The Daily Evolver

By Jeff Salzman From the earliest clans to today’s multicultural societies, we can see the circle of moral consideration that human beings and cultures have granted to others has increased, stage by stage. Traditional societies (amber altitude) are built on racial and religious identity and enforce overt and often brutal hierarchies. Modern societies (orange altitude) in turn seek to grant legal rights to all, as we have seen with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, laws against discrimination against women, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the legalization of gay marriage. The postmodern project (green altitude), is to correct less overt biases embedded in the structures of society, and in the hearts and minds of each of us. In this episode, I talk with Diane Musho Hamilton about how the process of authentic inclusion continues to emerge, and what she’s learned from her work in diversity training and mediation. Diane Musho Hamilton is a Zen teacher, mediator and meditator. She is the author of The Zen of You and Me: A Guide to Getting Along with Just About Anyone.

In his classic book, Adventures of Ideas, Alfred North Whitehead describes the eros of the beautiful, the true, and the good. And to this list of intrinsic values he adds the idea of adventure, without which, he observes, “civilization is in full decay.” In this episode, Jeff Salzman’s guest Steve McIntosh explores Whitehead’s theme of adventure as it relates to the realm of spiritual experience. Steve focuses specifically on the spiritual experience of wilderness, and the spiritual experience associated with entheogens (psychedelic drugs). He compares the locations of these “inner and outer adventures,” using his powerful personal experiences to illustrate. We conclude with Steve considering the theological and political implications of psychedelic spiritual experience. Steve McIntosh is the author of several books on Integral theory, including The Presence of the Infinite. You can find out more about Steve at stevemcintosh.com, and at the Institute for Cultural Evolution.

In less than three months, Pete Buttigieg, the 37-year-old mayor of South Bend Indiana, (population 102,000), has gone from political anonymity to the top tier of candidates in the Democratic race for president of the United States. What accounts for Mayor Pete’s blast out of the political gate? His resume certainly ticks the boxes: Harvard graduate, Rhodes scholar, McKinsey consultant, and Afghanistan war veteran. And his performance as mayor of South Bend is by all accounts successful; he won 80% of the vote in his reelection campaign – months after coming out as gay. As the first prominent millennial candidate for president, Mayor Pete embodies his slogan, “It’s time for a new generation of American leadership.” And with his nerdy, earnest, shirt-sleeve persona he is the polar opposite of Donald Trump. But I would argue that Mayor Pete has an X-factor that is greater than the sum of those parts: an Integral sensibility. Evident in his campaign biography, Shortest Way Home, as well as his recent media appearances, is a big-hearted, deeply perceptive, flex-flow mind that is able to hold multiple perspectives and to authentically respect the people advocating for them. I hope you enjoy this analysis of America’s newest political star, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, and his impact on our presidential politics.

First of all, let me say that “intellectual dark web“ is the worst name I can imagine for a movement that seeks to illuminate our cultural moment. But, okay, nobody asked me and it appears they’re doing quite well anyway: the intellectual dark web (IDW) has coalesced into a vibrant group of intellectuals, most prominently Jordan Peterson, who are sparking a new international counter-culture known mostly for goring the sacred cows of far left postmodernism (Green altitude). Today’s guest, David Fuller, is at the center of the intellectual Dark Web (IDW) having founded Rebel Wisdom, a YouTube station that has attracted over 60,000 subscribers in less than two years. A veteran producer from BBC News, David made the first documentary on Jordan Peterson, “Truth in the Time of Chaos”, which helped launch Peterson into intellectual stardom. David is also interested in integral theory, and last November he traveled to Denver to interview Ken Wilber for Rebel Wisdom, from which he has recently released the following two videos: Ken Wilber: ‘Jordan Peterson and the evolution of thought’ Ken Wilber: The Intellectual Dark Web, an Integral Conversation? In these interviews Ken is brilliant in appreciating the evolutionary power of the IDW while inviting its audience to the larger, more inclusive integral vision, and the videos have made a powerful impact on the Rebel Wisdom site. One of the top viewer comments sums up the potential that many fans of the IDW see in integral theory: As much as I like Jordan Peterson (and I do very much!), I think Wilber’s Integral Theory is waaaaaay more sophisticated and compelling. It is not full of self-contradictions and cul de sacs. It is not tied to Christianity or the West. It does not demonize Post Modernity and toss it out. I couldn’t agree more, and make a similar case in a two-part series I published on Jordan Peterson last spring, as well as a Rebel Wisdom video where David and his partner Alexander Beiner interviewed me: Part 1: What Jordan Peterson (and His Friends and Foes) Can Learn from Integral Theory Part 2: What Jordan Peterson (and His Friends and Foes) Can Learn from Integral Theory “Is Jordan Peterson Integral?” with Jeff Salzman David Fuller is committed to the further evolution of the intellectual dark web and enthusiastic, as I am, about what integral theory can bring to that project. I hope you enjoy our conversation!

Nature is, as poet Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote, “red in tooth and claw.” Human nature is too, so far at least, but a counter-trend is emerging: as evolution progresses, conflict overall becomes less violent and more complex. Complexity arises out of the evolutionary process of differentiating (conflictual) and integrating (fun!). In this episode of The Shrink and the Pundit, integral psychotherapist Keith Witt and I discuss the evolution of human conflict, how it is manifesting in today’s world and what might be next as emerges into integral (second tier) consciousness. The integral awakening is bringing a deeper awareness of interiors, natural hierarchies and flex/flow power dynamics to all human functioning. The result, as Dr Keith says, is that conflict resolution at the cutting edge doesn’t even look like conflict: Second-tier conflicts keep pumping compassion, love, and play into the fractal interface between order and chaos, until it transforms into warmth and intimacy, the gold standards of interpersonal repair. See why I love this guy? I hope you enjoy this edition of The Shrink and the Pundit!

This week I take a look at a recent issue of New York Times’ Sunday Review (2/24), where seven of eighteen articles focus on the real-time evolution of sex and gender relations. The Sunday Review is a quality barometer of the cultural weather in America and is must reading for me each week. In this podcast I endeavor to bring some integral perspective to the following selection of articles: Stop Counting Women: Quotas and tallies won’t bring real progress on gender parity Not the Fun Kind of Feminist: How Trump helped make Andrea Dworkin relevant again What Formula Does for Dads. A young father finds bliss in bottle feeding It’s Not That Men Don’t Know What Consent Is Why the Priesthood Needs Women Why Celibacy Matters. How the critique of Catholicism changes and yet remains the same Just another week in the Culture War. Enjoy! Please forgive the three short sections of defective video

Today my guest is Vince Horn, integrally-informed Dharma teacher and co-founder of the popular podcast, Buddhist Geeks, who discusses how the Buddhist Dharma (teaching) and Sangha (community) are being reimagined for contemporary life. How does a lineage founded on traditional concepts of renunciation, surrender and obedience to a teacher get transmitted into a modern and postmodern culture — without losing its potency? Can awakening itself be practiced in a way that recognizes the integral distinction between waking up (horizontal state development) and growing up (vertical stage development)? These are messy propositions, as is evolution in general, and Vince shares his thinking on how they are emerging. He also explains how his own practice community, Pragmatic Dharma, is experimenting with new forms of Sangha such as virtual networking, transparency and naturally flowing hierarchy. As Vince says “When everyone in a community is more empowered to learn and share it creates an incredible positive feedback loop.”

Every stage of human development creates radical new ways to organize work. The holy grail for today’s companies is to function so that everybody has a real chance to contribute their gifts. Instead of operating top-down, more power must be distributed throughout the organization, giving individuals and teams freedom to self-manage, while staying aligned to the organization’s purpose. Achieving this is the promise of Holacracy, a self-management practice for organizations, developed by my guest Brian Robertson using explicitly integral principles. Over 1000 companies utilize Holacracy today – in healthcare, insurance, banking, retail, technology, nonprofit and government sectors; and in places as diverse as Dubai, Shanghai, Amsterdam, London, Berlin, New York, Bangalore, Las Vegas and rural Africa. Holacracy enables employees to act more like entrepreneurs and self-direct their work instead of reporting to a manager who tells them what to do.”</em– Tony Hsieh CEO, Zappos It so happens that I and a group of colleagues at the Integral Institute were guinea pigs in Brian’s laboratory a dozen years ago, trying out his ideas on meeting practices. I remember some truly remarkable results and a flowering of group wisdom that I had never experienced before. It’s great to catch up with Brian now that Holacracy is catching on! Brian Robertson is a business partner at HolacracyOne, the organization he launched to steward the Holacracy practice and assist other organizations seeking to adopt it.

I invited Brooke McNamara to the Daily Evolver to talk about a project she is launching that I think represents a new way of building creative we-spaces. It’s a 6-week virtual course that provides inspiration, community and an opportunity for creative self-expression to a select group of people who are living in a unique crucible: mothers. Brooke developed the course, Write to the Heart of Motherhood* because, as a poet, she knows writing to be a flexible and potent way for mothers to “connect to our true voice in the middle of our messy lives.” She explains: “The practice of writing is not something I do, but somewhere I go. When I give myself fully to whole-bodied listening for poems, I am never disappointed. Even if nothing comes, the tuning itself creates a presence and vitality in my being that support me profoundly in living and mothering. Poetry, for me, is language that carries both meaning, imagery and story, AND, more importantly, life force itself.” Brooke McNamara is the author of “Feed Your Vow, Poems for Falling into Fullness.” She is also a performing artist, Zen monk and mama to two small boys. She lives in Boulder, Colorado with her husband, Rob. * I occasionally feature offerings that I find interesting and which further human development. I have no financial interest in them.

Is there intelligent life beyond Earth? Have alien beings contacted us? What do we make of the thousands of testimonials of human-alien contact, including from scientists, diplomats and astronauts? Yet … where’s the proof? And if there is proof, why is alien contact not the biggest story of the millennia? “It is arguably the most intellectually credible topic on the planet with the most cultural taboo surrounding it.” So says my guest, Sean Esbjorn-Hargens. Many of you know Sean as a leader in the integral community, as producer of three hugely successful Integral Theory Conferences, a respected consultant (founder of MetaIntegral) and author (Metatheory for the 21st Century). Well, it turns out there is another side to Sean. Here’s how he describes it: “For over a decade I’ve been a closeted UFO/ET geek – reading 100s of books and watching 1000s of hours of videos (interviews, documentaries, movies) – all in an attempt to make sense of my own experiences and intuitions around this fascinating and confusing topic. If there is ever a place where multiple perspectives run amuck, bumping into each other and in general creating chaos, it is around aliens and the craft they pilot. Over the last few years, I’ve begun to talk with ‘integralists’ about these topics and I’ve been continually surprised to discover many of them have had their own powerful and evocative experiences with UFOs, ETs, and paranormal realities.” Sean is throwing himself fully into the arena. This year he founded the Institute for Exo Studies (IES), and this fall he debuts the Exo Studies Master Course, a three-month online course “exploring the psychological, sociological, and scientific implications of living in a multidimensional multiverse.” I’ve never met an alien (that I know of) but I jumped at the chance to talk about them with someone whose intelligence and judgment I respect. As I expected, I found our conversation to be quite mind-expanding. I hope you do as well!

It has been a hundred years since humanity spun into the chaos of the First World War. Peter Jackson’s acclaimed new documentary, “They Shall Not Grow Old,” brings vivid new life to the experience of British soldiers fighting on the western front. Using newly released footage from the Imperial War Museum, Jackson and his team worked four years to digitally restore, smooth, colorize and convert the film into 3D. The narration is told completely by former soldiers, in their own voices, from interviews recorded by the BBC in the 1960s and 1970s. WWI is a case study of human evolution. Britain entered the war as a traditional culture (amber altitude), full of romantic visions of honor, duty and the glories of war. Young men, thrilled by the promise of adventure, clamored to answer the call. Once at the front, they soon realized that they were in a meat-grinder, beset not only by age-old battle curses like hunger, cold, mud, sickness, rats and lice, but also the emergent features of modern weaponry: aerial bombs, poison gas, machine guns, flame-throwers and tanks. Yet the men endured, no longer sustained by romance or politics, but like warriors of all time, by the dense connection created between men whose next breaths depend on each other (red altitude). Those who survived returned to a country that in the meantime had largely modernized both in structure and thought (orange altitude), a country more interested in looking forward than past. The soldiers found themselves out of work, invisible and misunderstood by all but their fellow fighters. Jackson leaves it there, but the developmental story continues, with a new postmodern view (green altitude) arising in Germany out of the rubble of defeat. This is exemplified by the classic war novel All Quiet on the Western Front. Also told from the point of view of the soldier – this time a German soldier – it is a scathing condemnation of a civilization that could create such suffering. The book was an immediate international sensation, translated into 22 languages, and brought a potent blast of green consciousness to the world (and into my life fifty years later). But alas, it was soon to be banned by the Nazis … humanity had more of the lesson to learn, and still has.

For Valentine’s Day, integral couples therapist Tom Habib returns to share his insights into what he calls the “couples’ line of development.” In previous episodes he laid out the trajectory most couples take — from initial attraction, to role-partnering, to mutual respect, to what he calls first love, where intimacy begins to blossom into an exciting new we-space that transcends (while including) the stages that came before. Today Tom returns to focus on an essential yet surprising requirement of the first love stage, which guides his therapy with couples: relationships reach first love when each person is free to safely and consciously express their inner child. Neediness, hurt, joy, tantrums — all are welcome as long as they are held within clear boundaries (four minutes for a tantrum, for instance) and attended by a caring, nurturing partner in the adult role. One of the most beautiful integral projects is to reach back to reclaim the juice and enchantment of our childhood stages. In this episode, Tom shares insights and methods that show us how to do it in the delicious context of couple love. Tom Habib joins us from his home in San Juan Capistrano, California. You can find more of his work at drtomhabib.com.

The idea of human progress has been widely discredited since the wars and genocides of the mid-20th-century. But what if the 20th century also featured the largest (and largest percentage) of people living in peace and prosperity, eclipsed only by the 21st century so far, which is dramatically even more peaceful and prosperous? This argument is made by Steve Pinker, author of “Enlightenment Now” and leading rehabilitator of progress in the mainstream intelligentsia. His nemesis, historian Niall Ferguson (“The Square and the Tower”), thinks Pinker stands a good chance of becoming a historical joke, like author Norman Angell, who predicted in 1911 that war would soon be a thing of the past. In this episode I attempt to bring some integral thinking to a debate between Pinker and Ferguson hosted by Fareed Zakaria in his GPS Sunday show on CNN. Plus! You’ll get to swoon over Bradley Cooper in real time, just like Lady Gaga …

Integral practitioners talk a lot about creating a more spacious consciousness, one that includes more of reality. To that end we do things like place people and cultures on maps. We tease apart distinctions, we “transcend and include” and “differentiate and integrate” — all in an effort to increase the resolution of our worldview, as one would zoom into a google map to reveal more of what is already there. But does creating more space mean we’re creating more distance? Is the process of making distinctions also exacerbating differences? Might all our maps just be holding us in place? This is the jist of a thoughtful question I received from a listener, Kc Daugirdas in LA. He asks: “This space versus distance thing has been bothering me in all the domains that integral claims to integrate. I’m haunted by the suspicion that in the process of ‘transcending and including,’ we lose something. I’m farther from this, I’m farther from that. So where am I? What am I close to now?” Ultimately this is a spiritual inquiry and is found at the center of many great religious traditions as the paradox of One and the Many, or the Creator and the Creation, or Emptiness and Form. The teaching calls on us to identify with both the wave and the ocean. As the wave we are a momentary manifestation unique in all of time and space. As the ocean we are all waves simultaneously, as well as the infinite potentiality of waves. And since we contain everything, whatever we need is already just right there. We differentiate, God integrates. Part of our evolutionary journey is to have a progressively deeper realization of this great, paradoxical truth. Like all spiritual teachings, it can be absorbed in three ways: it can be understood by the mind (the outer teaching), it can be experienced in the physical and energy bodies (the inner teaching) and then … it can blow you away and deliver you into a re-enchanted world (the secret teaching). Go for the goosebumps! I end with a tribute to Mary Oliver, a well-loved American poet who died on January 17. She was often heard at integral events I attended, and I came to appreciate her own unique way of capturing the interpenetration of the One in the Many. Here I share a reading of one of her most popular poems, The Summer Day.

The culture wars heated up last week with two new skirmishes. One was the release of the American Psychological Association’s new Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Boys and Men. The other is a new ad released by the Gillette razor company: The Best a Man Can Get. Both explicitly criticize traditional views of masculinity; as the APA Guidelines states, “traditional masculinity — marked by stoicism, competitiveness, dominance and aggression — is, on the whole, harmful.” And both encourage men to be more sensitive, cooperative and revealing. Predictably, the new ad and report created blowback from people who see them as part of a postmodern project to neuter men by damning masculinity itself as toxic. They maintain that traditional masculine qualities are innate to men and essential to a healthy culture. Could both sides have a point? In this podcast Jeff talks with Dr. Keith Witt about an evolutionary approach that liberates masculinity and femininity into a new integration that features the best of both and makes them available to all.

Donald Trump’s coarseness has proven to be more powerful than most people thought possible. In act two of his presidency he is being met with reciprocal incivility from his opposition, exemplified by newly-elected Congressperson Rashida Tlabid, who promised at a rally to “impeach the motherf*****”. In this episode I explore where and how this “new incivility” is arising, its evolutionary potency, and how it can be – and is being – engaged with more wisdom and intention.

According to Shane McDermott, my guest today, the biggest challenge of being human is living in a body. At every stage of development we are in conflict with how we look, feel or function. Shane approaches whole-person development through the portal of physicality. In our discussion he shares his methods for freeing up life force and releasing patterns that constrict us without our being fully aware of them, including how to: Identify and heal past traumas at the source Embrace a deep self acceptance of your body exactly as it is The wisdom drives of the body – with a special emphasis on relating to nature How to attend to issues of chronic pain, injury and illness Shane MeDermott is a Master Integral Coach (through Integral Coaching Canada), with additional certification in Structural Integration Bodywork, Yoga, Feldenkrias, Intuitive Energy Medicine, and Corrective and Holistic Exercise Kinesiology. You can contact him at [email protected] or at his website mindbodybeing.org

On the Daily Evolver we often explore the downsides of various stages of human development, such as warrior violence, traditional fundamentalism, modern materialsm and postmodern relativism. But what are the blind and stuck spots characteristic of the post-postmodern stages of development? In this episode I am joined by development psychotherapist Kim Barta for a discussion of both the light and shadow sides of integral consciousness. Kim Barta is a practicing psychotherapist for many years, and a collaborator with Terri O’Fallen in the application of her STAGES model of human development.

Donald Trump at midterm is poised to be one of the most consequential presidents in modern history. Not necessarily for his policies, many of them odious (like his character), but for leading a frontal charge against the worldviews of modern globalism and postmodern multiculturalism. Drawing on the latest headlines, I examine Trump and the Trump phenomenon in the light of cultural evolution. Can a government built on enlightenment principles of shared power contain an autocratic head of state? Plus, how has Trump’s vision of American greatness inspired so many people? How may his disruption of norms create positive results? What new opportunities are arising for those on the left and right to create a “new patriotism” that inspires both sides? Cultural differentiation isn’t for the faint of heart, but integration makes it all worthwhile. I hope you enjoy the episode!

The morning after this week’s US midterm election I got a note from Dr. Keith Witt, my Shrink and the Pundit podcast partner, suggesting we do an episode on the voting results. “I’m a little let down by the election,” he confessed. “I’m uncharacteristically at a loss around understanding this situation culturally and politically, and have some questions I’d like to explore with you around it.” “Oh goody,” I thought, “this time I get to be the shrink!” What a fun and fruitful session we had. Dr. Keith’s condition mirrors that of many in the integral community: grateful for the new Democratic House of Representative which will put a check on President Trump, but also dismayed at the continued strength of what many see as destructive and regressive political forces. Not to mention the general mendacity and nastiness that attends so much of today’s politics. So what does an evolutionary pundit masquerading as a therapist have to say to that? Tune in and find out!

Today I’m joined by Corey DeVos, editor-in-chief of Integral Life. I invited him on because my job is highlighting the emergence of integral consciousness, and I have been really impressed with the stuff Corey and company are putting out these days. (Plus they host my live show twice a week, and I want them to know I love them!) In our conversation I asked Corey about three recent offerings that particularly touched and edified me: A memorial to Father Thomas Keating, who passed away in October and who developed the practice of Centering Prayer, a contemplative, post-mythic portal to the spiritual heart of Christianity. Corey and I commemorate Father Thomas’s contribution to each of us and to the field of Integral Christianity, not just with his teachings but also through his personal transmission. The Ken Show, where Corey hosts Ken Wilber in a series of video conversations using integral thinking to illuminate some of today’s hot philosophical topics. Their latest, “Is Free Will an Illusion?”, really hit the sweet spot for me, explaining how determinism and free will work together to create the universe – and us. It really expanded my understanding, and reminded me of the explanatory power of integral theory, especially as applied by Ken. Ginny Whitelaw’s new webinar, Lead with Purpose. As a long-time producer of professional development training I have to say Ginny is terrific – and integral! She’s a Zen Master, a NASA trained executive, has a PhD in biophysics and a fifth degree black belt in Akido – and brings it all to a course in personal effectiveness that features the full power of integral consciousness.

Celebrity chef David Chang’s irreverent new series on Netflix, Ugly Delicious, illuminates the developmental arc of some of the world’s favorite foods. Each of eight episodes highlights one dish or concept, such as BBQ, fried rice or home cooking, and explores its roots in different regions and how it has evolved. Today I’m reviewing the first episode, which follows Chang and his gang as they seek the soul of pizza, from the 300-year-old classic Neopolitan Margherita, to a sushi and ginger pizza in Tokyo, to Wolfgang Puck’s California reinventions, to a Dominos delivery shop in New Jersey. Ugly Delicious imparts a distinct integral flavor as Chang concludes his exploration by legitimizing all claims of pizza purity. As he puts it, “authenticity is something that has been overvalued, but which really has not been scrutinized enough.”

by Jeff Salzman Today I’m joined by one of our most impressive young integral thinkers, Jeremy Johnson. Jeremy is a scholar of the 20th century poet/philosopher Jean Gebser, and is currently president of the international Jean Gebser Society. Gebser is a major (if eccentric) figure in the integral lineage, most famous for describing the structures of human consciousness as archaic, magic, mythic, mental and integral. Surprisingly (to me at least) Gebser did not see these structures as evolutionarily continuous, but as “mutations” which are all online now in various states of “efficiency” and “deficiency”. Further, not only are the structures of history online, but so are the structures of the future – and they are calling to us right here and now. This presents a terrific koan to the integral practitioner, and Jeremy Johnson transmits it in a way that left me inspired and the world reenchanted. May he – and Gebser – do the same for you! “What is gaining importance now is the spiritual light reigning between objects – the tension and the relation between them.” – Jean Gebser Jeremy Johnson has a degree in sociology from Fordham University, the Jesuit College in Manhattan, and a Masters in Consciousness Studies from Goddard College. Jeremy is the founder of Nura Learning, a conscious media learning platform, and is an editor and writer for numerous publications. He is currently working on his first book, Seeing Through the World: Jean Gebser and Integral Consciousness, from Revelore Press.

Another week of cultural evolution at warp speed was brought on by a real-life daytime TV drama. It started on Tuesday, with NBC morning host Megyn Kelly defending blackface as a Halloween costume choice. She apologized and had her consciousness raised live on her Wednesday show, and was fired from the network on Friday. In this episode I use an integral lens to tease apart some of the cultural forces at play in this story. Plus, I take a look at another daytime tv show that also powerfully moved the ball in race relations this week: Dr. Phil’s “What You Need to Know About White Privilege”.

People often call me an optimist, a term I’ve never felt quite comfortable with. Is it optimistic to notice that humanity – and humans – fight our way forward? Is it optimistic to see that the catastrophes of history, while dwindling, are far from over? I prefer the term evolutionary, someone who sees how the upward draft of Eros creates beauty through means that are often not pretty, and that it is animating everything, for worse then better, including us. In this episode, I make the case that humanity is not fallen but rising, and that what matters more than our sinful nature is our basic goodness and the goodness of a kosmos that has destined us to grow.

This is a sequel to last year’s popular Valentine episode featuring Dr. Tom Habib. An integrally-inspired clinical psychologist specializing in couples therapy, Tom has mapped what he calls the “couple’s line of development,” which describes the predictable stages a couple typically grows through — and where they may get stalled. The adventure of love generally starts with sexual chemistry and illusions of safety, an intoxicating stage that some people replay through multiple partners. At the next stage a more committed couple seeks to build a life together by assuming roles such as mother/father or provider/supporter. If they are able grow into the third stage, it will be into some form of relational partnership based on a flexible roles and mutual respect. In this episode Tom focuses on top two stages of couple development, which he calls first love and spiritual love. First love corresponds with integral development and is created by an active appreciation of one’s partner, as well as the intentional development of a we-space in which more aspects of each person are embraced. Spiritual love emerges as we grow together beyond personal indentification and find within each other the eternal Beloved. Tom’s vision is both beautiful and instructive in helping us to grow in mutuality with our intimate partners. Tom Habib joins us from his home in San Juan Capistrano, California. You can find more of his work at drtomhabib.com.

The drama surrounding the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the US Supreme Court is proving to be a seismic event in cultural and consciousness evolution. This week Jeff shares and reflects on listeners’ response to last week’s episode: Judging Kavanaugh. Like his listeners, Jeff focuses on the emerging recognition shared by many of gender dynamics that had previously remained unseen. A common trajectory: New sensitivity to our historical traumas creates a larger worldview – which can extend to embrace the pain of others. Softening one’s identification with that worldview liberates it (and us) into integral consciousness … … which is able to also hold the unique truths of previous worldviews which have not become sensitive, making us far more effective in nurturing the evolution of a new culture that can integrate the gifts of all. Plus: Why it had to be Kavanaugh. And a modest proposal for evolving the Court.

Each stage of human development features a unique way of organizing work. From hunting and gathering, to agriculture, to industry, to the Information Age, each emergent represents a radical evolutionary expansion of capacity, and each remakes the world in its turn. So what’s next? Frederic Laloux‘s blockbuster book, Reinventing Organizations, offers compelling answers to that question. A McKinsey consultant for many years, Fred has identified and researched what he calls “next stage“ organizations, and identifies the specific features that set them apart. The key emergent of next-stage organizations harkens back to early human history: small bands of people on a mission, each deeply seen and valued by the others, responding together to changing conditions and making their way forward. Today’s cutting-edge version of archaic bands are self-managed teams, which have become the building blocks of companies of all types and sizes. It’s a fascinating (and explicitly integral!) thesis whose success is demonstrated in organizations all over the world. In this conversation with Jeff Salzman, Frederic Laloux unpacks his key ideas and lays out some of the new rules of the road ahead.

The political firestorm surrounding the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court is a juicy case for an integral analysis. Today Jeff shares his insights into the testimony presented to the Senate Judiciary Committee by both Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, the woman accusing him of attacking her as a teenager. He considers: How do we process two perspectives that are in diametric opposition? Why and how we should “take it personally.” How to navigate the predictable political polarization. The cultural forces at play in this case and how they are moving us forward. You can access the video or audio below …

by Dr. Keith Witt Suicide has been in existence as long as self-aware consciousness has been in existence. The gift of self-aware consciousness included the capacity for humans to anticipate and understand the inevitability of their own deaths, and all gifts come with a price. One price of awareness of death is the capacity to choose it. In some tribal cultures, the choice of suicide was considered moral for the aged and infirm. Rather than be a drain on precious resources, people would walk into the blizzard, or be ritually executed by friends. In Classical Greek societies, suicide was considered a right by many; though Aristotle was quite critical of the choice (Socrates had no problem with it obviously). Christian cultures have pathologized and punished suicide. In medieval times in Paris, suicides’ bodies were dragged through the streets and thrown on refuse heaps. The Catholic Church relegated suicides to Hell, and made it a sin to choose one’s own death. Japanese samurai culture glorified seppuku (known more commonly in the west as harakiri) in men and women–suicide to avoid dishonor. In modern America, suicide has increased 24% nationally since 1999, and much more in the intermountain red states of Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado,­­­­ Idaho, North and South Dakota, Kansas, Minnesota, as well as in Vermont, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. In the 23 poorest states, the rates have gone up 38% to 58%. Previously from 1970 to 2000, suicide also increased dramatically in most demographics, so this is a definite trend in American culture for the last fifty years. 54% of suicides don’t have a psychiatric diagnosis, probably reflecting the resistance to treatment in many groups. I think by definition suicide attempts are reflections of at least temporary insanity—one study of people who had survived jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge reported that, on the way down, all of them thought some version of, “This is worst idea I ever had!” Some studies show that for every completed suicide, there are 25 attempts, so there are over a million suicide attempts each year in the U.S. The most vulnerable to suicide statistically are 45 to 64 year olds, and suicide in women has increased 80%, narrowing the historic gender gap between sexes. Native American suicide has also increased enormously, and suicide by teens is on the rise. Suicide is contagious. One study from the fifties and sixties showed an average of 58 extra suicide deaths for every front page story of suicide. There were 10% to 12% increases in national suicide figures the weeks after Marilyn Monroe’s and Robin William’s deaths. Even more chillingly, in the weeks after a front page suicide story of an individual there are increased fatal single car accidents, three times more fatalities in car accidents in general, and similar figures for plane accidents. Are these conscious or unconscious suicide attempts triggered by the news stories? If it’s young person suicide, the increase is mostly in young drivers. If it’s an older person suicide, the increase is mostly in older drivers. Weeks after murder/suicides, there are increases in multiple deaths in car and plane accidents. WTF?!!! Something is wrong with American culture and getting worse, but what’s wrong, and what should we do? Like most social issues, suicide is a wicked problem with multiple components. Suicide is not one thing but many things. Suicide does not have one cause, but many causes. There is not one solution but many solutions. That being said, there are some social forces that clearly are contributing to the problem that are either invisible to many or resistant to change. More medication is not the answer. 1 in 10 Americans are on psychotropic medications, and antidepressants are so widely used that they are a significant pollutant in fish from America’s oceans. Kelly Brogan, a psychiatrist who’s dedicated her life to helping people get off antidepressants, says that 30% of her patients are suicidal, and quotes studies suggesting that the combination of dissociative experiences and frustrated disappointment involved in many people’s experiences with modern antidepressants are actually increasing suicide rates. The CDC, in analyzing the problem, made some interesting suggestions. They said the most afflicted 23 states (the poorest in the country) needed increased access to mental health services, financial support, stabilization of housing, and increased programs for problem solving and coping skills. These are all social care, communitarian suggestions. Why are such suggestions resisted, even ridiculed as “nanny state” excesses by some dominant conservative ideologies in these regions? One researcher suggested that in most of these states, especially in the intermountain red states, the “frontier spirit” is to be a rugged individualist and solve your own problems. What this can mean for the individual is that, if life is overwhelming and I feel like a loser, it is my fault and my weaknes

Today many pioneers of consciousness are experimenting with new ways for people to form more powerful, fulfilling relationships with each other. Some are focused on mutual spiritual growth while others are more interested in practices and processes that help people in workgroups be more effective together. Today’s guest, Llyod Fickett, is dedicated to the latter. Through his company, The Collaborative Way, he has developed, in his words, “an intentional way of working together that harnesses the collective intelligence, imagination and spirit of a company’s workforce.” The five-point method is simple: 1) be for each other, 2) listen generously, 3) speak straight, 4) honor commitments and 5) acknowledge and appreciate each other. But Lloyd, a long time student of integral theory, has elevated them to what I consider a second-tier level. In this conversation, he shares his insights from over three decades of work in organizational development, and how his methods can be applied to create healthy, fruitful relationships in all areas of life.

Dr. Keith talks to Jeff Salzman about Integral Life’s recent “Tap Your Power” event in Denver, CO, which featured exquisite teachings from himself, Ginny Whitelaw, Beena Sharma, and Ken Wilber on the many facets of power in today’s world — interior and exterior, individual and collective, all the way up and down the spiral of human development.

Today I’m sharing my I my guest appearance on Radio Evolve, a German podcast hosted by Tom Steininger. We talked world politics, and focused on neoauthoritarian movements that are challenging the neoliberal systems that have been in place for decades. Are they entirely regressive? Or are they also doing the work of progressive emergence? Join Tom and me as we try to sort it out.

Today we take a look at a significant new installation in the American cultural landscape: The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, which opened in Montgomery, Alabama on April 23. The museum memorializes the legacy of America’s Jim Crow era, where black people were systematically oppressed and often terrorized, most tragically in over 4400 public lynchings. Our guide is Curtis Mitchelson, a Daily Evolver listener who suggested I look into the Memorial, the creation of which he has supported as part of his decades of work for social justice. Curtis attended last month’s opening ceremonies, and offered a first-hand account so vivid and integrally-informed that I invited him on the show to share it with you.

It seems that last week, during my “staycation,” I wandered my way into a five-day food fast. What started as a low-commitment experiment on Monday morning ended on Saturday with me in appreciation of some surprising and powerful results. I was inspired by friends and motivated by a book they recommended, The Complete Guide to Fasting, by John Fung, MD. The book focuses on the physiological benefits of fasting; it turns out our evolutionary history of often involuntary fasting means we’re built for it. But I was most amazed by the psychological and ”subtle body” effects I experienced. My hunger, which throughout my life has often been gripping in ways I can’t (or don’t) control, is for now relaxed. A week past the fast I still feel in a place of choice with food. The ten pounds of belly fat I lost is still gone, and I feel better all around. I’m on an extended state experience, no doubt, and state experiences are temporary. But when practiced and made conscious states create traits. So in fasting I feel that I have found a potent new (yet ancient) tool for growth and health. And it was actually fun! Here’s the story ….

In this episode integral philosopher Steve McIntosh takes us on a tour through the origins of integral theory, starting with Georg Friedrich Hegel, who first explained the mechanisms of evolution in human history, and on through a stream of philosophers who unified the evolution of matter, consciousness and spirit. He also considers a line of developmental psychologists, such as Jean Piaget and Clare Graves, who defined the distinct stages of human growth including the emerging integral stage. Bringing us to the present, Steve appreciates and critiques leading contemporary integral philosopher Ken Wilber, whose AQAL Model is the touchstone of current integral thought. He concludes by sharing what he considers to be his own contributions to integral theory, as well as ideas from other new thinkers who are adding to the canon. Understanding the history of integral thought helps us to situate ourselves in a lineage of philosophy that has itself evolved – and continues to with our participation. Steve McIntosh is author of Integral Consciousness, Evolution’s Purpose, and The Presence of the Infinite. He is co-founder of The Institute for Cultural Evolution.

It is an ironclad principle of human development: you can’t skip stages. Each stage of development builds upon the gains of the previous stages, and if the previous stages are not well installed things don’t work right. Unstable and uneven growth is a feature of today’s world, where four or five stages of development are online competing for dominance. In some places we see people with traditional identities trying to function in modern economies while watching their children be enticed by a globalized, postmodern culture. We may see in ourselves that we do not have some traditional qualities, such as self-discipline, well installed. Or maybe we are weak on modern qualities such as ambition. Environmental factors may be that we were raised in a chaotic, pre-traditional environment, or by postmodern parents who were themselves polarized against earlier value sets. Many forms of bypassing can occur in individuals and cultures today. That’s why integral practice includes a form of reclamation, where we identify and rehabilitate skills from previous stages that are absent or unstable in ourselves, our families and our communities. In this podcast Jeff explains with examples.

In this episode Jeff takes a look at three towering examples of postmodern art, and how they can aesthetically “move us” forward. Cirque de Soleil – a thrilling display of surface without depth The Seinfeld TV Show – a show not “about nothing”, just nothing meaningful The Saatchi Gallery in London — fine art that dares us to say it’s not fine art One is pretty, one is aggressively ugly and one doesn’t care one way or the other. But all are beautiful in the way they move the aesthetic line of development forward by liberating us from ideas of what art should be or do. Featuring a couple dozen images, this episode is best watched as a video.

In this episode of The Shrink and Pundit, Dr Keith Witt talks with Jeff about how to better support children’s development. Dr. Keith argues that the healthy expression of a person’s type (their preferences, gifts and built-in challenges) is based largely on their early relationships. The earlier in development we go, the more impactful the biological and social factors are in determining a child’s personality and typology. Before conception and during gestation, variables in parents will determine who their babies will become. Birth and bonding in the first year have huge impacts with multiple critical periods. This continues throughout childhood, with typological variables forming, being interactively reinforced, and then self-amplifying in personality development. Abuse and neglect are catastrophic to the developing child, increasing the odds of every form of psychological, relational, and physical problem. The less trauma we absorb the healthier the expression of our natural type. We can all get involved in preventing and remediating childhood traumas by providing more attuned care to children of all ages, as well as by supporting their mothers, fathers and the creation of a healthy environment.

Today Jeff is the guest for another in a series of “Integral Chats” with Stephen T Harper, creator of the What’s Your Theory podcast. In this conversation, Steve and Jeff discuss the enduring values of postmodernity (the green altitude of development). Postmodern thought gained traction after World War II and achieved fruition in the 1960’s, as a counter-culture arose to challenge the grand narratives of the previous stages of history, including the religiosity of traditionalism (amber altitude) and the rationality of modernity (orange altitude). Postmodernity called for a sensitivity to the plight of those who had been left out of the march of history thus far, and gave rise to the great movements of civil rights, feminism, gay rights, animal rights and environmentalism. The postmodern altitude of development is widely criticized for its excesses and political correctness (every stage has them), but as developmental theorist Clare Graves said, it also provides the values that “make us worthy” for the momentous leap into second tier integral consciousness.

Today Jeff talks with Stephanie Lepp, creator of one of his favorite new podcasts, Reckonings, which explores the evolutionarily-charged question: “how do we change our hearts and minds?” Stephanie’s guests are people who have shifted their political worldviews, overcome bigotry, and make other kinds of transformative change. In every case these folks have come to some sort of reckoning, a stuck point which required an expanded worldview and change of position. This fulcrum of change is where Stephanie focuses, creating powerful vignettes of evolution-in-action in the lives of people with extraordinary stories. In this conversation with Jeff, Stephanie shares her inspiration, as well as highlights from a few of her favorite episodes.

Today Jeff is joined by his dear friend and colleague Diane Musho Hamilton for a fascinating conversation about the changing nature of spiritual practice. Together they look at what is emerging in terms of: 1st person practices: how spiritual and psychological methods have integrated to boost the power of both 2nd person practices: the creation of a committed sanga that can move beyond pseudo-community to authentic connection and mutual awakening 3rd person practices: the forms of heirarchy and tradition that carry forward the power of lineage, yet must be translated for contemporary practitioners who are self-responsible instead of submissive Interested? You can join Diane and an international sanga of practitioners for a 10-week inquiry into this important topic, in “The Future of Zen Practice: Exploring the Encounter of Tradition and Innovation”, presented via the Zoom video platform. Diane Musho Hamilton is a leading integral teacher and also a Zen Sensei whose sanga, Two Arrows Zen, operates out of a urban Zendo in Salt Lake City and a beautiful new Mountain Zendo in the red rocks country of Southern Utah.

“Looking to Future Generations, there is no cause to fear that the social instincts will grow weaker, and we may expect that virtuous habits will grow stronger. In this case the struggle between our higher and lower impulses will be less severe and virtue will be triumphant.” — Charles Darwin Today Jeff talks with Dr. David Loye about his new book, Rediscovering Darwin: The Rest of Darwin’s Theory and Why We Need It Today. In his book David reveals a set of fundamental teachings clearly presented by Charles Darwin, but which have been virtually ignored by his followers for over 100 years. In short Darwin identified two drivers of evolution: competition (“survival of the fittest“), but also and equally what he unabashedly called love, and which he elucidated in terms of compassion, moral sense, appreciation of beauty and even spirit. Scientists built the evolutionary edifice exclusively on the first half of Darwin’s teachings, creating what David calls “the hole in the modern mind” and providing justification for a selfish and disenchanted view of humanity. David argues that re-integrating the second half of Darwin’s teachings is the palliative humanity needs today, and necessary to create a more humane and sustainable world. At age 93, David Loye personifies an important era in the history of evolutionary thought. His extraordinary journey starts with a historic, secret meeting in cold war Budapest among a select group of evolutionary scientists from both sides of the iron curtain. It led not just to his discoveries about Darwin, but to his own evolutionary thinking laid out in 30 books, including insights into “self-organization,” which Ken Wilber calls “one of the most important topics alive today.“ David is joined in this interview by his wife Rianne Eisler, herself a formidable evolutionary thinker and writer. Her most famous book, The Chalice and the Blade, is in its 56th printing. David Loye is a psychologist, evolutionary systems scientist and a former member of the faculty at both the Princeton and UCLA Schools of Medicine. He is a co-founder of two international organizations for updating and expanding evolutionary studies: The General Evolution Research Group, and The Society for Chaos Theory in Psychology and the Life Sciences.

“Logic is the beginning of wisdom, not the end.”Mr. Spock, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country Today Jeff is joined by fellow integral nerds Cindy Wigglesworth and Corey deVos in this warmhearted appreciation of the venerable Star Trek franchise, one of the oldest and most robust pop culture franchises in existence. Spanning more than 50 years, 741 episodes across six different series (The Original Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space 9, Voyager, Enterprise, and now Discovery), and 14 feature films, the lore and philosophy of Star Trek runs incredibly deep, making it incredibly ripe for an integral voyage into its most significant themes and messages. At its heart, Star Trek is a show about our own evolving morality. The very best episodes across its numerous series are often about how to make the most difficult ethical choices when no easy solutions can be found. But the ethics of Star Trek are not mere dogmatic values floating in some idealistic interstellar vacuum — these values are enacted and renewed time and time again every time they intersect different civilizations and different conflicting notions of “the greater good”. “Universal law is for lackeys; context is for kings.”Captain Lorca, Star Trek: Discovery In other words, Starfleet values are not mere codes of conduct to be memorized and executed. These are not black-and-white values. As Corey says in his review, Star Trek: Discovery and the Moral Arc of the Universe, “it’s about having a very strict Prime Directive, and understanding why it must never ever be broken — and then knowing exactly when you need to break it.” Starfleet values are not inert, they are more like hyper-objects that, when enacted, actually pull the characters (and the audience, and the writers, and the showrunners…) into higher, deeper, more evolved waves of being, inviting all of us to explore more subtle, more sensible, and more sophisticated considerations in our own moment-to-moment ethical algorithms. In this respect, when it comes to its morality, its humanitarianism, its underlying philosophies, and its capacity to activate the better angels of our being, the Star Trek franchise more or less stands alone in our increasingly dystopian media landscape, and continues to offer us an aspirational roadmap to help us climb our way out of the bizarro mirror universe we currently seem to be inhabiting. “Our species can only survive if we have obstacles to overcome. You remove those obstacles. Without them to strengthen us, we will weaken and die.”James T. Kirk, Metamorphosis We often talk about the difference between “integral art” (artworks that are created from an integral consciousness) versus “enacting art integrally” (engaging any given work of art from an integral point of view). Every now and again, we get the rare opportunity to do both simultaneously, as we do here in this integral celebration (and integral enactment) of the Star Trek franchise. So open hailing frequencies, set phasers to stun, and prepare to boldly go where no Star Trek review has gone before. Written by Corey deVos “Live now; make now always the most precious time. Now will never come again.”Jean-Luc Picard, Inner Light

Today Jeff is joined by Dr. Warren Farrell, who has co-authored (with John Gray) a new book, The Boy Crisis: Why Our Boys Are Struggling and What We Can Do About It. The book illustrates how boys are falling behind girls in crucial metrics of well-being: in academics (61% of college degrees will go to females by 2020), in mental and physical health (boys commit suicide at six times the rate of girls), in behavioral problems, career prospects, even life expectancy. Warren brings an integral sensibility to the situation by advocating a path forward that expands options for boys to find purpose and meaning, much as girls are able to do as a result of the feminist revolution. He also emphases the role of fathers and postive male role models for boys. As Gail Sheehy, author of Passages, writes of The Boy Crisis: “As an activist in the women’s movement, I’m proud of expanding life choices for our daughters. But no one did the same for our sons—until now.” Warren will help you think differently about the issues of sexual dynamics, and how we can move forward into a future where there are more ways to be human and fulfilled for all sexes. Dr. Warren Farrell is the author the the bestseller, The Myth of Male Power, and is the only man in the U.S. to have been elected three times to the Board of the National Organization for Women (NOW) in New York City.

Today Jeff talks with Scott Ford, author of Integral Consciousness in Sport: Unifying Body, Mind and Spirit Through Flow. Scott, an elite tennis coach for decades, is at the leading edge of thinking and practices for enhancing athletic performance. He has mapped out a five-stage developmental sequence of athletic performance, the first three of which are familiar: Learn the rules, tools and techniques Strategies and tactic for winning Mental/emotional training for self-excellence Stage 3, online for less than 50 years, is where many elite athletes function today. But it is at stage 4 and 5 that things get more interesting. At these higher stages we are working with flow or the zone, that elusive state where the player and the game merge. This “subject / object collapse” is what Scott calls “flowing presence” and is the gateway not just to greater performance, but to a profound enjoyment and fulfillment in the act itself. Scott is also a founding member of the Sports, Energy and Consciousness Group, a collective of doctors, psychologists, scientists, world-class athletes and leading-edge coaching, which is having its third annual conference in San Rafael this July. In this podcast Scott offers a specific practice for entering flow, which is applicable for “in the zone” performance in all aspects of life.

Today Jeff visits with integralist Tom Curren, who has launched a new non-profit initiative with the goal to Change the Rules of the American political system. Tom has identified four structural problems in American politics that exacerbate the electorate’s most tribal impulses: How the election system sorts for a “lesser of two evils” choice Why the most extreme ideologues have disproportionate power The big money machine that is successfully enriching its clients Barriers to large scale citizen participation Our political system seems to be carved in constitutional stone, but actually many of its most dysfunctional rules are not in the constitution, and have been built up to support the business of politics. Listen as Tom explains a series of non-flashy, non-partisan strategies (ballot initiatives, legal challenges and legislative pressures) that are already proving to drain the swamps in states and municipalities across the nation.. While The Daily Evolver usually focuses on integrating the polarities arising in consciousness and culture, this episode offers exciting, third-person structural solutions with high leverage. Tom also offers listeners an efficient way to participate personally on-the-ground in their communities. Tom Curren is founder of Hawthorne Consultants, a firm specialized in the integration of strategy and organization change. Find out more about his new non-profit, Change The Rules.

Today Jeff and Corey take a close look at an fascinating new article by Valerie Tarico, published on Alternet with the title “Here’s Why Some Progressives Are Tearing Each Other Apart”. In the article Tarico argues that today’s political left is largely split into two major conflicting factions, each of whom are operating with two very different narratives around social progress. The first of these narratives she calls The Social Liberal Story, which proclaims universal values and seeks to expand the circle of people who benefit from them. Tarico contrasts this narrative against that of the The Structural Oppression Story, which views history as the continuing struggle of certain groups being oppressed by certain others — and if you aren’t being oppressed, it can only mean that you are one of the oppressors, whether you are conscious of perpetuating oppression or not. Both of these narratives are alive and well among liberals — and predictably, we integralists believe both contain true-but-partial wisdom that needs to be woven into a more mature framework for the political left (which, by the way, the author completely agrees with, and even offers her own integrative insight to this end). And to go a step further, both of these leftist views need to be integrated with the various wisdoms found on the political right in order to achieve a more healthy and functional body politic. Listen as Jeff and Corey try to navigate the inherent truths and limitations of each of these views, and enfold them into a bigger and bolder vision of our ongoing political evolution.

Today Jeff’s guest is Bence Ganti, the creator of the 3rd Integral European Conference, which will commence on May 22nd at the Azur Resort at Lake Balaton in Hungary. This third biennial conference will be the biggest and most comprehensive yet, with over 600 participants from 50 countries. Titled Allies of Evolution, the conference will offer 250 programs on a wide range of integral issues, from contemporary politics to organizational development to art, culture and spirituality, in a mix of academic presentations and experiential processes. It features an optional pre-conference certification course with Dr. Susanne Cook-Greuter, and a Spiral Dynamics Level II Workshop, as well as a post-conference 3-day sightseeing tour by bus. Plus lots of fun, community, music, dance and an open-air goulash bonfire dinner and dance in the beautiful Hungarian countryside. You can find out more about the Integral European Conference here …

The Integral stage of human development reveals a thrilling new view of reality. It starts at the Teal altitude where we are able to see and map the movement of evolution in history and in our own lives. We develop the ability to hold paradox and appreciate the beauty of all previous stages who have been so long at war. It matures into the Turquoise altitude, where we experience a more unified kosmos, one that is animated with a loving intelligence which each of us, in our own way, is both expressing and creating. Our thanks to those of you who have written and sent voicemails to share your adventures in integral emergence. In today’s episode Jeff uses your reflections to chart some of the landmarks of the new integral territory, as well as characteristics of the pioneers who seek to inhabit it.