Theme:
Integral
What is meant by the term "integral"?
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In the foreign word book of Duden [1] the term "integral" is defined as "a whole forming" and "standing for itself" (translated by author).
Already Jean Gebser a researcher in the area of the consciousness development called the most advanced level as „integral“ ([2]/Fig.17).
Particularly due to the work of Ken Wilber [2], [3] this term in the last years still continues becoming admit to the public. Pushed by his model "AQAL" a world-wide integral movement has developed.
For me the term means the integration of joining any aspect together to a holistic perspective, leading the individual correct aspects of this perspectives to an understandable whole one.
Therefore I think, the spiral is a suitable metaphor, because she encloses the past inside with each ring, the internal parts contain to further-grow and she continues to expand into a freedom at infinity. Within the spiral someone cannot recognize this however. There someone recognizes only its own ring and the close surrounding area. Only in the distance with a relative, integral perspective from the outside this structure and development can be seen.
It has been my experience, that an integral perspective on life, which the science prefers to divide into different departments, in me again and again recognitions with an interdisciplinary perspective reappear. The following chapters show this resulting in the models and practices.
It should be noted, that models are basically only a simplistic tool, and by itself are not the entire reality. It is therefore recommended, to use them in the attitude of love and humor to others and oneselves.
After the basic integral models and a summary are following chapters, that provide spiritual & psychological approaches and tools for an integrated life practice, and above all an optimized form of meditation, named by myself "Integral Contemplation", is to be mentioned. But also other topics will be constantly added, so that this homepage will grow and evolve.