Soul to Spirit: The New Spiritual Psychology

In this post we compare the Alice Bailey/Wisdom levels with those of Integral/Wilber. Here we step into the zone Integral calls Expert, which is a combination of their Amber and Orange and relate it to what Bailey calls Group Five.

In the Bailey teachings Group Five is said to be the largest group in terms of humanity’s consciousness. (Group Four is the next largest and Group Three the third largest), Orange (which is related to Group Six in the Bailey teachings) represents the level the masses are moving into.

Integral Levels of Development

Once again we start with the Integral Map and it seven to ten levels.

Here is another chart of the above.

And, here is the Ageless Wisdom map, with its 61 levels, 12 of which are found within the Egoic Lotus with it’s 12 levels.

10 Soul Groups of Alice Bailey & Integral Connections. 

As a reminder in Esoteric Psychology II, pp. 203 – 207, 10 groups of evolving humanity are presented.  We will now examine Group Five.

Group 5 & Amber/Orange.

In Esoteric Psychology, Vol II, p. 206, Group Five seems to be an extension of what was talked about regarding Group Four.  The difference between the highly emotional Group Four types and those of Group Five is that they have, “steadily increasing interludes wherein the mind can make itself momentarily felt, and thus at need effect important decisions.” (EP II)  Though they are still highly involved in social conditioning, they are more able to stop and think.  Some logical thoughts can peculate through especially where their interests are concerned. Though they still lead lives of emotional turmoil (similar to Group Four), they try to control their emotional impulses more by being “nice good people who are largely controlled by the mass consciousness because they are relatively unthinking.” (EP II)

Michael Robbins says in his Egoic Lotus Webinar Commentaries 3 Series starting at around 1:40:00 that they are “predictable conformists.” And, EP II p. 206 goes on to say that this group can be “regimented and standardized with facility by orthodox religion and government and are the sheep of the human family.”  Robbins also goes on to say that that Group Five is caught up in soap operas, etc (something I wrote about for Group Four) and here is where I differ with what Robbins has to say on this matter.  My difference of opinion is admittedly influenced by the addition of the Expert group in Integral, so let me introduce that before I do a more extensive explanation of how I see Group Five in my comparison of the two models down below. Finally, this group is said to be connected with the Knowledge/Sacrifice petals. As they are more oriented to the concrete mind (or lower mind) they also reside mainly in the lower eighteen sub-planes of the Bailey model.  (On the Egoic Lotus and the Centers chart above the Egoic Lotus one, this group would be located around the dotted line that marks the break between lower concrete mind and the higher abstract mind).

Integral and Amber

Here I am simply repeating what was said about Amber in the previous post on Group Four as outside of the new development in the chart at the top of this post where we see Amber/Orange being split into two groups of Expert and Achiever in the newest development of the Integral model, the information is about the same.

Still, let me start by typing so you can see it clearly what the Expert stage is meant to represent. Here the “Diplomat – Conformist) becomes more the Expert – Self Conscious 3/4 (Amber/Orange).  With the Expert “craft logic rules norms. Abstract operations. 3rd person perspective. Focus on effectiveness, craft expertise. There is a correct view. Discovery of personhood separate from group identification, but embedded in correct view as given by craft authorities.”

Again to make this easy, let me just quote directly from An Overview of Developmental Stages of Consciousness compiled by Barrett C. Brown, Integral Institute April 3, 2006.  Values:  Bottom line: Stability and purposeful life. Basic theme: Life has meaning, direction, and purpose with predetermined outcomes What’s important: Sacrificing self for a transcendent Cause, (secular or religious) Truth, Mission, future reward; laws, regulations, and rules; discipline, character, duty, honor, justice, and moral fiber; righteous living; controlling impulsivity through guilt; following absolutistic principles of right and wrong, black and white; being faithful, maintaining order and harmony; one right way to think/do; convention, conformity Where seen: Puritan America, Confucian China, Dickensian England, Singapore discipline; totalitarianism; codes of chivalry and honor; charitable good deeds; religious fundamentalism (e.g., Christian and Islamic); “moral majority”; patriotism

Self-Identity: Main focus: Socially expected behavior, approval Qualities: Emergence of capacity to see and respond to what others want; self-identity defined by relationship to group, whose values impart strong sense of “shoulds” and “oughts”; values that differ from one’s own are denigrated or avoided; conform to norms of whatever group they want to belong to (including gangs and peer-groups); avoid inner and outer conflict; think in simple terms and speak in generalities and platitudes; attend to social welfare of own group; “us vs. them” mentality; feedback heard as personal disapproval How influences others: Enforces existing

The Two Models Compared.

When we read about Group Five it seems much more in alignment with what Integral says about Amber than in regards to Group Four.  When I wrote about Group Four I spoke a lot about their more emotional orientation.  Here in Group Five we seem to have more mind emerging.  But, as I read it, that mind is mainly to help serve more of their self-interests. At the Group Four/Amber level they seem too caught up in a more magical approach of having their problems in life solved.  (Win the lottery, follow The Secret).  As I wrote about in that post Group Four seems to just be starting to lock onto authority figures as a way of getting their needs met (food, clothing, shelter) especially as those move into excess.

Here I see more of an ability to hone the mind to become oriented to a specific task.  Integral calls it becoming an Expert, but I don’t really like that word applied to this level.  I prefer the word Craftsman (or Craftsperson to be gender neutral).  Expert implies being at the top of the game in a field.  Craftsman implies being good enough at something. Here the emotions seem to tone down a bit.  They become “good enough” school teachers, accountants, carpenters, plumbers, counselors, the list goes on and on.  The ability to be “good enough” I believe is what motivates the increase in conformity.  Increasingly there is more a sense of stability.  They become “middle class” so to speak.  There is more at stake then with “rocking the boat” in regards to their superiors and belief systems.  Preservation of the known or the status quo seems to be essential as a way to try to dampen down the emotional turmoil they feel if that status quo is upset somehow.  That is why they need the correct view and the correct group to align with to maintain stability in their emotions, chosen belief systems and overall lives.

Again below is a map of terms that we use throughout the rest of this blog.

Have comments, questions, suggestions?  They will be posted so long as they are civil and expand the discussion.

Namaste,

Lisa

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