16 Feb Early stages of vertical development
Vertical development and raising our level of consciousness may seem very mystical and otherworldly. It may feel this way until we consider that we have all been advancing vertically since our infancy (in this post I will be using Ken Wilber’s stages of consciousness).
At first we discover our Physical-Self around the age of one. A whole new world opens up to us and we explore it mostly through the sensations we experience in our bodies. Then around 2-3 years of age we discover the Emotional-Self. We become aware that what we are currently feeling may not be what other people are feeling and that we have our own unique emotional life.
At 3-6 years old we reach the Conceptual-Self and start to get a basic grip on conceptual thoughts and ideas and we start to rapidly learn our native language. At 6-9 years we learn the rules, appropriate behaviour and we start to absorb the mores and values of our culture. We also start role playing, doctors and nurses, cops and robbers etc, in order to rehearse how to behave in each role. This stage is know as the Concrete-Self and it where most adults will spend the majority of their life.
At 9-14 years of age we enter the Transpersonal-Self. At this stage we start to question all the rules. We want explanations before we are convinced. We start asking the big questions, who am I?, what is the purpose and meaning of my life?, What is my place in the world, society and nature? How can I best make a difference? We may start to become interested in philosophy,politics, psychology, sacred texts and high culture in order to find the best answers that others before us have come up with.
This process of Self-study devoted to raising consciousness is know in Yoga as Swadhyaya. Many of us will take our first baby steps at practicing swadhyaya in our teenage years, but as soon as we finish our studies, at school or university, we go out into society to find a job and a place to live and our concerns change. Our mind worries about finding rent money, paying the mortgage, being able to prove we will be a good employee, a good flat mate. All the expectations and values of society impose themselves and we drop back down to the concrete self. We worry about the rules and about playing our role correctly.
We get our heads down and work hard and in return is the promise of a several nice houses, flash cars, luxury holidays, the respect and admiration of our peers, an impressive spouse and adorable children all of which when obtained will lead to us being happy ever after. If we have nice things and your not happy, then we are being unreasonable, there must be something wrong with us. All that matters is what we do and what we own.
When the “Disease of Meaning” starts to demand we “wake up” none of the conventional sources of happiness will cure us.
More coming soon!
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