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Subtle Energies Accessible to Complex Physical Structures

April 2, 2007

wilber subtle energies etheric quantumYet another amazing insight brought together by Ken Wilber.

He suggest that higher levels of subtle energies are accessible by the complexification of matter. In other words, atoms and molecules have access the “gross” physical energies such as gravity, electromagnetism, strong and weak nuclear force. More complex physical structures such as neurons and other cells have access to subtle “etheric” energies. Together, cells create organs and organisms that are exponentially more complex (e.g. limbic system, reptilian brain) which have access to “astral energies”.

Ken goes even further with complexification of the human brain being refined into stages of human development (based on the comprehensive studies by Graves/Beck, Giligan, Kohlberg and many other developmentalist). Here is an oversimplified look at the developmental stages of the human psyche: they go from preconventional to conventional to postconventional to post-postconventional. These can also be called egocentric, ethnocentric, world-centric, and theocentric (respectively). Don Beck (spiral dynamics) and Ken Wilber (AQAL) have worked out color coded schemes to indicate each level of human psychological development.

Once a person develops to a preconventional/egocentric (aka called a “red”) level of development they have access to the family of subtle-energies, genus “psychic-1.”

Fig. 1. Ken’s Bad ass theory

A Refined Taxonomy of Subtle Energies

Let us use the common “family, genus, species” scheme, combined with the terminology in Table 1, to summarize our (suggested) conclusions.

The three great families of energy are gross, subtle, and causal. (As necessary, we can add family turiya, and family turiyatita.)

  1. The family gross-energy contains genus gravitational, electromagnetic, strong nuclear, weak nuclear.
    1. The genus electromagnetic contains:
      species (1) cosmic rays, (2) gamma rays, (3) x-rays, (4) visible light, (5)infrared, (6) microwaves, etc.
    2. The genus strong nuclear contains:
      species energies of (1) baryons, (2) hadrons, (3) mesons (etc.)
    3. & D. (Likewise for any possible species in the genus gravitational and genus weak nuclear)
  2. The family subtle-energy contains genus etheric (L-1, biofield-1), astral (L-2, biofield-2), psychic-1 (T-1), and psychic-2 (T-2)
    1. The genus etheric ( L-1 or biofield-1) contains:
      species energies of (1) viral, (2) prokaryotic, (3) neuronal, (4) neuronal cord (etc.)
    2. The genus astral (L-2 or biofield-2) contains:
      species energies of (1) reptilian brain stem, (2) limbic system (etc.)
    3. The genus psychic-1 (or T-1) contains:
      species energies of (1) red, (2) blue, (3) orange, (4) green (etc.)2
    4. The genus psychic-2 (or T-2) contains:
      species energies of (1) yellow, (2) turquoise, (3) coral (etc.)
  3. The family causal-energy contains genus C-field (etc.)
    1. The genus C-field contains:
      species nirvikalpa, jnana (etc.)      3

Table 2. Taxonomy of Subtle Energies

Shedding subtle energy light on “myth of the given”

Ken nukes metaphysics in his book Integral Spirituality. This was initially a great concern to me. Since I have had a long love affair with metaphysics over the years, I was screaming “blasphemy” when I first read his categorical dismantle of the subject. His main argument is the “myth of the given”. Metaphysics makes a lot of statements about supernatural objects, forces and structures. Ken is saying that without showing exactly how to access the subjects and objects of metaphysical discussion, they are meaningless. It seems to me that Ken’s argument against traditional metaphysics is not that subtle energies don’t exist, but the way metaphysical writers express their views leave out important new discoveries such as structural development and the importance of culture on everyone interpretation (including the writer). it is o.k. to speak poetically in of metaphysical ideas, but if your going to make assertions you need to back it up with evidence or a method to repeat your assertions under similar circumstances.

Works Cited:

Wilber, Ken. Integral Spirituality, a startling new role for religion in the modern and postmodern world. Shambhala, 2006.

Wilber, Ken. Excert G: Toward a Comprehensive Theory on Subtle Energies. Shambhala - http://wilber.shambhala.com

State of Consciousness Level/Stage/Sheath of Consciousness Body-Energy
Deep Sleep (Formless)
(sushupti)		 5. Anandamayakosha
(spirit-bliss)		 Causal Body
(karana-sarira)
Dreaming (svapna-sthana) 4. Vijnanamayakosha
(buddhi; higher mind)
3. Manomayakosha
(manas; mind)
2. Pranamayakosha
(emotional-sexual)		 Subtle Body
(suksma-sarira)
Waking (jagarita-sthana) 1. Annamayakosha
(sensorimotor)		 Gross Body
(sthula-sarira)

Table 2. Correlations of States of Consciousness, Stages of Consciousness, and Bodies (or Energies)

Written by elamb · Filed Under astral, casual, etheric, great chain, metaphysics, subtle energies, wilber 

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