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117 | Transcending Woke (Part 2)

Daryl McMullen

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117 | Transcending Woke (Part 2) Daryl McMullen

Date: May 30, 2022

This is the second installment of the "Get Woke Series."

Minute of Transparency: Nothing Figured Out...

Today's Topic: Transcending Woke (Part 2)

  1. "The Awakening"

  2. Spiral Dynamics

// 1. "THE AWAKENING"

So one of the reasons why I turned one episode into three is because my desire to talk about the "woke" culture concept didn't stop at being "woke."

As I started down that path I realized it was like finding a thread sticking out of a loose-knit sweater. You give it a little tug, and a bit more comes out. And if you pull too much out the sweater begins to unravel right in front of your eyes.

And so it is with the "woke" culture. It isn't one, definable concept you can talk about and wrap up with a nice little bow.

There are layers. There are concepts that overlap. There are concepts that are called something different, but almost mean the same thing.

So I picked a few of them - and decided to talk about them in this series. Those concepts are:

  • Exponential Change

  • The "Woke" Culture

  • The Awakening

  • Spiral Dynamics

  • Deconstruction

And...spoiler alert...my hypothesis is that all of these overlap, and influence each other to a large degree.

Last week we talked about the Exponential Changes I've been through. And by no means do I believe I'm special. In fact I'm assuming my story is a bedtime story compared to the things other people have been through.

From there we discussed the "Woke Culture":

  • How there is a worldly, and most often, political version of the word: Suggesting a "woke" person is a democrat, ultra liberal and hyper-focused on things like climate change, the environment and social justice issues

  • However, as is often the case, a bad thing is only the distorted version of something good. And so I suggested that there is a spiritual side to being "woke"

    • A side that does not require you to move to one extreme or the other

    • A side that doesn't require you to stop having conservative beliefs

Being "Spiritually Woke" includes the following:

  • A willingness to engage in transparent self assessment

  • A willingness to look deeper - for Absolute Truth

  • A willingness to grow - even if that means letting go of some things we were taught

  • And a willingness to let love drive us instead of strongly held beliefs and convictions

Essentially - all of the things we talk about on this podcast - including the official Transcend Human Values:

  • TRUTH | TRANSPARENCY | GROWTH | LOVE

Essentially, If we're "woke" spiritually - we've assessed our world views and found them wanting. We've recognized that there is more to life - things of greater value. Being "woke" in this context means Transcending Human. Rising above the Human Condition in areas where we see room for growth. Determining the right thing to do in any situation, and choosing that over the alternative.

So today: we dive into the next two concepts: The Awakening, and Spiral Dynamics.

Starting with "The Awakening"...

This is going to be a little abstract - because this idea of an "Awakening" isn't a black and white thing. It isn't an event, it isn't a movement with defined parameters or expectations. The concept of an "Awakening" can be abstracted to mean whatever you want it to mean.

People use it in a variety of different ways, to mean a variety of different things.

So why are we talking about it?

Well, the simple answer is this: It's popular. It's part of the culture right now. And therefore it's worth addressing. Especially because there is so much overlap with the concept of being "woke."

Now, when I did a Google search for the phrase "The Awakening" I was literally slammed with results related to a book by Kate Chopin and a horror movie with the same name.

Not altogether unexpected as things that can be purchased or sold often take precedence in search results.

But as I clicked page after page into the results nothing changed.

I never found search results about "The Awakening" being a cultural thing, an event, or something we should be looking for.

However, all you need to do is enter the world of social media and that changes.

  • Facebook lists numerous public and private groups with The Awakening in the title.

  • Search "Awakening" on Instagram and the results go on forever.

  • And then there is TikTok - which is jam packed with posts hash tagged with variations of the word awakening

And like I said - it's the Wild, Wild West in terms of what people mean when they use the term.

But after seeing my fair share I believe there are some fairly large categories we can identify:

  1. Science/Technology/AI:

    • People that have developed theories based on science

    • Beliefs that as we become more and more advanced we close the gap between human consciousness and artificial intelligence

    • The suggestion is that at some point we evolve to the next level

    • Either through medical breakthroughs

    • Or combining AI with our organic bodies

    • Uploading our "consciousness" into an electronic format capable to extending life

  2. Telepathy:

    • On social media you see the word "empath" used a lot

    • The suggestion is that some have opened their minds to the point where they are in tune with the frequencies of the universe

    • They've tapped into another dimension - possibly spiritual, but not necessarily

    • And this new understanding allows them to see the future, read peoples minds and learn important things by touching inanimate objects

  3. Conspiracy Theories:

    • So think UFO's

    • Flat Earth

    • Aliens having landed on Earth

    • And all of the future implications of these beliefs

    • For these people, the "Awakening" could mean any number of things:

      • Coming to the awareness that a theory is true

      • Finding proof that one or more of these theories is correct

      • Or possibly being abducted by aliens and thereby transitioning into a higher state of being

  4. Spirituality:

    • Within spiritual there could be thousands of different beliefs

    • Everything from a Buddhist take on enlightenment

    • To the Christian view of Heaven

    • And everything in between

    • "The Awakening" can refer to some change in a person's life - taking them from one world view to another

    • Or it can refer to the final transition - in the case of Christianity - being taken to Heaven by God

    • But whatever the case - this "Awakening" is spiritual in nature - typically part of a long standing religious tradition

Now - there may be more categories - but those are a few big ones I wanted to mention - because these four alone make up the bulk of the posts you'll find on social media.

And within each you find a similar vibe - ideas like these:

  • Typically there is an undercurrent, or a cultural rumbling - that suggests the world is not what it seems

  • There is usually a discussion about some change that is coming quickly - or in the future

  • There is often the suggestion that only a small percentage of the population understand it

  • The larger percentage of the population is said to be "sleeping" because they don't understand

  • And the belief is that the world is on a trajectory with destiny

  • That at some point very soon we will come to a fork in the road, an intersection if you will

    • Some people will be awakened and transcend to the next level

    • While others will be left in the dust in some way...

    • Whether this be left in ignorance, or die without transcending

That said, is this concept of "The Awakening" new? A recent trend? A phenomenon that exists only because of our place in time?

Well, I guess that depends on our definition of "Awakening."

But if we look back in time we should see numerous "Awakenings" on two levels:

  • Personal

  • Cultural

I believe that the 4 categories I just waked through aren't new - and aren't tied solely to this generations:

  • People have always looked for meaning

  • People have always been on a quest to better themselves

  • And they've looked to science, telepathy, the celestial elements, conspiracies and spirituality in order to find the path to enlightenment

  • As a Christian, I obviously use the Bible to help explain things like this

  • And when I look - sure enough - you find this behavior has been around since the dawn of time:

    • The Bible describes that God handed down information to His people and asked that they continue teaching it to their children

    • At the same time - there were groups of people who believed n different gods

    • And they believed in different paths to enlightenment

    • There are verses in the Bible that describe things like:

      • Child sacrifice, Divination, Fortune telling, Omen interpretation, Sorcery, Charmers, Mediums, Necromancers

    • Now - if you dig deeper into these practices you find that they take root in the same things we see today

    • There were things that came out of the science of the day

    • There were things that required a version of telepathy

    • There were practices based on conspiracy theories

    • And there were practices create in the hopes of becoming more spiritual - or transcending in some way

And then there were major cultural awakening throughout time where entire countries, or societies had an awakening and moved to a new level of understanding.

Think about things like:

  • The Age of Enlightenment

  • The Industrial Revolution

  • The Great Awakenings as they were called - the rise of the Christian church in the west

  • Or think even more recently with our ability to go to space and see even farther into the universe

  • Or the communication revolution with the rise of the internet and now social media

You can look at all of these things as "Awakenings," in and of themselves. Or you could look at it this way:

  • That these huge advancements made it possible for smaller "Awakenings" to occur

  • Based on these new scientific understandings

  • Or based on conspiracy theories that developed because of the new understandings

  • At any rate - people latched on to these ideas and ran with them - reporting that if you could understand what they were figuring out - you would become part of an "Awakening" that would change everything

All we have to do is look around - and we see how this plays out:

  • Different religious beliefs

  • Cults and cult leaders

  • Conspiracy Theory groups based on UFO sightings or fears of AI taking over

  • It's all around us - and has been since the dawn of time

  • Just pick one civilization - like the Aztecs:

    • Human sacrifice, cannibalism

    • Things we view as barbaric today - and yet these practices all came out of some sort of "Awakening" the Aztec leader had

    • The practices were part of spiritual and cultural beliefs in celestial power they didn't fully understand

    • And for the most part - these practices were completed in fear of retribution

    • If they failed to complete these rituals the sun might stop shining and their crops might fail

    • And that's just one small example from history

// 2. SPIRAL DYNAMICS

So this is something we've talked about before on the podcast. If you're interested - here are three episodes where we talked about it in more detail:

Why is this important you ask?

Well, at some point in my prep for this series on what it means to be "woke" - I realized that I had to talk about Spiral Dynamics - because the overlap is undeniable.

Now I don't want to spend all day here - but I believe it is vital that we see things from multiple angles.

And Spiral Dynamics is an angle that might just blow your mind if you have the time to dig into it a bit.

So let me oversimplify for us so we can jump right in.

I'm literally going to read the opening paragraph from Wikipedia as a summary:

“Spiral Dynamics (SD) is a model of the evolutionary development of individuals, organizations, and societies. It was initially developed by Don Edward Beck and Christopher Cowan based on [other theories we won't go into here]. A later collaboration between Beck and Ken Wilber produced Spiral Dynamics Integral (SDi). Several variations of Spiral Dynamics continue to exist, both independently and incorporated into or drawing on Wilber's Integral theory. In addition to influencing the field of philosophy in the form of both integral theory and metamodernism, Spiral Dynamics is noted for its applications in management theory and business ethics, and as an example of applied memetics.”

Now the important part:

“Spiral Dynamics describes how value systems and worldviews emerge from the interaction of "life conditions" and the mind's capacities. The emphasis on life conditions as essential to the progression through value systems is unusual among similar theories, and leads to the view that no level is inherently positive or negative, but rather is a response to the local environment. Through these value systems, groups and cultures structure their societies and individuals integrate within them. Each distinct set of values is developed as a response to solving the problems of the previous system. Changes between states may occur incrementally (first order change) or in a sudden breakthrough (second order change). The value systems develop in a specific order, and the most important question when considering the value system being expressed in a particular behavior is why the behavior occurs.”

Now - that was a good summary - but if you're like me - too much of that and my eyes go glassy. The words stop making sense and I realize a few minutes later that I don't have a clue what I just read.

So let me try to dumb it down even further...

As a clinician I was taught to see human behavior through certain lenses:

  • Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs for example

  • Then we learned about the Stages of Development from Piaget

  • The Stages of Psychosocial Development from Erickson

  • And Kohlberg followed that up with the Stages of Moral Development

I'm not going to talk about each of these - but each described stages, or phases we go through as human beings throughout our lifetimes.

They were meant to help explain human thought and behavior. And at the same time helped to create a picture of a normal person. Obviously, once these norms were in place - the theories also helped point out people who fell outside the norms. People with delayed, missing, inappropriate or unacceptable thoughts or behaviors.

These helped lay the foundation of the psychology revolution. And this helped us build the list of diagnoses we have today. Certifiable mental health issues people struggle with - issues we can determine for sure based on documented criteria.

So where does Spiral Dynamics fit in?

Well, I'm not an expert on the subject - but from my brief time researching the theory - the timeline looks like this:

  • Piaget & friends did a lot of their work, and developed their theories back in the Early 1900s

  • Then, Clare Graves began work on the initial elements of Spiral Dynamics in the 1950s

  • Then there was a lot of back and forth on which direction the theory should go

  • And finally, in the early 2000s Ken Wilbur and Don Beck were able to agree long enough to pull all of their ideas into one

  • Spiral Dynamics was formalized  into a theory called SDi (or Spiral Dynamics Integral)

So obviously - this isn't a theory that gets clumped in with the others.

Spiral Dynamics a much more modern take on things. It doesn't want to play in the same sandbox as the other theories. Instead - it attempts to incorporate the others - becoming a higher level theory - one that can be an all inclusive theory explaining the human experience.

Now that's a lot to bite off - and because of that I'm sure there are holes in the theory.

But at the same time - I have to admit it does a pretty god job. And makes a pretty good name for itself.

But what does Spiral Dynamics have to do with being "woke"?

I'm getting there - just had to get through the short history lesson first.

Now, because Spiral Dynamics is SO massive, and SO complex - I created a simple worksheet that I could use if my family ever asked me what the heck it was...and to keep things moving I'm going to use it to explain the basics.

If you're interested in the PDF: https://transcend-human.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Assets/TH-Spiral-Dynamics-Info-Sheet-2022.pdf

But let's dive in...

In the Wikipedia paragraphs there were two important pieces of description:

  1. SDi is the "evolutionary development of individuals, organizations, and societies"

  2. SDi "describes how value systems and worldviews emerge from the interaction of 'life conditions' and the mind's capacities"

That in mind - the theory suggest there are levels, phases, or what it calls "spirals." Each is a color and each describes a level of evolutionary growth within human development.

These spirals are split into two sections called Tiers:

  • Tier 1 Consciousness: Based on a scarcity mindset - more focused on the immediate needs of the self, and others

  • Tier 2 Consciousness: Based on an abundance mindset - more cognitive in nature, and focused on the continuation of the species

Now - let's walk through the spirals:

First Tier Consciousness:

  • Beige: Archaic/Survival:

    • Early infant - most basic needs

    • Shelter, safety, food, water, etc.

    • Material, tangible

  • Purple: Magic/Security:

    • Recognizing that basic needs and survival are based on supernatural forces - forces outside of our control

    • The development of "gods" like the Rain god - that can be prayed to, and sacrifices made to that god in order to stay in good standing

    • Immaterial, intangible - angels, demons, curses, voodoo, etc.

    • Which suggests the need for people like Shamen, Witchdoctors, Palm readers, Astrologists, etc.

  • Red: Power/Energy:  

    • Me, individualistic, impulsive

    • Taking the power for yourself

    • Strongest takes control

    • Kings, Dictators - often leading a group of people still in the Purple culture

  • Blue: Tradition/Belief/Order:    

    • We, us, for each other, restraint

    • Traditional culture - based on shared story

    • The Roman Empire - organized around a governmental structure

    • Military, Sports, Religion

    • Who has power? Government leaders, religious leaders, etc. Those who understand and can interpret the story

  • Orange: Modern/Success:

    • Scientific thinking

    • Rigorous examination of truth and facts vs. leaning on beliefs of blue

    • Use of capitalism to either be helpful or to game the system

    • Megachurches - taking the power of the truth found in the blue stage, but blowing it up using data, and new ways of making something successful

    • Using logic and pragmatism to make decisions vs. handed down belief systems

  • Green: Pluralism/Community:

    • 1960s

    • An understanding that there are other cultures and that they are important

    • Social justice and sensitivity

    • Compassion and celebration of diversity

    • Environmental movement

    • Animal rights

    • An explosion of truth - and acceptance of all

    • Cancel culture - removing voices that don't follow the cultural majority

Start of Second Tier Consciousness:

  • Yellow: Integral/Synergy:

    • There is constant conflict in First Tier Consciousness

    • You typically look forward with fear - and backward with disdain

    • However, this is not the case in Second Tier Consciousness

    • Someone who has reached Yellow understands that they have all of the colors within themselves

    • And they can view others the same way - choosing to meet them right where they are at (see center of gravity below)

    • The Yellow may have spent time as a conservative, may have moved over to be more liberal, but eventually see's issues with both

    • You start to feel like you don't belong in the polarized conversations happening these days - because you see the positive that comes from each of the stages

  • Turquoise: WholeView/Holistic:

    • So high level that you look at the world not in terms of people

    • You look at the world as one giant, living organism

    • You see the need for restraint and focus in numerous areas in order to ensure peace, and continuity

    • Feet off the ground  

Important things to understand:

  • These spirals apply to more than one thing:

    • An individual can work through the spirals

    • An organization can work through the spirals

    • And entire societies, or countries can work through the spirals

  • It typically takes 10% of an organization or a society pushing for the next spiral in order to growth to occur in that direction

  • And, though I haven't specifically read this anywhere, it would be interesting to know if an individual who spends more than 10% of their time contemplating the level of consciousness required for the next level - to move to that level?

Center of Gravity:

  • The world is made up of people, organizations and societies in every stage - each has what's called a center of gravity

  • It's where they are currently functioning - where they feel the most comfortable - the spiral you default to

  • Now - that doesn't mean you can't pull from the other spirals below you if/when needed

  • However, the opposite is not really true - if you haven't reached a certain level - you won't typically understand or use that level at all until you get there

"Spiral Dynamics is the new Enneagram"  - Rob Bell

But back to our question - what does this have to do with being "woke"?

Well - some of you are probably way ahead of me...

As I read through the different colors, or spirals, you probably recognized one or two that sounded familiar - right? Spirals who's descriptions seemed to describe people who are called "woke."

And I would agree 100%. I would argue that people who are green or above - typically fall into the category of being "woke."

Here's why I say that:

  • Green: Highly focused on the community. People, human rights, diversity, social justice and starting to understand that people are more important than both our religious beliefs and our scientific findings

  • Yellow: A synergistic view of the world. Understanding that we are all on different spirals - and that all spirals are important. The ability to see each spiral within ourselves - and access each appropriately

  • Turquoise: Fully embracing a holistic world view. Believing that we are all elements of a higher system. Viewing the world, and our species above everything else. Understanding that because we're all connected - we need to work to achieve harmony and balance

Again - sound familiar? Would people in those spirals be considered "woke" to you?

It sounds right to me!

Now - before we go any further - and I alienate some of my more conservative listeners...

Let me be clear...Spiral Dynamics is NOT a Christian theory!

Clare Graves, Don Beck and Ken Wilber had no declared religious affiliation that I could find. They were psychologists - trying to help explain the human condition in terms that made sense to them and their findings.

So I'm not here to say that I believe Spiral Dynamics should be used along with the Bible as sources of truth for Christians.

In fact - Spiral Dynamics can get even more out there the longer you look into it:

  • One article I read suggested that there may be future Tiers added - each with multiple spirals

  • It suggested that just as Tier 1 has 6 spirals - there is no reason Tier 2 couldn't eventually have 6 spirals - and then a Tier 3 added down the road

  • I take this to mean the human race evolves into a completely different state of consciousness

  • For example - what if eventually, we were able to upload our minds into a computer just before death

  • And we lived on in that form

  • Eventually every living being would die - and all life would exist as part of a virtual world - electronically

  • Very out there - I know - and a very Sci-Fi twist on our future

  • But think about it...

  • In this scenario - maybe that's Tier 3 consciousness

  • And within this electronic state of existence - there may be 6 spirals of evolution inside of that!

But I digress...

I find Spiral Dynamics fascinating - but as a Christian - I also view the theory through the lens or filter of the Bible. Which means I’m going to have a lot to say about the Turquoise level and anything that comes thereafter...

But not today - we'll save that for next week!

Let's Land the Plane:

This week we discussed two very large, abstract concepts: The Awakening, and Spiral Dynamics. So here are a few simple questions to ask yourself this week in preparation for the final episode:

  1. Have you ever felt like you experienced an "Awakening" of some sort?

    • If so, what new information or world view were you confronted with?

    • And did it impact your life in a big way? Did you start doing new things? Did you stop doing old things?

  2. As we read through the colors of Spiral Dynamics - where did you feel the most comfortable?

    • Can you find your Center of Gravity?

    • And do you feel a pull toward the next color?

    • If so - how do you know? And what does it look like for you?

Okay everyone! Thanks for sticking this one out - it was a bit long - and at times a bit technical.

But it's all so interconnected! I'm absolutely loving this series and can't wait to wrap it all up next week for Part 3 of Transcending Woke. We're going to talk a bit more about Spiral Dynamics and how a Christian can take full advantage of the theory. We're also going to touch on the process of deconstruction - and how it has become a major element in the "woke" culture.

Until then, have a great week everyone, stay woke, and and as always, keep Transcending Human!

References: