The Alchemy of Awareness by Terry Findlay - HTML preview

Where Are We?

It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.

W.Edwards Deming

Information is not knowledge, knowledge is not wisdom, and wisdom is not foresight. But information is the first essential step to all of these.

Arthur C. Clarke

Now that our tour of the Levels of Awareness is complete we have an understanding of the levels that an individual may potentially progress through in her lifetime. However, as mentioned earlier, not everyone reaches the same awareness level by the end of their lives. Some people achieve a greater degree of freedom than others. People at different Levels of Awareness are driven by different unconscious forces. As a result it is no wonder that many people just canʼt seem to see eye to eye and that serious conflicts between individuals and groups are so prevalent. Exacerbating these discrepancies in Levels of Awareness are the unique demands of our age. As citizens in a post modern world we encounter a variety of daily demands that are unique to our time.

As Robert Kegan has pointed out in his book “In Over Our Heads”, meeting the demands of our complex world requires something more than the mastery of new skills or the acquisition of yet more knowledge. Our post modern world demands a higher level of awareness than that which has been achieved by the majority of the population of the world within their individual lifetimes. Collectively, we are truly in over our heads. The average Level of Awareness of our species is inadequate to deal with the demands and challenges of our increasingly complex world.

The question is can we do anything about this situation? To answer this question we need to know two things.

1. Where are we now as a general population in terms of the Levels of Awareness?

2. What Level of Awareness is required to meet the demands of our world?

There is some urgency to these questions. Our survival as a species may well hinge on what we discover in answering these questions. We must hope that the gap between where we are and where we need to be, in order to deal effectively with the many forms of intolerance currently infesting our world, is not insurmountable.

Where Are We Now?

There are at least two ways of determining what Level of Awareness most people have achieved. We can look at the most serious problems facing us today in the world and attempt to correlate them to problems associated with one or more Levels of Awareness. Alternatively, we can survey sample populations in an effort to gauge the Levels of Awareness of those surveyed.

Each of level of awareness houses its own potential problems. The chart below identifies the most prevalent conflict type for each level.

The type of conflict at a given level is related to the basis for an individualʼs identity at that level of awareness. Depending on the type of identity a corresponding disregard for rights and opinions arises. When conflicts erupt individuals direct their aggressions against the enemy that is consistent with their own level of awareness.

Taking World War II as an example conflict we can see how individuals at levels 2, 3, and 4 might perceive their involvement.

Level 2 Awareness: Aggression would be primarily directed against individual soldiers seen as having different selves like “Germans” or “Japanese”.

Level 3 Awareness: Aggression would be primarily directed against groups of differing ideologies like “Nazis” or “Fascists”.

Level 4 Awareness: Aggression would be primarily directed against institutional competitors like “Germany” or “Japan”.

Of course this is a gross over-simplification designed to emphasize stereotypical sketches of how the different levels of awareness may influence the ways in which individuals perceive the world in a particular situations. In the real world most people would not fall neatly into one level of awareness or another. There would be aspects of two or more levels of awareness at work at any given time. Even so we see that in war, at least, several levels of awareness may be at work at the same time. Similar analyses of global issues such as human rights violations and climate change will, no doubt, reveal that there is not just one level of awareness creating the problem. World problems tend to stem from the actions of individuals at several distinct awareness levels.

While there may be differing opinions concerning which specific problems are most serious and what level of awareness is responsible for them there may be a greater degree of consensus regarding the general characteristics of problems plaguing our world today. One such characteristic is intolerance. The problem of intolerance is at the root of several of the most urgent issues we see in our world; war, violence, prejudice, ideological conflicts (religious and political) and more. The manifestations of intolerance are many and varied and it seems an appropriate candidate to use in exploring how different Levels of Awareness might contribute to world problems. If we refer back to the problems associated with the different Levels of Awareness we find that intolerance of some kind appears at levels 2, 3, and 4. At level 2 individuals may be intolerant of the needs of others since they are driven to satisfy their own needs and desires. At level 3 groups of individuals may be intolerant of the activities and ideas embodied in other groups. This intolerance of other groups can extend from small family groups and peer groups all the way to large groups such as cultures and nations. At level 4 individuals may express intolerance regarding the opinions and evaluations of competitors. Justice to one level 4 institution may conflict with that of another level 4 institution and since there are no absolute standards to determine right from wrong, each group will feel a kind of righteous justification for their position.

Since we do, in fact, see many examples of the expected forms of intolerance in todayʼs world, it seems probable that many of us are operating somewhere in level 2, 3, or 4 awareness. Unfortunately, this method of identifying common levels of awareness does not give us any clear or focused picture of how these levels are distributed in the general population. We do not know if the majority of us are at level 2, 3, or 4. This is crucial information if we are to attempt to find workable solutions. We want to know where we are relative to where we need to be in terms of the Level of Awareness that might provide an ability to mitigate our all too real global challenges. For this we must turn to population surveys.

Robert Kegan and others have conducted a number of population surveys. According to these surveys the adult population is distributed over levels 2, 3, and 4 as we suspected. The proportions are not precise but they are revealing.

© Berger, Hasegawa, Hammerman, & Kegan 2007 All Rights Reserved 1

How Consciousness Develops Adequate Complexity to Deal With a Complex World: The Subject-Object Theory of Robert Kegan

In an interview published in What is Enlightenment? magazine Dr. Kegan, referring to what he calls “orders of consciousness” (roughly corresponding to the Levels of Awareness) stated,

“...the data across a number of studies suggest that a majority of even well- advantaged, well-positioned adults haven't yet reached even the self- authoring mind, fourth order consciousness [similar to the fourth level of awareness]. This means that they do not have the capacities that would enable them to thrive within today's increasingly pluralistic world that requires individuals to exercise a kind of authority that, throughout human history, human beings have never had to do. In fact, pooling lots of different studies, we found that 58 percent of a composite sample of people, who were middle- class and most likely had the great advantages, had not reached the self- authoring level...”

Whatever the actual figures may be it would appear that a large proportion of us are either at the third or fourth Level of Awareness. An important consideration not shown in this data but reported by Dr. Kegan, is that the transition, if it occurs at all, from level 3 to 4 typically takes place somewhere between the ages of 25 to 55.

No matter how you slice it there is a significant number of us operating at Level 3 awareness. It may be that Level 4 individuals will be more successful in surviving the “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” and in dealing with global concerns than those at Level 3. It makes sense, then, to make every effort to assist anyone with Level 3 awareness in making the transition to Level 4. Dr. Kegan says,

“Thereʼs a tremendous power in the move from the third [order of consciousness] to the fourth order [of consciousness]. In the history of humankind, itʼs only been in the last little blip of human history that so many persons have been able to even pierce beyond the third order. They are actually able to stand back from their own cultural surroundings and look at the nature of these arrangements and make decisions about whether this is what itʼs going to mean to them to be a member of this tribe or to live their life in this way. Itʼs essentially the transformation into what we today call modernism.”

But there is a hint of a bigger problem here. If level 4 is the level of modernism it may still not be a sufficiently high Level of Awareness to deal with our post-modern world. Of course, it will be more effective than Level 3 awareness and so the more individuals that we find arriving at this level of awareness the more encouraged we can be. It is Robert Keganʼs belief that there is a trend in this direction.

Read an interview with Robert Kegan: How the Self Evolves

But does Level 4 supply the awareness necessary to meet our current challenges? When we examine the possible problems that can occur at Level 4 we find that many forms of intolerance and aggressive tendencies are still prevalent. Individuals and groups of individuals with Level 4 awareness, because of their focus on status, may become excessively ambitious and competitive. They may, in their ambitions, dismiss the needs and opinions of others. They may disregard environmental concerns. In addition, one of the trends in affluent countries is a growing chasm between the poor and the well to do. Personal gain seems to be more of a motivation than mutual well- being.

Compassion, an antidote to intolerance, is the hallmark of Level 5 awareness. It would appear that if we are to survive the global challenges we face including the widespread issues such as environmental degradation and ideological intolerance we must learn what it means to become a level 5 citizen of the world and make that a priority for ourselves and our species. We will be examining evidence indicating that there is currently movement in this direction later in the book. After all, the levels of awareness present not only a picture of who we are but a vision of who we might become on both an individual level and as a species.

Getting There

Let no one be discouraged by the belief that there is nothing one man or one woman can do against the enormous array of the world's ills -- against misery and ignorance, injustice and violence... Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation...

It is from the numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man (or a woman) stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he (or she) sends a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.

Robert Francis Kennedy

We have defined our problem. We are “in over our heads”. The challenges of the modern world are more than our current collective levels of awareness are capable of handling. The solutions we need will not be available to us until a significant portion of the population reaches level 5 awareness.

Are we then doomed to an inevitable collapse of our social structures. Will we some day soon be living in the dystopian world portrayed in post apocalyptic fiction? I submit that without an increased global awareness of our present predicament and its root causes we are in danger of some kind of eventual social breakdown. Of course, we could get lucky and things might work out favorably on their own. But is this a risk we are willing to take? If we are to survive the twenty-first century it would behoove us to leave as little to chance as possible and to do whatever might be done to move our population in the direction of increased awareness.

Getting From Where We Are to Where We Need to Be

How then, might we move toward a level 5 world? It seems a daunting if necessary task. But if it is necessary we must not be dissuaded by its difficulty. We must do more than hope that things will just work out for the better. We have seen that, left to our own devices a too many of us will fail to arrive at level 5 awareness in our lifetimes.

Is There A Shortcut?

In our analysis of where we are on the Levels of Awareness continuum we found that many of us are at Level 3 or Level 4. However, to solve the issues related to the serious global concerns we now face we cannot count on Level 4 awareness to be sufficient. Too many problems are commensurate with Level 4 mentality. To move beyond our widespread global problems a Level 5 awareness will be needed. It would therefore be encouraging if we could discover some sort of shortcut from level 3 awareness directly to level 5 awareness and thereby enable individuals to skip level 4 altogether.

Unfortunately, such shortcuts are not possible in the evolution of awareness. Evolution does not work this way. One evolutionary stage must follow another in a step by step progression. There can be no butterflies without there first being caterpillars and a the all important transitional phase from caterpillar to the butterfly. Letʼs review what a transition from one level of awareness to another entails. Movement to a higher level involves the transcending of an unconscious drive that is the essence of the self at the lower level. You must become the driving essence at each level before you can transcend it. You cannot transcend the Level 3 drive to connect unless you first become that drive. Once that self, whose essence is the drive to connect, has come into being the possibility of its transcendence exists, but not before.

One Step At A Time

But before we despair, all is not lost. It may be that if individuals now operating at Level 3 can be helped to achieve Level 4 awareness and those at Level 4 can be assisted in moving up to Level 5, a momentum might be established that would be sufficient to bring about the changes we so desperately need to save ourselves from the consequences of our insufficient maturity and inadequate levels of awareness.

Moreover, and even more encouragingly, many level 5 initiatives already exist, as we will be discussing shortly. There is evidence that level 5 activity is gathering momentum throughout the world. This is good news for those of us making our ways through level 3 and level 4 awareness. Although we cannot sidestep the lessons we need to learn as we progress through the levels of awareness, there is nothing stopping any of us from getting involved right now in the level 5 activities going on all around us.

Resistance to Transition

The natural dynamic behind transitions between levels is conflict between an individualʼs challenges and the unconscious drives of his or her present level of awareness. Periods of transition are often periods of intense insecurity, even deep psychological distress. A transition may take years to run its course and high levels of anxiety and depression may come and go during these periods. When the equilibrium established at a level of awareness is sufficiently disturbed an individual is forced, often against his or her will, to re-examine his or her world view and to look beyond it for a wider perspective in which the conflict that is disturbing the current equilibrium may be resolved. The conflict must be intense enough to motivate an individual to undertake the often protracted, painful and difficult work necessary to make the transition to the next level. Unfortunately, but quite naturally, each level of awareness has a degree of internal resiliency that often allows us to weather minor disruptions to the equilibrium of that level. Robert Kegan uses the term “immunity” to refer to our natural tendency to withstand and resist change.

It should also be noted that if an individual has been particularly successful at achieving the imperatives of a certain level that person may be all the more resistant to moving beyond that level of awareness. For example, if a person has achieved a high degree of popularity (a level 3 success) that person would be unlikely to be moved to undertake the work of making a transition to level 4. In this way success at one level can prove to be an impediment to moving beyond that level.

Prerequisites to Transition

If an individual is to make a transition from one level to the next there must be a high level of disenchantment with the current level of awareness. It must be plainly felt to no longer be working. In addition there needs to be a willingness to experience whatever pain is necessary to engage in the process of transitioning for as long as it takes. It has been said that we donʼt change unless the pain of not changing outweighs than the pain of making a change.

In addition to a readiness for change there needs to also be a significant level of commitment, a willingness to persevere over an extended period. How extended? This will depend on the specific situation of the individual. I donʼt know of any rule of thumb or any method of predicting the length of time that a particular transition will require. We do know, however, that naturally occurring transitions are not typically short term undertakings. Often months or years may pass during  a transition.

Aids to Transition

It is hoped that this book can serve as a supportive resource for individuals encountering the pain of a serious conflict at their current level of awareness. One way it might do so is by helping to provide individuals with a clear understanding of their current predicament within a level of awareness. This knowledge could strengthen an individualʼs resolve to undertake the process of transition. In addition, knowledge of the next level of awareness and its power to resolve current distress may serve to support an individual in the process of transition. In other words, it might provide a kind of transitional roadmap.

Reaching The Limit

Just as with individuals, as a group we will need to feel sufficient collective discomfort at the current state of affairs before we will be moved to pursue a new perspective. Distressing as they are, events like the war in Iraq and the conflict in Afghanistan and their attendant atrocities may actually provide motivation for change. As lives of excess take their toll on celebrities and political leaders are found to be less than trustworthy the emptiness of the pursuit of status (level 4 awareness) becomes glaringly obvious. There is an ongoing and increasingly real concern over the spread of nuclear capability in the third world. Global communications bring the violence of ideological conflicts from around the world into our living rooms. The obvious costs of the various forms of intolerance are pilling up daily. It may be that groups of people around the world are, one by one, reaching their separate breaking points; a kind of collective nervous breakdown. If this is already happening it is possible there could be, at this moment, a kind of viral ground swell of a felt need for global change spreading throughout the world. Indeed, on an individual level and in communities scattered around the world there are many who have already begun to search for, experiment with, and implement ways of building a better world. It is initiatives being undertaken by such individuals and groups of dedicated people involved in causes about which they are passionate that are moving us in a hopeful direction. We will have more to say about this later in the book.

Preparing The Way

If there is to be the kind of worldwide evolution of awareness that is becoming more and more a matter of necessity, there will need to be a concerted and widespread campaign to alert people of the hope offered by a raising of their individual and collective levels of awareness, so that, if and when they reach the limit of their tolerance for the way things are in their personal lives or in the world in general they will have a possible roadmap of transformation at hand.

Hopefully, the material in this book will provide an introduction to a process that could eventually lead to real and lasting change in the way things are; moving from a world of rife with the ravages of ignorance and intolerance to one of greater tolerance for diversity and increased appreciation for the differences that make up the incredible tapestry of humankind; a world of greater and sufficient wisdom.

Facilitating Transitions

Some of what follows in this section is theoretical but it has been constructed to be logically consistent with the research sources referred to throughout this book.

The strategies that follow apply to transitions between any two levels.

Facing: It would seem at first that there is nothing anyone could or should do to encourage disillusionment. In fact, to do so would seem almost cruel. But, if an individual is to rise above the pain related to a given level of awareness, whatever can be done to help him or her face his or her problems would be, in fact, a kindness. As mentioned earlier, there is a natural tendency to avoid and resist change and this includes avoiding problems rather than facing them. If we can ignore a problem it will not help us see that what we are doing is not working. Individuals need to be encouraged to face their problems squarely. A fool who persists in his or her folly may eventually recognize it as folly. It must become sufficiently obvious that what is being done is not working and a change is required to overcome the felt distress. There must be a sufficient level of disillusionment with the coping strategies available to the individual at his or her present level of awareness.

Clarification: When an individual is going through the Assessment stage of transition the clarification of the approaches that that are not working could be helpful. If the person can identify and attend to his or her disfunctional behaviors he or she is more likely to willingly give them up as the ineffective approaches to solving his problems that they really are. Possible level specific problem approaches are listed in the chapters for each level of awareness.

Alternatives: Typically, trial and error is the default method of searching for more successful approaches to solving an individualʼs level related problems. This is a very time consuming process prone to many discouraging failures. It would be helpful if individuals had access to tried and true alternatives that they could implement more readily. Transition specific approaches are suggested in the chapters dealing with each specific levels.

Illumination: As successful approaches are discovered and a new self is gradually constructed more and more of the previous self will be illuminated. More and more of what was subject will become object and, as such, available for use in making choices and decisions. Focusing on these newly revealed objects of thought could help speed up the completion of the transitional process because awareness of them makes the possibility of falling back into old habits less of an issue.

How to Proceed

At this point it is essential to remember what has been said about the need to progress one level at a time. There are no shortcuts through the levels of awareness. Each level must be personally experienced and each transition must be personally won.

The important thing is to recognize where you are and proceed from there. When you are ready to make a transition going over the material presented in this book that is related to your particular transition may prove helpful. However, since each person is unique it is unlikely that everything you need to go through to make a real transition from your level of awareness to the next level will be covered in this book. It will be important to reach out other resources as required. Making a transition is seldom a simple undertaking but it need not be a lonely one. There are trained professionals, public services, and support organizations available.

The Necessity of Drives

When a transition is made from one level to another the drive of the lower level is not forever annihilated. It is just that what was an