[Dialogue] Re: Our relationship to Ken Wilbur

[aiseayew]

Dear Karen,

Here is a very personal and perhaps not completely helpful, view of our
"relationship" with Ken Wilbur.

Prior to the great council of 84, a number of people had become interested
in a variety of Ken Wilbur's books.  In some locations, different titles
were studied by the whole location.  I remember specifically Up from Eden,
The Atman Project which was a transpersonal view of human development and
The Spectrum of Consciousness which some considered a simple synthesis of
eastern and western psychotherapies and others found an incredible dive into
the spiritual science of soul.  He used charts and graphs that some were
determined to compare literalistically to previous work the Institutes had
done and some were determined to promote his work as a great step forward.
As often happens (considering the group was and has always been microcosmic)
individuals on each pole would use his work to "beat up" on those who took
the other position.  ("You wouldn't say that if you had journeyed far
enough, i.e., as far as I have, along the spectrum of consciousness.)

I was of the opinion that this caused his work to get short shrift among the
continuum that did planning for the summer of 84 and it wasn't until work
began on the following three summer research programs that we actually
pursued a direct dialogue.  A team went to California and visited Ken and
Treya in their home, just after Ken had shaved his head in an act of
solidarity with Treya and her struggle with cancer.  After that we had
several conference calls with him from Chicago that were very exciting.  Due
to Treya's illness, we were never able to get him scheduled into one of the
programs, but he made many introductions for us that moved along the
research at that time and resulted in several of the summer speakers.

Personally, I became a bit truculent about the use of his work because I was
more than offended by those who deemed my journey inadequate.  So, for me,
there was a period of separation from dialogue with his writing and I felt a
s if I was left hanging out there with my questions.  I do not know of any
direct institutional contact since perhaps 87/88.  I do know that my
personal relationship to his work was transformed with the publication of
Grace and Grit because it opened a window into the feelings of the person
acting out his knowledge of the journey.  In that light, I found A Brief
History  much more accessible.

That's my story of our connection.  I'm sure others will want to edit it.

Sincerely,
Margaret Aiseayew

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <KarenBueno at aol.com>
To: <OE at wedgeblade.net>; <Dialogue at wedgeblade.net>
Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2004 2:47 PM
Subject: [Oe List ...] Ken Wilber's book


> I just purchased Ken Wilber's book, "A Brief History of Everything", on a
> friend's recommendation.  It is really dynamite!  I know others on this
list have
> cited his works, but I had never read any.
>
> What is his connection with the ica group?
>
> Karen Bueno
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