ON INTEGRITY

Integrity is a shared process.

Integrity is interrelational.

Integrity is contextual.

Integrity is integrating.

Integrity is unscripted.

Integrity is a kind of super-attention.

Integrity is watching for the cracks in what you thought you knew.

Integrity is willingness to learn together.

~ Nora Bateson

Integrity is an important word and concept. It is critically important in spiritual and religious circles. Without integrity there can be no real spiritual growth in an individual or group. You can say that integrity is integral to attaining true fulfillment as a spiritual student.

The revelation that spiritual guru Deepak Chopra is mentioned multiple times in the email files linked to the Jeffrey Epstein case is, at a minimum, disturbing (LINK). A deeper dive into the situation, including how often so-called spiritual celebrities have difficulty maintaining integrity is here (LINK).

“My intent is to be generous of spirit and live with total integrity every day of my life.”
~ Deepak Chopra

“There is no such thing as a minor lapse of integrity.”
~ Tom Peters

I have often considered some spiritual celebrities as conduits to New Thought for many people. Author Wayne Dyer was such a way shower for me, leading me to being open enough to explore the Science of Mind in the 1980’s. I am grateful for that, and for much of the wisdom that Dyer shared over the years, even though he had his own lapses of integrity, including this (LINK).

One of the most disturbing factors of the crimes associated with Jeffrey Epstein and his wide circle of influential friends and clients is the extent to which such horrific behavior went on and was widely known (and therefore condoned). The victims numbered in the hundreds, and almost all were children at the time. The perpetrators number in the dozens, perhaps even the hundreds, and include world and business leaders. What all of this says about our society is worthy of deep reflection.

But our own house in spirituality and religion is far from perfect. The victims of failures of integrity by religious leaders number in the millions. This has been compounded by the repeated failure of those responsible to demand accountability by transgressors. And even when accountability has occurred, the results are often kept confidential allowing the perpetrators to relocate and offend again. Such violations of trust drive people from spiritual communities.

“As long as you have certain desires about how it ought to be you can’t see how it is.”
~ Ram Dass

We in spiritual communities and organizations have an interest in thinking of ourselves as good people, and we have an interest in being spiritual, which often means to be “nice,” no matter what. I have seen spiritual leaders who were toxic (LINK) protected by congregants, boards, and organizations. This was done for reasons including personal loyalty, a desire not to have a scandal revealed, or a sense that accusations must be proven beyond a doubt.

We in New Thought are nice people as a rule. We tend to think that we live in a friendly, even moral, universe and that people are basically good. We often pay a severe price for these beliefs.

“The opposite of reflexive niceness is integrity.”
~ James Hollis, Jungian analyst

Let’s look at these beliefs:

Our universe is not friendly or moral. It is evolutionary and amoral. We exist in our current forms because of violent collisions of planets, stars, and galaxies which allowed more complex elements to be formed and spread over wide distances. We exist in our current forms because of biological evolution, whose processes toward greater complexity and adaptation have resulted in the extinction of over 99% of all the species which have existed on earth. And we know that we are a transitional species, just as all others are; we will either evolve to more complex and well-adapted beings or become extinct as an evolutionary dead-end. Evolution is careless of the individual and of the species by nature.

Morality does not appear in our universe except as a human invention. Other species may and do cooperate, but they do so as a survival mechanism. Humans are capable of moral thought and actions, but it is something which must be learned and reinforced in the social structures around us. It too, is an evolutionary adaptation.

People have the capacity to be good and moral, but any number of things can limit that capacity, sometimes severely. We know scientifically that psychopaths have little or no ability for moral action or regret due to brain injuries, often occurring when in childhood. Research has shown that most psychopaths and sociopaths are incapable of regaining a sense of morality through any known treatments.

Of course, everyone who commits a violation of integrity does not have a physical condition limiting their capacity. In most cases, people simply decide to act out of integrity, usually by using rationalization. Everyone has done something out of integrity; most of us just about every day in some minor or significant way. It is important to remember that such actions are the result of a divided self, a self which is not integral.

Spiritual study and practices are in large part about realizing one’s wholeness, one’s integrity. To be in integrity means to be in your deepest truth. As that truth is realized more and more, it means to refuse to participate in behaviors which are out of integrity. It also means to speak out for integrity and justice and love in every community to which one belongs.

The Beloved Community does not tolerate behaviors which are out of integrity. Therefore, it requires people who are compassionate to fulfill their potential. We cannot be truly compassionate if we are out of integrity in our own lives; our communities cannot be compassionate if members are silent or complicit in behaviors which are out of integrity.

Our spiritual gurus know this yet often fail. We know this yet often fail. Our compassion is the only thing that can lead us to the realization of our true spiritual potential.

“Contradictions, whether personal or social, that could once remain hidden are coming unstoppably to light. It is getting harder to uphold a divided self….The trend toward transparency that is happening on the systems level is also happening in our personal relationships and within ourselves. Invisible inconsistencies, hiding, pretense, and self-deception show themselves as the light of attention turns inward….The exposure and clearing of hidden contradictions brings us to a higher degree of integrity, and frees up prodigious amounts of energy that had been consumed in the maintenance of illusions. What will our society be capable of, when we are no longer wallowing in pretense?”
~ Charles Eisenstein

Copyright 2025 – Jim Lockard

DO WE NEED A NEW DEFINITION OF GOD? PART 3

‎”I have treated many hundreds of patients. Among those in the second half of life – that is to say, over 35 – there has not been one whose problem in the last resort was not that of finding a spiritual outlook on life.”
~ C.G. Jung

Jungian psychology holds a key to understanding the metaphysics of New Thought Teachings. As noted in Part 1 (LINK) and Part 2 (LINK) of this series, it is understood that our psychological systems – mind, thoughts, feelings, ego, shadow, etc. – are our means of connecting to the Divine within.

It is at the Modernist-Orange stage of development that we begin to seek to know ourselves as individuals and to let go of being externally defined. The psychological aspects of New Thought, as unevenly taught and practiced as they may be, are what we have to work with to deepen how we actualize our spiritual nature and spiritual principles in our lives. Are we stuck in our fear-based ego self, or is our connection to our Higher Self open via alignment with our soul, self, and conscious awareness?

“Only a life lived in a certain spirit is worth living. It is a remarkable fact that a life lived entirely from the ego is dull not only for the person himself but for all concerned.”
~ C.G. Jung

When we have little or no awareness of our spiritual nature, or when we are stuck in rigid cultural or religious fundamentalism, our lives dry up. Our richness in spirit, when realized, allows the emergence of the God-qualities of Peace, Power, Beauty, Joy, Love, Light, and Wisdom from within us. We individuate (LINK), and through that process we become more capable of valuable contribution to the common good.

This takes lots of practice, and deep work to un-condition us from old and inaccurate programming. Learning how to recognize and accept one’s authenticity can be a difficult task for the New Thought student, and it is not something one masters in a short period of time.

“If the spirit is not being fed properly, with wisdom that has been cultivated with sensitivity and intelligence, it will devour fast food and eat junk. That is what fundamentalism is, in one respect: the junk food of the spirit.”
~ David Tacey 

“In narcissism, we strive to induce the ego, I, me, with the spirit of godliness, sanctifying the ego rather than sacrificing its superiority.”
~ Erel Shalit and Nancy Swift Furlotti,
The Human Soul (Lost) in Transition at the Dawn of a New Era

The founders of New Thought and the first several generations of ministers were operating from the Traditionalist-Blue and Modernist-Orange levels of human development. From Blue we get obedience to authority, loyalty, and an absolutist take on the teachings (something that Ernest Holmes, for one, warned against). From Blue we also get a sense of self-sacrifice to duty to whatever authority we have accepted or been born into (family, nation, church, political party, etc.)

From Orange, we get individualism, scientific rationalism, self-regard, competition, status- and wealth-seeking. During the first ¾ of the 20^th Century, New Thought ministers tended to be strict with their students and followed well-defined curricula in their teaching of Principle and the Law. Fewer students seeking credentials passed their exams and board interviews than is the case today. The focus of much of the teaching was individual success in areas of health, wealth, and creative self-expression.

Later in the 20^th Century, the Postmodernist-Green level emerged. Since New Thought attracted complex thinkers and people already centered at or moving into Orange, there were larger numbers ready to move to a Green center than in the general population. Like any such shift in a culture, it began slowly, with the “new ways” of those who had evolved into Green being seen as strange or “out of principle.” Over time, those new ways became more and more the norm – more ritual, a greater emphasis on feelings, more desire to form intimate community connections, and a desire to take our principles out into the world.

“The (Postmodernist-)GREEN stage of development is magnificent. It led us into the exploration of who we are, individually and collectively. It birthed psychology, anthropology and sociology. It began the dissolution of paralyzing (Traditionalist-)BLUE structures and countered the excessively materialistic (both financial and scientific) emphasis of the (Modernist-)ORANGE mind-set.
It taught us about diversity, inclusion and consensus. It cares about the environment and challenges materialist blind spots. GREEN is co-operative, team-oriented and accepting; it reawakens the human bonding that has been reduced in varying ways by all of the stages since (Tribalist-)PURPLE.”
~ Jon Freeman, Integral Leadership Review

Some other effects of this emergence in New Thought were a move toward less authoritarian leadership, greater diversity of course materials, less rigor in the content of class materials and student evaluations, a lower failure rate, and a larger embrace of ritual. All of this happened over a few decades and continues to unfold today. At Green, we become more sensitive to feelings and averse to disharmony – feeling right about something becomes more important than traditional ideas of success.

As I wrote in an earlier post (LINK): “The spiritual leader at Green will likely define herself as being ‘heart-centered,’ whereas the same person might have defined themselves as being more cerebral when centered at Orange. Another shift from Orange to Green values is a movement from the individualistic seeking of good to a more communal seeking of group intimacy. Spiritual communities centered at Orange will likely be larger, with a strong focus on prosperity, personal growth, and ‘church growth.’ With the transition to Green, the focus is more on community, on connection, and on church closeness. Diversity will also move to the forefront as a key value as Green emerges.”

Green values begin to go beyond the attachment to scientific rationality of Orange. This can open one to explore the greater mysteries of reality but can also lead to the kind of “magical thinking” prone to misinformation, conspiracy, and other false ideas – this is a shadow aspect of the Green stage.

As Green is a feelings-oriented stage of development, God becomes more accessible from a feeling perspective so a longing for a more personal connection is reborn. The writings of the founders are read differently here, they need to feel right, to bring meaning to one’s life, and to feel true. There is a greater emphasis on Love than Law. A heightened sensitivity to fairness and empathy emerges; where the idea of seeing oneself as a victim is seen negatively at Blue and Orange, at Green there is a growing awareness of systemic issues for which the individual is not responsible.

There is a greater desire to live spiritual principles as a true community – to take our teaching to the world, not in proselytizing sense, but by doing spiritually-motivated good works. Consensus is valued for governing bodies, such as boards or councils; decisions can take a long time because everyone should be consulted and everyone should feel right about decisions that are made.

Here is a link to other past posts on the blog about Postmodernist-Green and its impact on New Thought (LINK).

When centered at Green, God is more personal, more about feeling right, more about compassion and empathy. Green is a more complex level, so there is a greater capacity to see connections and linkages. At Green there is more curiosity about other faith traditions and how they link to New Thought. There is also a greater yearning for interfaith connections.

At Green, every voice must be heard and all opinions valued. There is a reluctance to dismiss other viewpoints or ideas. A greater variety of materials are brought into the curriculum and, in some cases, it becomes unclear just what the core theology of the spiritual community is. The desire is to be welcoming to all, and despite the desire to do more outreach there is a reluctance to engage in things deemed political or to disagree with the beliefs or practices of other faith traditions.

In Part 4, we will look at what is emerging in New Thought theology and how our broadening worldviews are shaping our definitions of God. We will also explore how God might be defined at the 2^nd Tier stages of the Spiral.

As always, your comments are welcomed. Feel free to share this and other posts with others who may be interested.

Copyright 2023 – Jim Lockard

REMINDER: I am offering this course of study to begin in November. There is an information call this Saturday, October 21st. For the link, email me at JimLockardTravels@jimlockard

THE CAPACITY FOR COMPLEXITY, PART 3

“Loyalty to petrified opinion never yet broke a chain or freed a human soul.”
~ Mark Twain

As noted in Part 1 (LINK), our brains and egos want things to be simple and expedient. We tend to resist a more complex approach if a simpler one looks possible. As noted in Part 2 (LINK), at the less complex stages on the spiral, our capability to understand complexity is less developed and our values systems tend to be more rigid in an either/or fashion. Complexity understood takes us into gray areas, areas of paradox, mystery, and relativism. A complex world demands more of me. If my capacity for complexity has not evolved beyond a lower level, I will constantly find myself falling behind and grow resentful and angry.

EXAMPLE:

SIMPLE = Merry Christmas or Happy Chanukkah – celebrating my own tradition (especially if it is the dominant one in my society)

COMPLEX = Happy Holidays – because there are multiple traditions celebrating at this time of year.

Those centered at Postmodernist-Green on the spiral are very complex thinkers, but being at 1^st Tier, fear is still integral to their way of being (this fear is largely dispelled when one moves to Integral-Yellow which is the initial 2^nd Tier stage). Green wants the world to be connected, intimate, egalitarian, and fair. Green is very connected to feelings – no one should be made to feel bad because of who they are. So, “political correctness” or “wokeness” (LINK) at Green means that we should not say or do things which cause people to feel diminished because of their identities – race, ethnicity, gender, etc.; or any physical or mental differences they may have – ableism, mental issues (LINK), etc. Green is strongly in the “Happy Holidays” celebrating all cultural expressions camp and will insist that everyone else should be there as well.

Being feelings-based, Green often expresses a positive desire for people to support one another more widely, which can make it difficult for some at Green to request or require accountability from others. The fear of upsetting someone can extend to include all aspects of upsetting or disappointing others. Where there is no accountability demanded, those with underdeveloped emotional intelligence can cause problems in families, groups, and organizations. This failure to demand accountability is an unhealthy expression of Green.

Green also tends to have a blind spot to Red impulsiveness and lack of conscience, so someone at Red (or unhealthy Orange, which expresses like Red in some ways) can create a good deal of havoc when those at Green are in charge. Additionally, those higher on the spiral who may have issues such as narcissism or sociopathy – both of which lack the capacity to feel remorse for harming others – will need healthy boundaries to be established and enforced by leadership.

“Sociopaths do not care about other people, and so do not miss them when they are alienated or gone, except as one might regret the absence of a useful appliance that one has somehow lost. . . . It is not that [the sociopath] fails to grasp the difference between good and bad; it is that the distinction fails to limit their behavior.”
~ Martha Stout (LINK)

The absence of feelings of intimacy and remorse which is intrinsic to Egotistic-Red and remains in those with sociopathy and/or narcissistic personality disorder often does not register with feelings-based Green. The main difference between someone centered at Red and someone higher on the spiral who is a sociopath is that the sociopath has a greater capacity for complexity of thought. Narcissists and sociopath often attain positions of leadership – on boards and in ministry – because they know how to manipulate the emotions of others. Those centered at Green, especially if they are insecure, are particularly prone to such manipulation.

“We are required to accept that there is no parent to lead the way, no guru, no ideology to save us from the complexity and ambiguity of life.”
~ James Hollis, Jungian Therapist

Highly complex Green often has difficulty communicating in both directions with those lower on the spiral. They may use complex descriptions of already complex ideas to get points across. These are not fully understood, and those hearing them grow frustrated. Likewise, when someone at a less complex level on the spiral describes a desire or a problem, Green may see it as overly simplistic.

The key to successful communications within the spiral is to know where others exist in terms of complexity first, and values systems second. The best way to do this is to speak with people and find out the “whys” of their motivation. People centered at different levels on the spiral may exhibit the same behaviors, but for different reasons. So, behavior alone is not an ideal way to learn someone’s level of complexity.

With greater complexity comes the realization that things are more connected than our senses might indicate; that there are systems in play in nature and in our own psyches; and that things impact one another in ways that simplicity cannot describe. Yet, to reach some, we need to simplify our language to make it accessible. This can be done by speaking and writing with greater brevity, greater clarity, and by breaking systems into more discrete elements.

As I have noted elsewhere, when I was a spiritual leader, I used to send out different request for donation letters based upon my awareness of where individuals were on the spiral. For those whom I had no awareness of their level of complexity, I sent a letter that covered all of the main stages present, Blue, Orange, and Green.

Briefly, if I knew that you had a strong Blue values component, the letter was a simple and direct request, usually for a specific amount. Those at Blue tend to obey authority and prefer to be told what to do in many situations.

If I knew you to be at Orange, the letter was more complex in nature and appealed to how you might personally profit from donating. Programs like “pillars of the church” where givers are listed according to the amount they give are appealing to those at Orange (and horrify those at Green).

If I knew you to be at Green, the appeal was very complex as to how the money would be used to enhance the programs and people in the spiritual community and was very non-specific as to amount. Green values egalitarianism and wants every voice to be heard, but no one to feel bad because they can give less than others.

This brief example shows how spiral awareness can enhance the ability to communicate effectively and how developing a capacity for complexity also affects one’s values. I have focused more on the Postmodern-Green stage because that is where the majority of New Thought spiritual leadership is centered. There are also, of course, many centered at Modernist-Orange, but they are no longer a majority. Blue values are present (and a good thing, because Blue ethics are essential as we move up the spiral), but few are centered there anymore. The reason? New Thought teachings encourage self-development and self-development leads to greater complexity as we evolve.

We need to include greater spiral awareness in our resources for leadership. I will be conducting an online course in Spiral Dynamics for Spiritual Leaders in 2023, which will be announced here and on the usual social media sources soon.

“Chapter 1. Notes and Commentary.
“WE do not claim that more complexity is better than less; that less simplicity is better than more. We are simply reporting on the apparent transformation to greater complexity that appears to characterize the human experience.”
~ Don Edward Beck and Graham Linscott

THE CRUCIBLE. Third printing 2014

This concludes this series of posts, as always, your comments are welcomed.

Copyright 2022 – Jim Lockard