Integral FAQ
Integral Theory, in brief
Integral Theory is a holistic approach to existence that originated in the philosophy of Ken Wilber. It is an emerging field of scholarly research focused on the complex interactions of psychology, hard sciences, and methodology. It emphasizes the synthesis of Western and non-Western understandings of consciousness combined with the current understanding of biological, human, and divine evolution.
Integral themes
- Evolution and Involution
- Integral art
- Integral business
- Integral community
- Integral ecology
- Integral education
- Integral health
- Integral medicine
- Integral music
- Integral psychology
- Integral relationship
- Integral sociology
- Integral spirituality
- Integral sports
- Integral yoga
- Transdisciplinarity
AQAL
AQAL, pronounced "ah-qwul," is a widely used framework in Integral Theory. The term stands for all quadrants, all levels, all lines, all states, and all types. It is conceived by some integral theorists to be one of the most comprehensive approaches to reality, a metatheory that attempts to explain how academic disciplines and every form of knowledge and experience fit together coherently. It is also alternatively called the Integral Operating System (IOS) or by various other synonyms.
- Quadrants - There are four fundamental units of reality, none more important than any other. All are parts of well rounded and integral living.
- UR: Upper-right: It, sciences, fundamental truths. Examples: “It is raining out.” “The doctor can give a blood test.”
- UL: Upper-left: I, individual, personal consciousness, perspectives of beauty. Examples: “I love the rain, it's nature's symphony.” “I am relieved my blood test shows I have normal cholesterol levels.”
- LL: Lower-left: We, relationships, ethics. Examples: “We agree that the rain is not good for the parade.” “My family has a history of high blood cholesterol, so we agree it is good to get tested regularly.”
- LR: Lower-right: Its, social systems. “Traditionally, rain is desired in this area.” “We, as a society, believe blood tests can be helpful for health reasons.”
- Lines - There are multiple intelligences, or lines of development. This could include cognitive intelligence, musical intelligence, mathematical intelligence, moral intelligence, emotional intelligence, etc. A person could have a high level of, say, musical intelligence, yet a low level of culinary intelligence, so he/she can sing but not cook. Also, a person could have a high level of medical intelligence and a low level of moral intelligence, such as a Nazi doctor. Moral intelligence is recognized by AQAL as being one of the most important levels of intelligence to develop.
- Levels - Just as there are lines of development, within each line there are levels of development. In the line of music, some are highly developed, some are not. This is very important when understanding levels of personal development. Why people vote differently, for example. Some important theories here include: Kohlberg's stages of moral development; Maslow's hierarcy of needs; Jane Loevinger's stages of ego development; Spiral Dynamics.
- States - There are three to four primary states of consciousness: awake, dreaming, deep sleep, and non-dual. States refer to those aspects of consciousness that are temporal, passing, experiential, and phenomenal. States include altering consciousness to perceive things in a non-ordinary manner. For example, a person can have a "peak experience" of a higher structure which, as Wilber has said, would be like a first year piano student playing for a moment like a seasoned virtuoso. However, the peak experience should not be confused with intentionally functioning at that higher level. Wilber's mantra to quell any confusion here is: "States are free but structures are earned." One has to build or earn structure.
- Types - These are valid distinctions that are not covered under Wilber’s other categorizations. Masculine/feminine, the nine Enneagram categories, and Jung's archetypes and typologies, among innumerable others, are all valid types in Wilber's schema.
Naming Names: Contributors to Integral Theory
Historical integral thinkers
- Aurobindo Ghose
- Jean Gebser
- Haridas Chaudhuri
- Ramchandra Gandhi
- Indra Sen
- Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
- Alfred North Whitehead
Contemporary integral thinkers
- Don Beck
- Allan Combs
- Susanne Cook-Greuter
- Sean Esbjörn-Hargens
- Ashok Gangadean
- Jennifer Gidley
- Franklin Jones
- Ervin László
- George Leonard
- Steve McIntosh?
- Donella Meadows
- Michael Murphy
- Joe Perez
- Michel Saloff Coste
- Charlene Spretnak
- Brian Swimme
- William Irwin Thompson
- Ken Wilber
- Yasuhiko Kimura
- Michael E. Zimmerman
Integral organizations
- Cal. Inst. of Integral Studies
- Integral Institute
- Antioch University Midwest
- John F. Kennedy University
- Institute of Transpersonal Psych.
- Fielding Graduate University