As already outlined I use the word "Band" to refer to the most general classification of stages, with the overall spectrum composed of seven such bands.
I then use the term "Level" to refer to next most general classification, with each band consisting of three major levels. This would thereby entail that the full spectrum would be composed of 21 major levels!
However each level can then be fruitfully viewed as composed of three further sub-levels.
So this blog entry briefly addresses the nature of the sub-levels.
In general terms, development at each level goes through three distinct stages, which in practice can considerably overlap.
Thus firstly we have the emergence (with respect to each level) of more superficially based "parts" in what psychologically entails sense based perceptions of reality. We can refer to this as the Concrete sub-level.
Then later, with the relative consolidation of this stage, the more generalised "wholes" now begin to emerge in what psychologically in turn entails deeper mental based concepts. This is turn relates to the Formal sub-level.
Finally with both concrete and formal development consolidated to a sufficient degree, the two-way interaction of both can begin to unfold in a fruitful manner. Because this relates to the dynamic interaction of wholes and parts it generates intuitive energy, leading to the most creative manifestation of the stage. Therefore I refer to this as the Visionary sub-level.
One may note here that I have also used these same terms to refer to the main Levels of Band 2.
However Band 2 represents an exceptional case where no real distinction can be made as between its Levels and corresponding Sub-Levels. This is due to the fact that as it is defined - especially in scientific terms - merely in a conscious analytic manner, interaction with holistic aspects (which leads to the division as between Levels and Sub-Levels) thereby does not take place!
All going well, the culmination of development (through the third stage) with respect to the level in question, then leads to a crucial transformation with respect to experience, that leads on to the next level (in linear terms).
For example, I will briefly illustrate here with respect to the first of the contemplative levels i.e. Band 3 (Level 1).
So the first unfolding in experience of this level is with respect to its Concrete sub-level.
So super-sensory perceptions (of both an affective and cognitive nature) unfold (characterised as we have seen, by the dynamic complementarity as between external and internal polarities).
Then following appropriate development of this stage, deeper supra-rational conceptual structures emerge at the Formal sub-level (again characterised by the dynamic complementarity of external and internal polarities).
Finally, following appropriate development of this stage, both the super-perceptions and super-concepts themselves can dynamically interact more freely with each other (in a two-way fashion).
However because this Level, by its very nature is already characterised intensely by spiritual intuition, this entails that this final sub-level will be of the most purely contemplative variety with little attachment remaining to "real" conscious symbols (either concrete or formal) of a dualistic variety.
Then with conscious experience, now so much eroded through the development of this overall level (Level 1) this then paves the way for the corresponding unfolding of Level 2, where experience is now largely of an "imaginary" nature, representing the indirect phenomenal expression of the unconscious aspect of personality.
So all going well, if the appropriate dynamics properly unfold (with respect to three sub-levels of each level), then the associated transformation should unfold, enabling development to now successfully move on to the next available level (and ultimately the next overall band with respect to the spectrum).
This therefore raises the highly important point, as to why development in modern society tends to heavily plateau at Band 2, with very little further specialised experience of later bands.
The reason for this is very revealing indeed and highlights from yet another perspective the severe limitations of the conventional scientific (and mathematical) viewpoint.
As we have seen, the vertical type development through the sub-levels of a given level, represent in turn the key relationship as between parts and wholes. So once again, in psychological terms the perceptions (as parts) first unfold in a concrete fashion. Then the concepts (as wholes) later unfold in a generalised formal manner. Then finally we have the dynamic interaction of parts and wholes (and wholes and parts) in a more intuitive and thereby visionary type of awareness.
The key factor in terms of the successful transition to the next level (and ultimately next band) is that parts and wholes are implicitly understood as - relatively - quantitative and qualitative with respect to each other.
Now with earlier development at the three levels of Band 1, this in fact is the case due to the fact that both conscious and unconscious aspects of understanding - though still necessarily confused to a degree with each other - still however interact, implicitly entailing both quantitative and qualitative aspects.
However with the three levels of Band 2, increasing specialisation occurs with respect to the conscious aspect of understanding.
And in mathematical and scientific terms, this reduced conscious aspect of understanding is identified with merely the quantitative interpretation of symbols.
For example it might be instructive to take the fundamental notion of number to illustrate!
If a mathematician refers to an actual number perception such as "2", this will be interpreted in quantitative terms. Now the corresponding concept of number applies - relatively - to the potential notion of number which is strictly of a qualitative infinite nature (and directly provided through unconscious intuition).
However this qualitative notion becomes immediately reduced in a merely quantitative manner as applying to all actual numbers.
So now both the number perception and concept are both understood in merely rational (quantitative) terms.
This equally applies to all conventional scientific interpretation.
And because such scientific understanding has become so strongly established as "truth" in our society, this means that the qualitative aspect gets largely edited out of understanding altogether, through the over-specialised use of (conscious) reason.
Therefore, the necessary degree of interaction of both conscious and unconscious, which is vital to enable development proceed into the "higher" contemplative bands, is inadequate with respect to conventional understanding.
However in a minority of cases, the full unfolding of contemplative type understanding can still occur. This is largely due to the fact that the unconscious aspect is inherently very strong in such personalities, thereby causing considerable conflict with respect to the premature specialisation of reason.
Thus when others are readily fitting in with the expectations of adult society, these few can experience a major existential crisis that prepares them for the spiritual transformation to come.
Even for an individual as gifted as Einstein, one would have to conclude that he did not proceed in his work significantly beyond the Visionary stage of Band 2.
Remember that the key feature of Band 3 (even at Level 1) is the clear recognition that "objective truth" has no strict meaning in absolute terms, but rather that all external "objects" necessarily reflect the corresponding internal "interpretation" in a necessarily relative manner.
So "Relativity" does not simply apply to the objective nature of space and time (as Einstein brilliantly showed). It equally applies to all mental interpretation of such space and time (which only becomes clear however through "higher" contemplative development). And the very notion of "objective determinism" is incompatible with such development (except in an arbitrary relative manner).
So the need to develop a much more comprehensive scientific (and mathematical) worldview involving analytic, holistic and radial interpretations is not just important in its own right!
It is also vitally necessary to facilitate the unfolding of the full spectrum of development.
I then use the term "Level" to refer to next most general classification, with each band consisting of three major levels. This would thereby entail that the full spectrum would be composed of 21 major levels!
However each level can then be fruitfully viewed as composed of three further sub-levels.
So this blog entry briefly addresses the nature of the sub-levels.
In general terms, development at each level goes through three distinct stages, which in practice can considerably overlap.
Thus firstly we have the emergence (with respect to each level) of more superficially based "parts" in what psychologically entails sense based perceptions of reality. We can refer to this as the Concrete sub-level.
Then later, with the relative consolidation of this stage, the more generalised "wholes" now begin to emerge in what psychologically in turn entails deeper mental based concepts. This is turn relates to the Formal sub-level.
Finally with both concrete and formal development consolidated to a sufficient degree, the two-way interaction of both can begin to unfold in a fruitful manner. Because this relates to the dynamic interaction of wholes and parts it generates intuitive energy, leading to the most creative manifestation of the stage. Therefore I refer to this as the Visionary sub-level.
One may note here that I have also used these same terms to refer to the main Levels of Band 2.
However Band 2 represents an exceptional case where no real distinction can be made as between its Levels and corresponding Sub-Levels. This is due to the fact that as it is defined - especially in scientific terms - merely in a conscious analytic manner, interaction with holistic aspects (which leads to the division as between Levels and Sub-Levels) thereby does not take place!
All going well, the culmination of development (through the third stage) with respect to the level in question, then leads to a crucial transformation with respect to experience, that leads on to the next level (in linear terms).
For example, I will briefly illustrate here with respect to the first of the contemplative levels i.e. Band 3 (Level 1).
So the first unfolding in experience of this level is with respect to its Concrete sub-level.
So super-sensory perceptions (of both an affective and cognitive nature) unfold (characterised as we have seen, by the dynamic complementarity as between external and internal polarities).
Then following appropriate development of this stage, deeper supra-rational conceptual structures emerge at the Formal sub-level (again characterised by the dynamic complementarity of external and internal polarities).
Finally, following appropriate development of this stage, both the super-perceptions and super-concepts themselves can dynamically interact more freely with each other (in a two-way fashion).
However because this Level, by its very nature is already characterised intensely by spiritual intuition, this entails that this final sub-level will be of the most purely contemplative variety with little attachment remaining to "real" conscious symbols (either concrete or formal) of a dualistic variety.
Then with conscious experience, now so much eroded through the development of this overall level (Level 1) this then paves the way for the corresponding unfolding of Level 2, where experience is now largely of an "imaginary" nature, representing the indirect phenomenal expression of the unconscious aspect of personality.
So all going well, if the appropriate dynamics properly unfold (with respect to three sub-levels of each level), then the associated transformation should unfold, enabling development to now successfully move on to the next available level (and ultimately the next overall band with respect to the spectrum).
This therefore raises the highly important point, as to why development in modern society tends to heavily plateau at Band 2, with very little further specialised experience of later bands.
The reason for this is very revealing indeed and highlights from yet another perspective the severe limitations of the conventional scientific (and mathematical) viewpoint.
As we have seen, the vertical type development through the sub-levels of a given level, represent in turn the key relationship as between parts and wholes. So once again, in psychological terms the perceptions (as parts) first unfold in a concrete fashion. Then the concepts (as wholes) later unfold in a generalised formal manner. Then finally we have the dynamic interaction of parts and wholes (and wholes and parts) in a more intuitive and thereby visionary type of awareness.
The key factor in terms of the successful transition to the next level (and ultimately next band) is that parts and wholes are implicitly understood as - relatively - quantitative and qualitative with respect to each other.
Now with earlier development at the three levels of Band 1, this in fact is the case due to the fact that both conscious and unconscious aspects of understanding - though still necessarily confused to a degree with each other - still however interact, implicitly entailing both quantitative and qualitative aspects.
However with the three levels of Band 2, increasing specialisation occurs with respect to the conscious aspect of understanding.
And in mathematical and scientific terms, this reduced conscious aspect of understanding is identified with merely the quantitative interpretation of symbols.
For example it might be instructive to take the fundamental notion of number to illustrate!
If a mathematician refers to an actual number perception such as "2", this will be interpreted in quantitative terms. Now the corresponding concept of number applies - relatively - to the potential notion of number which is strictly of a qualitative infinite nature (and directly provided through unconscious intuition).
However this qualitative notion becomes immediately reduced in a merely quantitative manner as applying to all actual numbers.
So now both the number perception and concept are both understood in merely rational (quantitative) terms.
This equally applies to all conventional scientific interpretation.
And because such scientific understanding has become so strongly established as "truth" in our society, this means that the qualitative aspect gets largely edited out of understanding altogether, through the over-specialised use of (conscious) reason.
Therefore, the necessary degree of interaction of both conscious and unconscious, which is vital to enable development proceed into the "higher" contemplative bands, is inadequate with respect to conventional understanding.
However in a minority of cases, the full unfolding of contemplative type understanding can still occur. This is largely due to the fact that the unconscious aspect is inherently very strong in such personalities, thereby causing considerable conflict with respect to the premature specialisation of reason.
Thus when others are readily fitting in with the expectations of adult society, these few can experience a major existential crisis that prepares them for the spiritual transformation to come.
Even for an individual as gifted as Einstein, one would have to conclude that he did not proceed in his work significantly beyond the Visionary stage of Band 2.
Remember that the key feature of Band 3 (even at Level 1) is the clear recognition that "objective truth" has no strict meaning in absolute terms, but rather that all external "objects" necessarily reflect the corresponding internal "interpretation" in a necessarily relative manner.
So "Relativity" does not simply apply to the objective nature of space and time (as Einstein brilliantly showed). It equally applies to all mental interpretation of such space and time (which only becomes clear however through "higher" contemplative development). And the very notion of "objective determinism" is incompatible with such development (except in an arbitrary relative manner).
So the need to develop a much more comprehensive scientific (and mathematical) worldview involving analytic, holistic and radial interpretations is not just important in its own right!
It is also vitally necessary to facilitate the unfolding of the full spectrum of development.
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