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Integral Consciousness Seminar
February, 2024
elpt
The following series was recorded at an Integral Consciousness seminar in February of 2024, featuring Jeff Salzman and Fred Kofman.
What is Integral consciousness? It may seem odd to ask such a simple question, especially on a site like Integral Naked which compiles hundreds of hours of cutting-edge integral content. Yet, amidst the staggering wealth of second-tier perspectives that are only now beginning to emerge, and despite the rudimentary markers of second-tier consciousness that we've been able to identify so far, it is absolutely crucial that we never allow ourselves to think that we have found the definitive answer to this most fundamental question. We've only begun our extraordinary journey together toward the next phase of human consciousness—even the most profound concepts, visions, relationships, charts, graphs, practices, and artworks to spring from integral consciousness are mere relics of the future, crude petroglyphs on the walls of our own becoming. We have barely begun to scratch the surface in terms of defining what living an "Integral Life" actually means—and as the pioneers of an entirely new altitude of consciousness, together we must all hold this basic question in our hearts, allowing it to unfold just a little bit more every day.
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In the previous clip, we asked the question "What is integral consciousness?" while Jeff described some important qualities of second-tier awareness. However, it is not enough to describe what this consciousness looks like, we must also talk about what it feels like to live from an integral perspective, the subjective contours of the second-tier space. In this spirit, Jeff shares an excerpt from Walt Whitman's Song of the Open Road:
"From this hour I ordain myself loos'd of limits and imaginary lines,
Going where I list, my own master total and absolute,
Listening to others, considering well what they say,
Pausing, searching, receiving, contemplating,
Gently, but with undeniable will, divesting myself of the holds that
would hold me.
I inhale great draughts of space,
The east and the west are mine, and the north and the south are mine.
I am larger, better than I thought,
I did not know I held so much goodness.
All seems beautiful to me...."
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In today's world, too many of us find ourselves wandering through our own lives with no real sense of direction, and with no roadmap to help us navigate the complex territory of consciousness. Fortunately, humanity has evolved to the point of being able to survey the entire landscape of existence, connecting the dots of bitter fragmentation, identifying the various patterns that connect every possible detail of the human condition. Welcome to the Integral Model, the most comprehensive map of human growth and happiness available at this time, through which you can hold the staggering complexity of the entire manifest universe in the palm of your hand.... |
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It might be said that the Integral Map is, more than anything else, a map of self-mastery. Offering the most comprehensive guide to human development yet assembled, it allows us to customize and refine our various practices to most effectively nourish our growth and connection with the world. Which, of course, requires a lot of work. Self-mastery, after all, is a lifelong process—perhaps multiple, if you believe in that sort of thing. But what about the Zen ideal of there being nothing to do, and no one to do it? If we are in some sense always-already enlightened, then why bother practice at all?
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