124 | Transcending Spirals
July 18, 2022
Minute of Transparency: Me and Maslow
Today's Topic: Transcending Spirals
Spiral Dynamics Overview
Spiral by Spiral
Non-linear Integration & Your Center of Gravity
Tier 2 Consciousness
// 1. SPIRAL DYNAMICS OVERVIEW
Like I said, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is foundational - providing the basics.
But of course there were others with more meat on their bones. To name a few:
Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development
Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development
Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development
Among others...
And each of these theories attempts to define the same thing.
Each wants to explain what it means for human beings to grow and mature. How we develop.
But the interesting thing is that each comes at it from a different angle:
One believes it's all based on cognitive changes
One believes the changes occur due to changes in morality
And the other believes there is a social influence on the development process
So at the end of the day - we're kinda left asking one of two questions:
Which one is the right one?
If they're all valid, does that mean I have to understand all of them in order to get a clear picture of human development?
Well, if those were the only two options - I would lean toward the second.
Each has an interesting take on human development - and once you understand all of them - you have a greater understanding of people in general.
But there's another option. Because at the time - there were psychologists and theorists thinking the same thing.
As I understand it - Clare Graves came up with a theory called Emergent Cyclical Theory which was very similar to something Don Beck and Christopher Cowan were working on called Spiral Dynamics.
Then in 1995 Ken Wilber jumped in with his take on things called Integral Theory.
For a while, Beck, Cowan and Wilber played nice together - but soon Cowan dropped out, and by 2005 Beck and Wilber had gone in slightly different directions as well.
Wilber to me is the one that has taken things to nth degree. And the fastest way to explain his theory is by talking through the 5 AQALs:
The 5 AQALs:
4 Quadrants:
Upper Left: Inside the Individual: I
Lower Left: Inside the Collective: We
Upper Right: Outside the Individual: It
Lower Right: Outside the Collective: It's
I, We, It, It's
Levels:
Very similar to the levels of Spiral Dynamics
Lines:
Capacities that are independent and travel through the levels
Three groups of lines: Cognitive, Self & Talents
For example, Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development fits within the Cognitive group and is a line unto itself
States:
Temporary states of existence
Waking, sleeping, dreaming, meditation, etc. for an Individual
And includes things like brain states, cultural states and weather states in the other quadrants
Types:
Basically the myriad of personality types we see in the world
Everything from the Myers Briggs to the Enneagram, to gender/body types, culture types and biomes in other quadrants
So as you can see - Wilber's Integral Theory is extremely complex - and attempts to suck in all other theories and make sense of them. And while I've almost wrapped my brain around Integral Theory - I keep coming back to the combined work of Beck and Wilber - the levels - the Spirals which make up Spiral Dynamics. And the most recent version they collaborated on called Spiral Dynamics Integral.
And that's where I'm going to try and focus our time today. So when we leave we will have a much deeper understanding of each of the levels.
// 2. SPIRAL BY SPIRAL
We've talked about the spirals before - so this may be a bit redundant for some of you.
But hang with me - we'll hit new content very soon.
So Clare Graves gave us the us one of the original spirals - and I use them a lot when discussing Spiral Dynamics.
But for this episode - I'm going to lean on the SpiralDynamicsIntegral.nl website - a site from the Netherlands that does a good job presenting the updated version of the Spiral Dynamics concept.
According to this website these are the 3 Pillars of Spiral Dynamics Integral:
The Value Systems (or what well refer to as Spiral Dynamics)
Change Dynamics (Something I'll probably do an entire episode about later)
The Integral Theory (Ken Wilbers contribution - or The 5 AQALs - definitely NOT something we'll cover in detail today)
So let's dive into the Value Systems by walking through a few statements about what they are and what they aren't. And again - we're talking about the various levels, or colors in Spiral Dynamics:
Value systems are sometimes also called wMemes, Stages of Consciousness, Levels of Consciousness, Frames of Reference, Phases in Conscious Development or World Views
Value systems are the deep-seated motives, levels of existence, worldviews, modes of life, codes of behavior and values by which we and our cultures live
Value systems are fundamental systems of thoughts, motives, and instructions, which determine how we make a decision and set priorities in our lives
They are the codes of behavior and modes of life of individuals and cultures
IMPORTANT! The value systems are the product of the interaction between someone’s life conditions, someone’s neurological capacities and its context
Value systems can manifest in a healthy or in an unhealthy way
SDi focuses on value systems within people - not people within value systems (in other words - SDi should not be used to label or categorize people)
Every person has a combination of different value systems. We are not one color, we have different colors
The dominant value system determines our perspective on reality. The underlying value system determines our personality
Value systems are in constant flux (dynamic) with each other. In different situations and in different life conditions, we show different types of behavior. Value systems can be expressed in both a positive and a negative manner
The value systems developed in an earlier stage form the basis of the more complex (later developed) value systems. It is possible to skip a value system, but it will not be successful in the long run (Transcend & Include)
One value system is not better or more valuable than the other. They all reflect the way we adapt to our life conditions using our current capacities
Okay - we're almost ready to go. But before we do here are three very important pieces of information about the colors, or spirals:
There are colors focused on the individual (Beige, Red, Orange, Yellow) and colors focused on the collective or the community (Purple-Blue-Green-Turquoise)
These is a continuous state of interplay between these two types
The colors are also separated into 2 Tiers:
Tier 1 Consciousness: Based on a scarcity mindset - focused on the immediate needs of the self, and others (First 6 Colors - Personal Development - Exploring yourself)
Tier 2 Consciousness: Based on an abundance mindset - more cognitive in nature, and focused on the continuation of the species (Last 2 Colors - Consciousness Development - Exploring things outside yourself)
And finally - those involved in creating these Values Systems believe there may be more than the 8 listed here - but they haven't determined what those would be
That said - let's dive into each color or spiral - and in doing so I'm going to explain each from three different perspectives:
The essence of the color or spiral
What that looks like in my life
What that looks like culturally
What that looks like to businesses or organizations
Beige: Survival
Archaic, our most basic needs, shelter, safety, food, water, etc. Focus is on material things and tangible things
The simple way to answer this about me, or my life is to talk about myself as an infant - obviously when I was young my whole world centered around basic needs. However, this isn't true for everyone - there are people living on the streets who are fully grown adults - and Beige is most likely their center of gravity
So think about cultures where the entire focus of that culture is hunting or gathering - finding food and shelter in order to continue living. The cavemen, tribes in the Amazon jungle perhaps. Good examples of cultures still functioning in Beige
The best example I can come up with here is a brand new startup. It's new, hasn't grown up and is having a hard time even paying the bills. Living paycheck to paycheck or having to rob peter to pay paul. Probably feels very much like living in a Beige situation
Purple: Magic
Recognizing that basic needs and survival are based on supernatural forces - forces outside of our control. The goal is security, being safe and appeasing the "gods" that are perceived to control the elements. Focus is on the immaterial, intangible - concepts like angels, demons, curses, voodoo, etc.
In my life I can't really point to a phase, or period of time where most of my time was spend on magical ideas. However, it's interesting that as kids we believe in Santa Clause, the Tooth Fairy and even a very fantastical view of God Himself - which probably is the Purple phase working itself out within us
Purple can be seen in cultures where there is still a strong belief in mythical powers. Cultures with Shamen, Witchdoctors, etc.
The closest I can come to for this section would be businesses that are highly superstitious - believing that things have to be done in a very specific way in order for success to come. Or the opposite - if something was done incorrectly - it would lead to failure. There are also religious organizations that still have a strong Purple element
Red: Power
Harnessing energy, very individualistic, egocentric, impulsive, seizing power wherever possible, the strongest takes control
For me - I believe I went through a phase like this in college or shortly thereafter. I remember the anger that always seemed close to the surface. Road rage, a couple fights during sporting events and a caustic "I'm right and you're not" attitude - even when it came to my religious beliefs
Culturally, this looks a lot like countries with dictators. Strong, relentless leaders who have risen to power by crushing the opposition. They typically rule with an iron hand and attempt to control people under them
This one's easy for me. I worked at a church recently where the leadership led with Red. The staff culture was terrible - most of us were living in fear of being let go, or being shamed in front of the other staff members. Nothing was good enough and change was a constant - which led to a very unstable work place
Blue: Tradition
The move toward a "we" or "us" culture. Authoritarianism, holiness and meaning. Groups of people connected by tradition, rituals and a shared story. Rules and expectations play a big role in keeping the desired culture in place and people from straying from agreed upon norms
In my life I can see this at various points - and for fairly big chunks of time. Most of it centered around being a Christian. This suggested a world view that was very rigid, with personal rules, expectations and lifestyles. It also meant I was part of a larger group - which described the rules and expectations. This led to times when I was condescending and judgmental. It also made me feel like I had to vote a specific way - even when not fully sure of the candidate in question
Culturally - this is us. The US as a country is a highly Christian nation - meaning that a very large segment of the population lives in the Blue value system. Now this isn't the government I'm talking about - just the general population. But throw in the government and we definitely swing back and forth between the Blue and the Orange. When there is a Republican president - we get even more Blue. When a Democrat is elected we feel a little more Orange
When it comes to businesses or organizations - the military is the perfect example of how Blue functions. There is a very defined hierarchy, an organizational structure and set of expectations. They have credos, and value sets that must be followed. Indoctrination isn't subtle - it is forced during the boot camp process. A Marine for example understands and lives by this phrase: God. Country. Corps.
Orange: Modern
The move from tradition to proof. Scientific method, rigorous examination of truth and facts. Use of capitalism to solve problems but also to game the system. Using logic and pragmatism to make decisions over faith, or handed down beliefs
This one is very interesting for me as an individual. Because I am still a Christian and haven't moved completely away from this to the scientific community. But at the same time - I would say that I have deconstructed many of my original religious beliefs over the years and incorporated a much more scientific and psychological approach to my faith
Culturally - I believe Europe is the shining example of this. For decades they were a religious culture, led by heavy-handed religio-political leaders. And at some point they had enough. Europe today is a very non-religious part of the world. Many still claim to be Christians - but the percentage of "non-practicing" Christians and "Religiously unaffiliated" is massive. For example: 68% in Austria, 78% in the UK and around 90% in Finland. But don't think this strange. The United States is just slightly behind Europe in it's progression. It won't be long and the US will have numbers that are very similar
The American mega church is the perfect example of an organization that functions in the Orange value set. Strange - considering it's a church. But when you peel back the layers and see what is really driving these organizations - you realize that Blue is simply the narrative used on the weekends. The modern mega church functions 100% as a business. Decisions are made based on ROI, attendance numbers and how to get more butts in the seats. Not because people are being converted, or changed - but because each butt is another potential donation to the cause. These churches use a modified form of capitalism in order to drive interest, as well as profits
Green: Pluralism
A new focus on community, other cultures, social justice, sensitivity, compassion, celebration of diversity, environmentalism, animal rights, etc. An explosion of truths regarding acceptance and inclusion. With the unfortunate side effect of becoming just like the Blue community - demanding and exclusive - and if people don't think like you - they should be cancelled (Cancel Culture)
For me - I think I've always had a little Green in me. But as we've discussed - if you haven't worked through each subordinate color - you really can't access the full potential of the higher color. In this case Green. Because I struggled through Blue for so long in my life - I probably wasn't expressing a pure version of Green - it was tainted with the Blue that was my center of gravity. However, once working through Orange for a while - Green became that much clearer - and I was able to appreciate it at a whole different level
Culturally, this was seen in the 1960s in our country. Social reform, social justice, the Civil Rights movement. All birthed out of an explosion of truth about human value and inclusivity. The interesting part of this for me - is that I feel like it was out of order - similar to the way it was for me. Our country seems to be in a battle between Republican Blue and Democrat Orange. Almost like we made an attempt at Green - but it just didn't take. Who knows - maybe like me - we'll get there eventually
In terms of an organization - I think environmental groups are a great example. At the heart of each movement is a belief in something good - a clean Earth where trees aren't cut down for paper products, pollution isn't pumped into the ocean, etc. There is a strong belief in human-induced climate change. And work is being done to combat poor behavior on the part of the government, large industrial corporations and the average citizen. However, some of these groups are HUGE proponents of the Cancel Culture - tearing people down with little to no regard for the other person. And, in the past, groups have gone as far as to bomb vehicles and building associated with their adversaries
Yellow: Integral
A focus on synergy. Systemic, integral, emergent. A new understanding of the other spirals. Understanding that you have all colors within you. The ability to meet others right where they are at, and the ability to see the good and bad of each color vs. needing to put one above the other
On the one hand - I don't feel enlightened enough to be at this level. But on the other hand - these are the thoughts I've been having for the past 2 years. Ever since I started recording the Transcend Human Podcast. In 2020 COVID dismantled our world. This country exploded with racial tension, political tension, supply chain issues, rising cost of living and a general instability that's unnerving. But through all of it - I have started to view people differently. In that they are simply thinking and behaving based on the value set they are the most comfortable with - their center of gravity. A good example of this was when Roe v Wade was overturned. Instead of being angry and bashing one side or the other - my mind was working hard to see both sides - and to understand the ideological paths people were on. I looked back to see how I might have responded at various times in my life. And realized I could have been a pretty polarizing person myself at times. So I'm not 100% sure my center of gravity is Yellow - but I do feel very comfortable here...
Culturally - I'm not sure if there is good example. When I think about all the countries and governments in the world - I don't see this put into action in an obvious way. However, the website suggests that this is more of a cultural thing within a society. A movement if you will - small groups of people moving toward this new level of consciousness - and it might be a fair amount of time before there is a tipping point that influences an entire country or society
In terms of businesses or organizations - this is a hard one as well. There may be some companies out there attempting to adhere to a Yellow value system - but my guess is there is a CEO, or core leadership group that all adhere to a Yellow mindset
Turquoise: WholeView
A new, holistic view of the world. Global reach with focus on renewal. Views the world as a grid of mutually interdependent units working together to form one holistic organism. A dynamic balance between being, and becoming. Spiritual intelligence, and the ability to be present - resting in simply being
For me - I see glimpses of this - typically after being in nature or reading or watching something that focuses on transcendent themes. But I'm in no way Turquoise...and in order to fully connect with that value system I feel like I would need to sell everything, become a Monk and spend large amounts of time in contemplative silence
I definitely don't see a country, government or culture that exemplifies this - though there may be people within them that aspire to this idea
I definitely don't see a business or organization that exemplifies this - unless there is an organization of Tibetan Monks - then maybe
And that's the bulk of the colors based on the original models.
// 3. NON-LINEAR INTEGRATION & YOUR CENTER OF GRAVITY
These are concept that are both difficult to grasp, and yet essential to understanding Spiral Dynamics:
A very important piece of the puzzle is the concept of "Non-linear Integration"
The 8 recognized colors are not a linear progression
Even though we so badly want them to be
Our minds are good with that - take things one step at a time - learn something new - master it - then move on to the next
We came by it honestly - as this is how we were educated
You went to 1st Grade, learned all the stuff, then graduated to 2nd Grade. And you never have to do 1st Grade again
But that's not how it works with Spiral Dynamics
You don't master one and then, move to the next, leaving the previous color behind
We have bits and pieces of various colors within us - and we may even have a general sense of a color that is beyond our comprehension
But we can only fully access a color if it has been integrated
So for example - as people move through Beige, Purple, Red and Blue - each color is integrated - and is then accessible to the person at any point
If a person has integrated every color all the way up to Green - they are able to move back and forth as needed - pulling the good from other colors as needed
Then there's the idea of Center of Gravity:
That you tend to be in a sweet spot at any given time - a color where you find yourself stuck
And this could be for a couple reasons:
Maybe you're comfortable - and don't want to do the hard work to integrate another color
Or maybe you find yourself stuck - the color is kicking your butt. It's all you can think about and you have a deep sense of discontentment about things related to that color
Either way - this is probably your Center of Gravity
// 4. TIER 2 CONSCIOUSNESS
To wrap things up I thought it would be interesting to just touch on the Tier 2 stuff.
Because in reality - this is not the playground for the average person.
Most people - at least in this country - live in Tier 1 - in the Blue, Orange or Green spirals. These people have the following qualities:
A strong sense of self - the Ego is driving them
The focus is still very much on having or not having, how you behave, how others behave, etc.
A Blue will see the world through the lens of tradition, religion and a mutual story or common belief system
An Orange will view the world through the lens of science, analysis and the ideals of capitalism
A Green will view the world in terms of humanity, people, social justice and the global community
So we can see these three groups represented well in our country today
But when you leave Tier 1 and move to Tier 2 - there is a big change:
Yellow:
When moving to Tier 2 consciousness - there’s this thing called the Glass Ceiling. A clear barrier between Green and Yellow - between Tier 1 and Tier 2 consciousness.
You can see through it at times - but attempts to break through it are often difficult at best:
When you do finally break through:
The world becomes much more interesting
The problem is that people can get stuck here for a really long time
Years can be spent hypothesizing, learning and analyzing - because there is a massive amount of knowledge - too much to fully integrate
Yellow is the language of Spiral Dynamics
The Internet, and YouTube are the perfect platforms for people moving toward Yellow
But in this process, you can start to feel alienated
You may lose friends at this point because they may not be ready to move into the next Tier
Conversations become difficult - and you start to feel like you no longer have things in common with those around you
Tier 1 - People tend to find a Guru to follow
Tier 2 - People may be looking to you as the Guru
Yellow is the Beige of Tier 2:
Beige is the entry point for Tier 1
Yellow is the entry point for Tier 2
So it's exciting
A portal to a whole new way of thinking and experiencing the world around you
But you haven't been fully awakened yet
That doesn't full come until the next spiral - Turquoise
Turquoise:
In my research, I found a YouTube Channel called Shores of Infinity
And in one video the guy explains that less than 1% of the population is Turquoise
Very hard to find a culture or society of people at this level of enlightenment
However, this is the true awakening point for Tier 2 consciousness
Decreased Ego (sense of self)
In exchange - the person views the world and universe as a larger, more important reality
We're all part of it and interconnected
Learning to tap into your intuition
No sense of competition
View life as it is - without attempting to change it
Minimalistic living
Lose interest in money - or the value of money - you can have it or not have it - doesn't matter
A lot of time spend in observation and in simply being
Peaceful and harmonious
Coral:
Shores of Infinity calls The Abyss
Jumping off into nothingness
Being totally open to everything and anything
Teal:
Which I haven't even scratched the surface on
To me - Coral and Teal are simply speculation. As there are no people, cultures or groups currently living this level of consciousness out.
Even Turquoise is a bit woo woo for me - though there are people out there who believe, and resonate with the value system presented.
Now...
A while ago I presented this information - and then turned around and provided a Christian twist on it. So if you're interested in that go back and check out Episode 118 | Transcending Woke Part 3.
I'm not going to walk through that here. But I do want to address the elephant in the room.
Because as a Christian, Spiral Dynamics is a giant elephant standing in the middle of the room. And it's a bit jarring to say the least.
These are hard core theories based on science, psychology and related fields of study. So it's easy to throw the baby out with the bath water in situations like this - right? There are things I don't agree with - so I'm just throwing the entire theory out the window.
But that is a very Blue thing to do. Stick with the traditional, the rigid story, the rules and regulations. Don't step outside the box because it's dangerous out there. All that baggage.
But what if I told you it doesn't have to be either or - it can be both and?
This is actually key to the concept of Spiral Dynamics - that we don't add news things and remove the old. We are in a constant state of integration - adding the new things as we go.
This is the way I have progressed. There is a very big part of me that is Blue. It was a major part of my life - and I still hold onto that - just in a slightly different way.
I feel like my Center of Gravity right now is Yellow - but the Blue is still there as a guiding principle in my life.
I know that at some point Spiral Dynamics will go off the rails for me. Because the theory itself was derived with only science as the motivating factor. I don't believe the concept of God, and certainly not the God of Christianity was factored into the theory.
In fact - my assumption is that the colors just keep getting added and added until you're so enlightened that you become your own version of god.
So obviously - my beliefs in God keep me from following Spiral Dynamics to it's logical conclusion.
But that doesn't mean it isn't an amazing theory - describing people and the development process from survival to enlightenment.
For me - this is the most intense, well thought out and all inclusive theory I've come across.
Let's Land the Plane:
This week - I don't really have questions for you.
I'm sure you feel like you've been drinking from a fire hose. So I won't add one more thing for you to do.
Simply reflect on the things we've discussed. Or maybe go back and listen to it one more time.
If my summary is too elementary for you - check out the links in the "References" section at the bottom of the show notes. There will be plenty of content available to you if needed.
So that's it for now - thanks for sticking it out!
I hope you found this as interesting as I do.
Until next time, have a great week, keep on integrating, and as always, keep Transcending Human!
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Maslow#Hierarchy_of_Needs
https://www.verywellmind.com/kohlbergs-theory-of-moral-development-2795071
https://spiraldynamicsintegral.nl/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Integral-Theory-AQAL-Crash-Course.pdf
https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2018/05/29/being-christian-in-western-europe/