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Writer's pictureFred Day

Integral Theory: Stages of Development

Updated: Feb 16


 

Intro to Integral Theory


In this article, I want to focus on a specific, very foundational aspect of Integral Theory, that is, stage development and 'stages'.

It is first off very important to note that an understanding of this will be important for following some of the future content I will be putting out & the approaches I have towards the work I do, which is bodywork and body-based practices.



Integral Theory (created by philosopher, Ken Wilber) aims to integrate all theories and philosophies throughout the history of mankind and across all cultures. It is termed 'a theory of everything', and asks: How do all these practices & philosophies fit together? It serves as a map linking all disciplines and philosophies in 'sweeping generalizations' and works on the basis that there must be at least a kernel of truth in all theories preposed, disciplines & world-views.


It also sees the importance of both spiritual and psychological growth and recognizes the dangers of neglecting one at the expense of the other, which sadly happens all-too often in new-age spiritual scenes, (a topic on which i will write at a later date).


One of the primary developmental models it borrows from is 'Spiral Dynamics' created by Graves, Beck and Cowan, a model which identifies various stages of development occurring on both the individual and collective/societal level.


What then, do we mean by, 'stages of development'? Well, to put it crudely, it is clear that a 1-year old is at a different stage of development that a 21-year old. Today's modern capitalist society is at a different stage of development from hunter gather tribes 10,000 years ago. Both collectively and individually, we can recognize predictable stages of development.



As for stages of development on the spiritual side, that comes down to how much you believe in different levels of conscious evolution and spiritual growth, or whether you think it's all "hocus-pocus woo-woo"...



It's really important to note that Integral Theory does not purport itself as some godly truth, instead offers itself merely as a map - and not the territory. So, don't take it absolutely and dogmatically. There's a lot of nuance, but when applied it is very helpful and makes a lot of sense, as it allows us to navigate collective and individual psychology (as maps intend to do).



So, there are 8 stages, each color coded, and split into two tiers: stages 1-6 are tier 1, stages 7 & 8 are tier two (which I will explain more in depth later on in this article).



There is also both horizontal & vertical growth with stages: vertical is development through the various stages; horizontal is development within a particular stage.



Stages are defined by values systems and worldviews. In effect, they are experienced as different realities. The value systems of each stage can be seen as being orientated towards the collective or towards the individual, and this orientation switches between the stages. In some ways, the stages can also be categorized as having more yin, or more yang characteristics.



A person or society will actually have all stages in them, but will tend to gravitate to one. That is, a person or society will be primarily built upon and act from one value system / worldview. However, the stages are not mutually exclusive: they are built upon one another and therefore you can't jump through any stage.



There are healthy and unhealthy (toxic) manifestations of each stage. Toxic manifestations happen when one goes overboard on this value system. We see this happen in the demise of eras, tyranny and the collapse of civilizations.



As we develop, we upgrade to a new reality: a new set of values and a new worldview (this is vertical growth). This happens when a stage is lived out to its zenith / to excess, and then its limitations and dysfunctionality are made apparent.



To clarify, we can't grow into another stage until we learn the ceilings of the current stage; we realize that operating from the values of that stage no longer serve us. At this point, theres a reflection, reevaluation & reorientation. Again, this happens on both the individual and collective level.



So, let's look at the stages of Tier 1...



Tier 1 Stages


Stage 1 / Beige

  • Ages 0-1 on individual level

  • All about doing what needs to be done for physical survival

  • Basic primal needs: food, warmth, reproduction, shelter

Stage 2 / Purple

  • Ages 1-3 on individual level

  • Interpersonal relationship w/ mother

  • Emotional development: self- boundaries, awareness of the other's different subject reality, feelings, attachment

Stage 3 / Red

  • Ages 3-7 on individual level

  • Psychodynamics: brother, sister, dad, mum

  • Ego-centric (more masculine based here)

  • Impulsive behavior

  • Chaos

  • Domination

  • Power-orientated, ruthless and bloody

  • Warlord stage in human history / dark-ages

  • Drug cartels in today's world

Stage 4 / Blue

  • Ages 7-12/14 on individual level

  • Learn self-control + control of society: obeying laws

  • Delayed gratification & control

  • Following order, rules + authority

  • Thinking in structures

  • Organization

  • Hierarchy

  • Take what is prescribed

  • Repression of sex

  • Form + control of the body (body is seen as the enemy after coming out of the chaos of stage 3)

  • Restrictions

  • Feelings not prioritized,

  • Religious dogma

  • Hierarchies

  • Conservative

  • Good + moral values to be upheld

  • Dutiful

  • State-focused / ethno-centric (in this sense it is collective orientated, and thereby can be regarded as being more feminine / yin)

  • Rigid

  • Nazism is an example of stage blue going overboard, reaching its zenith and ushering a new stage on the collective level

Stage 5 / Orange

  • 14-21 on individual level (although, up until today's world, most don't ever fully develop into or past this stage)

  • Rational, logical, science

  • Cartesian view of the world → body disvalued compared with the mind

  • Competition

  • Individualism

  • Materialistic

  • Still ethno-centric

  • Success & progress orientated (→ here, can be categorized as being more masculine / yang in quality)

  • Industrial

  • Neo-liberalism

  • Modernity

  • Body seen as an object / as a means to an end

  • This is where today's society is mostly gravitated: living for materialism, at war with both stage blue and green (which i come onto now...)

  • People having burn outs at work, working 50+ hour week is an example of stage orange going over board.

  • I believe we're experiencing the collapse of stage orange at a collective, societal level, and are experience a gradual shift into stage green at a collective level.

Stage 6 / Green

  • From 60s onwards with hippies and counter-culture movement.

  • Post-modernism (no right, no wrong, no hierarchal truth)

  • Pluralism

  • Human rights

  • Social justice

  • Creation of caring communities

  • Reclaiming soul / body

  • Widening relationships

  • Feelings are prioritized (→ here can be seen to be more feminine / yin based)

  • Recognition for spiritual growth

  • New-age

  • Experience over achievement

  • Left + socialism → equlaity

  • Environmentalism: world-centric

  • Anti-oppression

  • Mutliculturalism

  • Post-colonialism

  • Antifa

  • Academia currently gravitated to stage green

  • Progressivism (but different from individual, material based progressivism of stage orange)

  • A toxic manifestation of stage green: An ineffective activist who isn't able to keep track of their finances and has to borrow from everyone else.


Tier 2 Stages


When you look at other stages from the perspective of your stage, their values and worldviews tend to seem abhorrent: you ridicule them and see them as a danger to your own current value system (this happens in the case of progressives vs. conservatives).



You ultimately attempt to dis-identify and transcend the values of lower stages. However, one must in fact acknowledge these values in themselves and integrate them.



This is a shift to tier two: a recognition of the necessity and value of all stages, and their contexts. Because all stages are necessary, they are built upon one another. As mentioned, once on stage has reached its zenith, then emerges the next. You can't bypass any stage, they must be developed consecutively in healthy ways.



For example: to get a healthy green stage, you need it built upon a healthy orange stage, which is build on a healthy blue, etc. Otherwise come many troubles with trying to embody the values of one stage without having integrating the values of the stages beforehand.



As noted, you then get the passionate leftist activist who hasn't learnt the lesson of structure and discipline, and is then remains ineffective in their cause. This is a dysfunctional higher stage development, which having not integrated the values and worldviews of the previous stages, in facts aim to dismiss those values of the lower stages (rather than building upon them).



When looking at the rhetoric of stage green, often it sees itself to be the all-accomodating stage, hyper tolerant, yet will reject the values and worldviews of stage blue and stage orange, which is kind of contradictory.



Therefore, tier two is categorized by flexibility in taking perspectives and a recognition of the necessity to integrate all stages of development. It is stage that is the greater than the sum of its parts (value systems of prior stages).



Let's have a look at the characteristics, aims and values of these two tier two stages...



Stage 7 / Yellow

  • integral

  • meshworks

  • interlocking dynamics systems

  • head and heart utilized together

  • higher level of sense of self

  • aims to protect the survival of human species (still world centric)

  • acceptance of healthy hierarchies

  • transpersonal consciousness

  • flexible perspective taking

  • increase in cognitive complexity

  • increase in emotional and spiritual intelligence

  • works at finding creative solutions that address multiple stages of development

  • acceptance that change is the norm

  • acceptance of uncertainty


Stage 8 / Turquoise

  • collective individualism

  • ecology of perspectives

  • deep experience of oneness

  • aim to restore joy and thriving to all stages of development

  • works with intuitive knowing, paradoxes and multaries

  • power is expressed through presence and radiance

  • profound stable connection to all that is

  • kosmo-centric

  • collective intelligence

  • interconnectedness



Again, this is a foundational lens through which we can begin to look at the world in a more holistic and integral perspective. I hope this will serve as a useful way of looking at things and gaining a deeper understanding of the dynamics of reality.



I will be applying this lens to some of the work I do, including embodiment practices, personal growth and even bodywork, so stay tuned for more! If you enjoyed this, please give it a share, that would mean a lot to me!



Thank you.

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