Crossing Nebraska

  I’ve discussed a wide range of power abuses in this series so far, from those threatening our democracy to the inherent violence of leaf blowers! Whether world-changing or seemingly inconsequential, we all have at least some power. And I suspect we all end up abusing it from time to time. Thus, I’d like to focus on some very ordinary abuses of power for a bit. I’ll kick things off by focusing on one of my own. Before I begin, though, let me state that this story does not involve anyone I’m currently connected with in any way—in person or on any social media platform. Here goes: I was never a free-wheeling bachelor by any stretch of the imagination. However, I did engage in premarital sex in a manner that I considered safe, ethical, and loving. For me that meant not dating more than one person at a time and not having sex with anyone I wasn’t in love with and at least thinking about marrying. It was an ethic that I had no difficulty abiding by—for about the first half of my li...

The news is maddening and demoralizing. Modern life is hectic and stressful. Remaining engaged requires effort, and it's quite often frustrating, disappointing, and maybe even dangerous. Oh, to simply withdraw into the forest and leave it all behind! The archetype of the renunciant is a powerful one, isn’t it? The idea of leaving our worldly cares behind—our possessions and our problems—to simply walk off into the forest or up into a mountain cave has such romantic appeal, doesn’t it? We could meditate…, do yoga…, connect with nature… We’d likely eat healthier food, lose weight, and get in great shape. But maybe it’s what we wouldn’t do that’s most appealing. And, oh, that list is long! Oh, to just keep walking!   We tend to equate such endeavors with extraordinary spiritual resolve and attainment of some sort, be it wisdom, enlightenment, or liberation. But what really motivates us to want to retreat in such a way? Is the urge born of some so-called “true self” desire to atta...

  In Looking at Power Through an Integral Lens , I reflected on a couple of experiences I’d had in religious communities using the stage theory of consciousness development furthered by Ken Wilber in, for example, Wilber (2007). In both cases, if my assessment is correct, potential conflict arose due to one party or parties being at one stage, mythic , for instance, and another party or parties being at another, say, rational . At the close of that post, I raised the question as to whether we might benefit from looking at our current political climate through such a lens. Obviously, I think the answer is yes! Let’s back up for a moment. The Integral theory of the development of consciousness posits that our consciousness matures through various stages: archaic, magic, magic-mythic, mythic, rational, postmodern, etc. I think it’s safe to say that the vast majority of adults in the U.S. are either at the mythic stage (veering toward group conformity, traditionalism, and black and ...