Comment

Comment by Steven D. Imhof on February 28, 2012 at 5:56pm

Excellent.  Thank you David

Comment by David MacLeod on February 28, 2012 at 5:43pm

Occupy Integral

A message from Integral thought leader Terry Patten (and Marco Morelli)

Dear Integral Evolutionaries,

I’ve just posted a major new blog post that I wrote with my friend and colleague Marco Morelli. It’s called "Occupy Integral!" — and it’s beginning to generate quite some buzz.

As many of you know, I've given a lot of passionate thought to how integral consciousness and practice, and the growing integral community, can help transform culture and society in these times of crisis and possibility.

At the same time, I've been dismayed to see that some intelligent, committed people have "given up" on integral theory, thinking it's just ivory-tower stuff. But my understanding has always been that integral theory empowers activism and spirituality, illuminating their intrinsic unity. There's no inherent separation between the so-called "inner work" of spiritual practice and self-transformation, and the so-called "outer work" of activism and social transformation. (The Four Quadrants arise together, after all!)

Eight years ago, my impassioned investigation into these matters yielded an unpublished manuscript entitled The Terrible Truth and the Wonderful Secret: Answering the Call of Our Evolutionary Emergency. And now, with Marco, I'm at work on the new, updated reincarnation of that project: we're calling it The Integral Revolution.

We’re writing The Integral Revolution right now, but we decided that the themes we’re focusing on can’t wait until our future publication date. Moreover, we’re much more interested in a real and vital engaged conversation than in keeping our thoughts private and sharing them at a later date, when we decide that they’re “finished.”

The integral movement is an unfinished project; it’s a collective emergence that will take countless voices and initiatives to make it visible and sustainable. I intend for this piece to give a shot of energy to all our efforts, and invoke that we maintain our commitment and loving engagement for the long haul.

I would love it and be honored if you give “Occupy Integral!” a read, share it with your networks, and even post a comment in the discussion thread if you feel so moved.

Here’s where to find it: www.beamsandstruts.com/articles/item/814-occupy-integral

To our evolution,
Terry

 

Comment by David Eggleton on December 21, 2011 at 6:31pm

A new discussion and a comment on mine.... nice to have some participation here at last!

Comment by David Eggleton on December 1, 2011 at 5:16pm

Yet another vocabulary!

Is the assumption of mobility yours or integral theory's?  Who would hold any developing and stable traditions of being-in-place?

Comment by Gary Hawke on December 1, 2011 at 5:08pm

This would need parsing through integral theory. A We space is the inter subjective expression of the group members as they engage with the economic structure. So you could have a form of monetary system where lets say coupons were exchanged for service. I understand that a number of local service in the uk have tried this. But it would mean that all the members of the collective that were engaging with the system would have to have shared meaning or a consensus to use the system, Integal calls this a nexus agency and the nexus angecy links with the functional fit of the system. This would lead to a shared internality code. Both community and system are sharing the same rules of engagement. So we would have one nexus agency (we space ) that would link to a local economic structure which would be part of a larger nexus agency/ functional fit allowing the population to move around from one community to another. The would see each smaller community/ economic system being part of a wider community/ economic system.

Gary

Comment by David Eggleton on December 1, 2011 at 11:54am

What if the 'We' space was a great number of local economies?

Comment by David Eggleton on November 30, 2011 at 7:42pm

That's helpful.  Thank you, Gary.

Comment by Gary Hawke on November 30, 2011 at 5:51pm

Hi David

Thanks for joining the group - let me offer the rational for the group. Last Saturday I ran an Integral session at the Occupy Sun Building in London, one issue that was raised by the group was how do we created a shared meaning amongst all the voices within the movement. I offered that Integral Theory might have an approach that could offer a way of supporting the creation of a shared meaning. It was then suggested that setting up a group within the cafe would give people a chance to explore a shared meaning and also provide a space for people with an interest in Integral Theory to share ideas. So in a way this group is not different from the cafe but understands that the cafe is about the creation of a cultural social space, one in which Integral Theory has, I believe, a voice to offer at the table in which it sits. 

So using Integral Theory I am not really able to offer much about the Base (production) as I do not feel really qualified to speak into the space but the superstructure that drives our desire for consumption I might be able to speak too. If we recognise that what drives an element of culture is how we consume and that the base responds to that need, our culture has been meditated to change a want/desire into a need, then we need to change some of the superstructure rituals that have been created around what it means to be happy and content, fame, money, success, that latest iPad

If we recognise not just the shared commons of our local community but that we are also part of the eco noetic community across the world and that we worked towards the share ecologic of all being content, happy and free, and that this ritual was expressed by all, then as the base response to the need of the superstructure we move to a more ecological sound life world for all.

Now I understand that this might be an emergence that goes well beyond what we are able to achieve now, but if we do not start laying down the grove we will not change.

I was at the London UK demonstration today, and that one thing I wanted was one voice but this did not happen, what I witnesses was many voice being drowned out by each other, and the police helicopters being the dominate sound. Imagine what would have happen if thousands of people were singing the same song each one recognising that within that song their activism is being heard, that would be a message to the UK government. As it is both the media and the government can pull out the voices they want to highlight the “anarchist” the “hoodie” the one looking like “Guy Fawkes”.

So this group is a small space, in which people that want to, chat and discuss and create a new ritual.

Gary

 

Comment by David Eggleton on November 30, 2011 at 1:37pm

How is this group space different from the whole Occupy Cafe site?

As we achieve the new way of being, what becomes of production and consumption?