Soul to Spirit: The New Spiritual Psychology

The idea of levels of consciousness can either be simple or complex.  Here is an initial attempt to line up the levels as defined by the Ken Wilber/Integral model and the Alice Bailey one.

Integral/Ken Wilber Model

If you are not familiar with the Integral model of levels it is best to get familiar before doing a comparison.  This model is an attempt of synthesis of various models including those of Spiral Dynamics (which drew a lot from the seven levels of the chakra system) and others.  Below is a basic outline of them in the following chart with the levels. To the left we see the Spiral Dynamic chart. In the middle section we see the stages titled as Ego Development Stages. In the chart below that they are referred to as Stages of Development. Feel free to enlarge the pictures if you can to read some of the brief details. I do not intend to describe these stages here as this is a comparison post assuming you have some knowledge of the two systems of Wilber and Bailey to begin with.

Alice Bailey Comparisons

To begin with the levels of Infrared, Magenta, Red and Amber (or Instictive Self, Magical Self, and Power (sometimes called Mythic Self) all seem related mainly to what Bailey calls Atlantean consciousness.  This level is driven primarily by emotions and impulses, though as it moves into what Integral calls the Amber level, these impulses can be directed into greater conformity bringing akin to what Esoteric Psychology II refers to as ordinary people (often conformist church goers) who tend to be led by those with more dominant personalities. Through this conformity they are slowly learning to integrate their personalities primarily by following the norms and laws of their times.

As you shift from Amber to Orange you get various levels of the Integrated Personality emerging. Now you have powerful personalities, which according to ray type will attempt to have a dominant place in the world. For example, Type One may dominate as a leader possibly even dictator.  Type Two might want to be know as a Teacher/Healer.  Type Three as a famous Business Man.  Type Four as a famous Artist.  Type Five as a famous scientist.  Type Six as a spiritual leader.  Type Seven as a well-known organizer.  I have put the word famous in there to emphasize the need at this level to dominate and to be on the top.  This is part of the personalities need to be seen and to be in control so that it might have more power, pleasure (including sex), and money all to itself.

As you get into Orange a shift takes place in the Integral/Wilber model making the person more rational, logical, and even scientific in approach. Certainly an integrated personality has a greater possibility of accomplishing things due to being able to set goals and more reliably and predictably achieve them. In this sense the integrated personality is “scientific.”  But, when we think of the seven ray types only the fifth ray type of the scientist is likely to have a truly scientific approach.  So, some variation in the Integral/Wilber model above might need to be considered when we focus on types and levels using the Bailey approach.

When we take into account the subplanes of the seven major levels in the Bailey model, and also the twelve petals of the egoic lotus, we have a lot more levels to work with than the Integral/Wilber model gives us.

Drawing parallels between the two systems of Integral/Wilber and Alice Bailey becomes a bit more tricky because the model that Alice Bailey presents goes a lot farther and is way more intricate.

Regarding the Orange Level they are most likely in the 4th subplane of the mental plane (where you see the words Plane of the Lower Mind in the chart above).  They tend to be less controlled by emotions and more logical and practical. Still, everything is about the material world often making them materialists (scientific or otherwise).

The Green, Sensitive Self, Pluralistic Level of the Integral model talks about the person at this level being idealistic, with some real spiritual experiences and a general sense of oneness.  The problem is this person is not always too practical and tends to mush together everything into oneness without making any real distinctions.  In a way, this seems like the person going through the first initiation (first major expansion of consciousness) in the Bailey model.  This person is reaching into the egoic lotus petals (probably the three knowledge petals at least), but not much higher.  Despite the increased spiritual realization they are more prone to dualism and states of consciousness having to do with subtle (let’s get high) states.

In the two Integral charts (pasted again here below) the Yellow Integral Self (later divided into the Teal and Turquoise Selves) with its greater understanding of spiritual realms, decrease in fear, ability to be more flexible and reintegrate variations and distinctions seems related more to what Bailey calls the second initiation with Teal being more the second imitation and Turquoise leading more into the late second initiation heading towards the third. I am saying this because in the Integral/Wilber model Turquoise is said to become increasingly global in world-view using cross-historical perspectives. It is more aware of thoughts, feelings, and actions. All of this seems increasingly like Bailey’s second initiation love petals in some way.

The difficulty when we try to draw parallels at the levels from Green to Teal, Turquoise to Indigo and Violet is twofold.  One, with the Bailey model there needs to be more consensus and agreement as to what constitutes the stages of spiritual development through primarily the five initiations as they unfold through the twelve petals (stages) of the egoic lotus.  Two, the Integral/Wilber model seems much more simplistic and not nearly as descriptive as the Alice Bailey model.

As for the Indigo and Violet levels, which they have as their highest levels to date they are described as the emergence of the Witness self’ being aware of ego identifications of lower levels without becoming attached to them’ able to engage in powerful action and non-action without attachment to outcome; and compassion for evolution and the joy and sorrow of individual existence. These stages seem initially to me to be more akin to the third initation, or maybe only again late second/third.

Another thing to look at (not clearly illustrated in the AQAL charts here) is how the Integral/Wilber method says that we are taking a jump from 1st Tier to 2nd Tier when we shift from Green to Teal and above.  This jump is explained in the Bailey teachings as being “born into the 5th kingdom”, which is as big a leap in consciousness as when humanity made a quantum leap from being a Neanderthal to Homosapean.  In other words according to Bailey we have entered a time period where man is shifting out of the fourth kingdom of homosapean into the 5th kingdom, where humanity will become quite different than they ever were before.  The only thing is it seems that the Bailey model starts this jump into the “5th kingdom” more at the Green level than at the Teal.

In summary, the Alice Bailey model regarding stages of spiritual development is much more extensive not only in theory, but in description.  To go further in drawing parallels more discussion is needed. Finally, below are a series of maps we will be using as we move throughout this blog in the future.

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

Namaste,

Lisa

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