanced to pick certain lines and ignore the others, or to realize only those lines at which we excel. As Ra is stating here, “picking and choosing among attributes” can create blockages. I see these attributes to be similar to developmental lines within the AQAL system.
 
Energy Centers as Lines
There could also be a correlation between the energy centers and different types of lines in a sort of macrocosmic/microcosmic relationship. For instance, even though the energy centers themselves can represent a system of developmental stages, they also each contain a microcosm within them of developmental stages, or as Ra says, “sub colors.”
 
In this light, we could take the yellow ray center as an example, which indicates a type of social intelligence. Development of the social intelligence may start at a lower level, only grasping those social relationships immediately relevant to the self, signifying a type of egocentric social intelligence. Once the yellow ray becomes more developed, the line of social intelligence progresses on the path or through the sub-colors, and awareness and ability to navigate social relationships expand to include a broader system of social interaction, dealing with one’s ethnocentric circles. Then as the yellow ray approaches crystallization, the line of development moves up to worldcentric type of social intelligence, where broad and global social systems are recognized and easily navigated.
 
Ra discusses the idea that the universe exists in a sort of system of macrocosm and microcosms. In this instance, the full spectrum of energy centers would be the macrocosm with the sub-stages within the yellow ray energy center being the microcosm. This relationship of microcosm to macrocosm is something that isn’t, to my awareness, fully explored by the AQAL system, and is possibly a refinement which the Law of One could offer to Integral Theory in understanding.


States
States may seem similar to levels in the sense that, from the interior dimension, they are a type of perception or worldview. The difference between states and levels is that states are more temporary, fleeting, and fluid. Levels are permanent – once a level is reach on a certain line of development, that line will not revert (though other lines may “override” and cause a type of reversion in the individual). States can seem rather mundane or normal, every-day experiences which paint our perceptions: boredom, fear, disappointment, elation, excitement, curiosity.
 
States can also be a type of insight into the extraordinary potential of consciousness, giving a glimpse at a higher level of development or even tapping into higher worlds and more primal energies within the universe. These types of states can happen during “peak experiences,” being “in the zone,” channeling, sexual energy transfer, meditation, listening to music, working with a group, or any other activity which might elevate our consciousness in a significant yet temporary way.
 
States are important in the AQAL system as they allow us various and expansive perceptions of our reality and help us to integrate various experiences in various ways. Th

Edit: Five months later and I just realized that the presentation was cut off when I pasted it, or maybe it was cut when the forums were upgraded. Not sure. I'll edit the rest of the presentation in as soon as I'm able.
Impressive project, Austin. Very interesting to read so thanks for sharing this.
Interesting the Qabalah also has a 4 world concept in it. Good stuff
Excellent work, Austin! I thought you were only going to do quadrants but you did the whole map! If only we could have a chat with Ken Wilber about this, tho we know his views of channeling ... but he'd certainly find Ra's material very interesting. Looking forward to reading the rest.
Quote:If we look at any particular aspect of evolution, we can identify incremental changes which happen periodically which give rise to emergent properties, where something new comes forth into being. Each new emergence can be seen as a stage, level, or wave of development. In the upper-right quadrant, we have physical and biological evolution. In the lower-right quadrant, we have socioeconomic and technological evolution. In the lower-left quadrant, we have cultural evolution. And in the upper-right quadrant, we have evolution of the individual consciousness. All of these unfold in a discernable pattern.

There seems to be a mistake, the bolded part should read "And in the upper-left quadrant".



Interresting read, thanks for sharing and thanks to metieta for bringing it up.