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

TRANSFORMATION: HOW TO MOVE TOWARD SIGNIFICANT ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE

“If you are an organization that is about transformation, but you do not evolve you are not about transformation.”
~ Lola Wright

There is lots of talk about the need for change these days and a lot of concern about the apparent fragility of our New Thought organizations and many of our ministries (LINK to earlier post). Let us look at how we might facilitate the transformational change required of us in the near and medium future.

It is important to note that at the same time that we are facing the impact of declining attendance and revenues in many of our ministries, we are facing a time of great need for spiritual support and renewal in our society. The question becomes how do we presence* ourselves to respond to the increasing demands across the spectrum of ways in which we exist as a movement? How do we stand, as Nora Bateson suggests:

“The practice of stance not strategy is next. While the tendency is to contemplate replacement forms of order, it may be more appropriate now to consider how to prepare to be in chaos more creatively. Re-visioning order is pre-emptive, and in a sense off-topic. Systems as we know them are in transformation.”
~ Nora Bateson

The chaotic nature of being in a time of rapid systems change denies us the luxury of predicting what forms our organizations and ministries should take even in the near future. Evolution, in biology as well as in its application to cultural change, takes us from something that is to something that wasn’t. Examples: we were a society without social media, then we were a society with it. We were a society where the average person went to weekend worship, then we were a society where people did other things on weekends.

We are in liminal** space, a time of great turbulence as new evolutionary values systems emerge and where there is the inevitable pushback from elements in society who have not evolved in harmony with the larger systems’ evolutionary process. We are called to step into the evolutionary flow, even though that may be uncomfortable and may require releasing ideas, things, and processes which we value. We should consider no decision final and no program untouchable; make everything a pilot project!

“I am sensing confusion between reforming and transforming. I doubt seriously that reforming is enough. It just sort of seems to keep happening…and since I will keep devoting each day to task of showing up with all that I can, I thought I would share this dangerous noticing with you who share in these efforts. May we swim deeply and off script.”
~ Nora Bateson

In these liminal times, those in leadership and those who support them must have the courage to release old forms and be nimble enough to try new things as called for, which themselves may be discarded quickly if they do not work or become irrelevant. This is a stance in leadership which may feel more comfortable in a Silicon Valley startup than in ministry. In ministry, a large part of our work is supporting those who struggle in one way or another. It is a greater challenge to be innovative regarding the forms of and within our ministries alongside the need to be a steady supportive presence. But what choice do we have today?

“Anything from the past, like an idea of what man of this or that culture might or should have been, is now archaic, and the transformation we are experiencing is really of the whole sense of humanity; what it means to be a cultured and world-related human being. This is a whole new thing. And so we have all of us to leave our little provincial stories behind. They may guide us as far as structuring our lives for the moment, but we must always be ready to drop them and to grasp the new experience as it comes along and interpret it.”
~ Joseph Campbell

From “Sunrise,” an interview with the late Michael Toms on the New Dimensions radio program

Joseph Campbell said those words nearly 50 years ago. The transformation he referenced has been speeding up. Since then, the emergence of significant pushback to the progressive direction of society, which was making things more diverse and equitable, has greatly complicated the situation.

“This is how systems change happens. Many contexts are simultaneously shifting in increasing rapid response to other changes. Logic and structures of old patterns are dissolving in response to response to response – within personal, societal and ecological complex systems. All at once.”
~ Nora Bateson

In my opinion, what is needed to generate transformation in organizations today are leaders who have the vision, emotional intelligence, evolutionary outlook, interpersonal skills, and patience to guide their organizations or ministries through times of chaotic change. The following points should be considered (I’m using “organization” to refer to ministries as well):

• What is the current culture of the organization – is it open to change?
• Does the organization have an overarching vision (such as The Beloved Community) and a clear mission statement?
• Are the vision and mission part of everyday discourse in the organization?
• What are the major shifts occurring (internally and externally) which affect the organization?
• What are the “sacred cows,” or highly valued forms or processes of the organization?
• Have any of the sacred cows become obstacles?
• Are the key leaders (those with influence in the group) presencing the values of innovation, transparency, and compassion?
• Are leaders open to questions and input from members of the organization?
• Are leaders curious about the world beyond the organization?
• Do current leaders have good relationships with others in similar positions with whom they can seek and provide mutual support?
• Are board or leadership council members well prepared for their roles?
• Are board or leadership council members provided all the tools and information to perform their decision making and oversight responsibilities? Does this happened in an ongoing way?
• Is it easy to make changes in form and process when necessary?
• Is the organization nimble and able to respond to new developments quickly and in meaningful ways?
• Are leadership qualities appreciated and developed in organizational members by current leaders? Is there a leadership development program? Is it diverse?

“The old models are not working; the new have not yet appeared. In fact, it is we who are even now shaping the new in the shaping of our interesting lives.”
~ Joseph Campbell

Goddesses: Mysteries of the Feminine Divine, p.xiv

We are in a time when all of this must be included in the organization’s planning and operations in addition to the regular functions and managing of priorities. Each situation, each organization, is different and the alchemy of the people present, the internal and external cultures, and the specific mission means that there is no new standard model. Pretty much everything will be a custom build.

The goal is to have a compelling vision and mission which attracts people who find it relevant and want to support it with their time, talent, and treasure. For the New thought organizations, this means providing vision and mission and support which, in turn, attracts support from its constituencies – ministries and individuals.

“The liminal realm in which we live is where the shifts are. Our integrity from one moment to the next, from one conversation to the next is everything. To take the risk of trusting each other is revolutionary, and evolutionary. Are we trustworthy?”
~ Nora Bateson

All of this must be done in an atmosphere of trust and integrity. We must be able to disagree and trust one another, able to question any idea or practice without being judged to have anything but good intentions. In the next post, I will explore the personal aspects of transforming into truly evolutionary and integral leadership.

“And now we welcome the new year.
Full of things that have never been.”
~ Rainer Maria Rilke

*Presencing: a state of being expressing one’s authentic values so as to set an example of embodying those values. (see Jablonsky, et al)

**Liminal: Liminal spaces are transitional or transformative spaces, and such places are often associated with a forlorn atmosphere, a disconnection from the concept of reality, and a fluid or sometimes neglected aesthetic. They are the waiting areas between one point in time and space and the next.

Your comments are welcomed.

Copyright 2025 – Jim Lockard

My books relate to these ideas and are available at all Amazon websites.

UNITY, CSL, AND SENTINEL INTELLIGENCE

“The future is here, it’s just not evenly distributed.”
~ William Gibson

“It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.”
~ W. Edwards Deming

This summer I have traveled to the US twice, once in July to speak at the Unity Worldwide Ministries Convention in Kansas and to consult with CSL Midtown in Atlanta; and in August to attend the Centers for Spiritual Living Conference at Asilomar, and to consult with CSL San Jose and Unity of Houston on the surrounding weekends. The focus of the consulting was to work with community leaders in understanding aspects of cultural evolution and the larger dynamics affecting society today. We also did workshops open to all about change using the Edgewalkers Model (LINK).

As you might imagine, during these trips I engaged in many conversations with spiritual leaders, board members, practitioners, and members of various congregations about many topics relating to the current condition and the future of the New Thought Movement. Loyal and even occasional readers of this blog and my books know that I have been focused on the dynamics of change, primarily through the lens of cultural evolution, for a number of years.

I spoke with people from spiritual communities of all sizes, and across the spectrum of Unity, CSL, and independent New Thought groups. I think that it is accurate to report that the State of the Movement is uncertain. Very few communities are growing or thriving, most are experiencing smaller attendance numbers, both online and in-person, and dwindling revenues. The organizations, in this case, Unity and CSL, are working to evaluate what is happening and trying to manage with either lower or significantly changing revenue streams. And everyone is coming to terms with the reality of a manifestly uncertain future, or trying to.

“Our time calls us to be prophetic rather than religious, psychological rather than theological. Psychology has a prophetic aspect insofar as it reaches further into the soul and knows its condition, especially in times of transition.”
~ David Tacey

There were the usual optimistic statements and some glimmers of success in the current paradigm among those with whom I spoke. And there was a clear tendency to see the current conditions for what they are, both in some of the conference presentations and in the hallway conversations at those events. What was usually missing from the conversation was a sense that these dynamics being experienced in New Thought are part of a larger cultural set of dynamics as living conditions change and cultural values shift.

What I mean by this is that the issues facing New Thought will not be “solved” in isolation from the paradigm shifts of the larger culture and society. The evolutionary process only goes in one direction unless there is a major breakdown that leads to collapse. Breakdowns, when they occur, lead either to collapse or to breakthrough, and the stewardship of the process is critical. This is where evolutionary leadership comes into play.

“In order to change an existing Paradigm, you do not struggle to try and change the problematic model. You create a NEW model and make the old one obsolete.”
~ R. Buckminster Fuller

The spiritual communities I visited are all experiencing these changing and challenging times differently, but there is a growing recognition that the future will be very different from the past. I guess the big question is: how do we adapt to cultural evolutionary changes and bring our timeless principles to the world in new forms?

We are in a liminal space, a place between two stages of being. We know what the stage we are rapidly leaving was like, but the next stage must be co-created by all of us as we move forward. The kinds of spiritual leaders needed are those who have a strong vision, clarity of purpose, willingness to live in uncertainty and paradox, high emotional and spiritual intelligence, and who know how to empower others. These qualities are in addition to all of the current qualities and competencies in effective spiritual leaders.

“The ability to shift from reacting against the past to leaning into and presencing an emerging future is probably the single most important leadership capacity today. It is a capacity that is critical in situations of disruptive change, not only for institutions and systems, but also for teams and individuals.”
~ C. Otto Scharmer, LEADING FROM AN EMERGING FUTURE

Indeed, the next stages of being must emerge from us, individually and collectively. Leadership in these times must be evolutionary in nature, recognizing the role of emergence in the process of change, and creating the space for that emergence to occur in a space of transparency and collaboration.

The New Thought organizations will best serve their constituencies by revamping their leadership training to encourage the development of these qualities and skills both in entry-level and professional development programs.

“The sky isn’t falling, but the earth is moving.”
~ Rev. Dr. Gary Simmons

Which brings us to another aspect of all this. The dynamics of how some sound the warnings of things to come and others can’t or won’t hear them.

“Americans and Westerners in general are suffering from a pandemic of denial, wishful thinking, and toxic positivity. It impedes us at every turn, on almost every serious issue. It exacerbates our existing anxiety and contributes to our sense of despair about the future of the planet. Here’s the thing:
You’re not a fearmonger.
You have sentinel intelligence.
Sentinel intelligence refers to a special cognitive ability that allows someone to detect threats before anyone else. Richard A. Clarke and R.P. Eddy talk about this trait in their book, Warnings: Finding Cassandras to Stop Catastrophes.
~ Jessica Wildfire (LINK)

The referenced article speaks to this in depth, but I think it lacks a balanced perspective by seeing Sentinel Intelligence only as a predictor of doom. Sentinel Intelligence can also be about predicting the good and is consistent with the Edgewalkers Model and the qualities of vision and “seeing the future.”

What I am beginning to see in New Thought is a greater acceptance of what I have been saying for some time about how we are changing due to cultural evolution. The fact that this is happening during times of global crises makes it all the more important that we learn to navigate the waters of rapid change more gracefully. If we are to survive and thrive as a movement, our vision must expand, our sense of innovation become more pronounced, and our capacity for compassion deepen.

Copyright 2023 – Jim Lockard