Structures of consciousness

It's time for a review, time to get down to the real nitty-gritty, so to speak. Why? Because we need to get one fundamental fact clear: we perceive and understand the world around us by means of our consciousness. This, in turn, is affected by a number of other factors, but these are external to consciousness itself. A lot seems to be happening these days and it is easy to get the impression that quite a few people are having a difficult time coming to terms with all of it. Ancient mythology informs us that the destruction of worlds is accompanied by catastrophic circumstances. Wherever we look today we see evidence of impending catastrophe. Would it be wise to deduce quickly then that our world is coming to an end? Maybe, maybe not. We definitely know that something significant is impending. Many of us feel it, we intuit it; and we are seeking confirmation for this working hypothesis. For that reason, it seemed reasonable to get back down to basics again.

Certain support for this notion of earth-shattering change can be found in the works of Jean Gebser. Gebser is not a psychologist, economist, or scientist, in a more narrow sense, but is perhaps best characterized by the concept of Kulturphilosoph, a German term that literally means "cultural philosopher." A student of literature, poetry, linguistics, psychology, anthropology, ethnology, and science, Gebser brings a unique combination of talents to bear upon what we may call the unfoldment of consciousness. By better understanding the forces that are at work and our own role in this process, we can better hope to rise to the challenges that confront us.

The fundamental premise of Gebser's work is that we are on the threshold of a new structure of consciousness. Overall, Gebser describes four mutations, or evolutional surges, of consciousness that have occurred in the history of humanity. These mutations are not just changes of perspective, they are not simple paradigm shifts (although the word simple may seem inappropriate at this point); rather they are fundamentally different ways of perceiving, experiencing and comprehending reality. These four mutations reflect five separate eras of development that are not distinct and isolated from one another but are, instead, interconnected such that all previous stages are found in subsequent ones. Each of these stages may be associated with a dimensionality, beginning with the geometric origin of zero and progressing to the fourth, the transition which we are experiencing at this time. Gebser identifies these five phases as the Archaic, Magical, Mythical, Mental, and Integral stages respectively.

Another key element of Gebser's theory encompasses two fundamental notions: latency and transparency. The former deals with what is concealed; as Gebser describes it, latency is the demonstrable presence of the future (EPO, 6). In this manner the seeds of all subsequent phases of unfoldment are contained in the current one. It is on the basis of this aspect that integration takes place. The latter deals with what is revealed. According to Gebser, transparency (diaphaneity) is the form of manifestation (epiphany) of the spiritual (EPO, 6). This is perhaps the most important statement he makes. The origin, the source from which all springs, is a spiritual one, and all phases of consciousness evolution are a testimony to the ever less latent and ever more transparent spirituality that is inherent in all that is. Without a recognition of this fundamental and pivotal idea, Gebser cannot be understood and we will not be able to understand ourselves. It is not just an intellectual development that is being described in his approach, rather it is the ever more apparent manifestation of the spiritual that underlies and supports the notion of unfoldment itself.

And finally, one further element must be mentioned. The manifestation of these structures occurs in a quantum-like, discontinuous leap, not in a slowly developing and changing framework as is postulated for Darwinian evolutionary theory, for example. There are overlaps in these structures in as far as different peoples and cultures may be manifesting different structures at the same time, but a clear development can be recognized and it is to be expected that all cultures will eventually go through the same process.

It first appears that we are dealing with a kind of historical description of a linearly unfolding schema, but this would be a grave misinterpretation of his thesis, and it does injustice to his approach. At first blush it seems that Gebser is approaching his subject as we would expect any historian to proceed, but it must be emphasized that Gebser's approach is quite deductive. We are presented at the very beginning with the model; later we are taken step-by-step through the "evidence" which he believes supports the claim. Consequently, we find a number of historical, archaeological, and philological arguments presented that are not necessarily in keeping with generally agreed-upon theories in these disciplines. At times, these appear quite creative, but this is most often a result of reading Gebser in a strictly intellectual and analytical manner. This is not to say that he should be approached uncritically, for he should be, yet the text itself is not a logical argumentation as one would expect to find, let us say, in a philosophical treatise. In accordance with his own model, he attempts to make of his book an example of the type of thinking one would encounter in the Integral structure of consciousness. It is not reasoned in a linear manner; in fact, the book would probably have been better suited to a hypertextual presentation. It would be some years, however, before this form of document would be developed so we are forced to deal with a non-traditional approach to a broader than usual subject that has been forced into a well-known and familiar medium: the book. Failure to recognize this idiosyncrasy can cause the reader untold difficulties from the beginning.

So, now that we've got a little background, in the next five postings, I'll take a closer, albeit brief, look at each of the structures of consciousness that Gebser describes. After that, we'll look at the real core of his approach to see if it might not help us with some of the crises we seem to be overwhelmed with these days.

References
Gebser, J. (1986) The Ever-present Origin, Authorized translation by Noel Barstad with Algis Mikunas, Athens/OH, Ohio University Press [originally published 1949]. (EPO)