Editor's Word Michael Purdy

The Self as Problematic Construct

Editor’s Word

Michael Purdy Finally, another completed volume of our journal. There are several unique features of this issue, including an extended article on child abuse and its relation to structures of consciousness, and our first official ad. It is also very gratifying to see that articles in the journal are building upon earlier work in the journal, this is a strong sign of the importance of the journal. The theme of Jean Gebser conference, held this year at Governors State University, was magic, and coincidentally there is a significant focus on magic in this issue of the journal as well. It is revealing to discover elements of the magical operating historically (Native American cultural traditions), it is another thing to find magical consciousness operating openly in the modern world (as revealed in the deficient patterns of child abuse). Actually, Gebser’s structures of consciousness are all integral components of our contemporary life and the magical is, as Eric Kramer said in announcing the Gebser conference this year, “is probably the most primordial power humans express, indeed it is the essence of expression, that effort to make a world.” Guy Burneko in his article on child abuse demonstrates the stultifying power of deficient might–magic at work; he also offers answers in the integral “freedom from” of Gebser, Verela, Buddhism and other aconceptual approaches to experience. Eveline Lang offers “lessons” from the Native American culture that expand our limited understanding of human identity, while at the same time tracing out the deficiencies of contemporary psychoanalytic, scientific, and postmodern discourses regarding human experience. Mickunas goes further to explore the very civilizational morphologies, the protosymbols of consciousness, the constitution of the activity of the integral Self “underlying” all structures of consciousness, all permanence and flux, all expressions and symbols. This piece extends and surpasses his earlier piece on integral consciousness (Integrative Explorations Journal, vol. 2), tracing out the protosymbols which point to the integral: “What Gebser means is the following: the integral consciousness is not a sterile gazing or a pure immersion, but an event of transparent differentiation and integration.” Mickunas concludes with a very interesting explication, “The Tracing of the Divine,” in integral consciousness and the task of deciphering the always present origin. We are fortunate to have in this volume also, Georg Feuerstein’s new translation of Jean Gebser’s article “Cultural Philosophy as Method and Venture,” which Mickunas drew on for his last piece on the integral, and which is invaluable for understanding the Gebser’s way of working. He discusses how he proceeds from concrete facts in a phenomenology of culture. Feuerstein also has a piece he has authored that is very timely. He discusses Gebser’s choice of language with regards neuer sicht (the new insight). His exploration of the terms of the integral is very helpful for understanding Mickunas’ tracing of the Self and the Divine in the integral. We are also reprinting (from the newsletter) two essays of Gebser’s translated by Noel Barstad. If that weren’t enough we are treated to “Reflections on Gebser’s Language and Vision,” which provides insights into Gebser’s thinking and epistemology.

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Integrative Explorations Journal Finally, we have a piece by Arthur Stein, “Democracy Spirituality and Transformative Possibilities” on how to apply Gebser’s work in the area of the democratic organization of spirituality. Relating to Feuerstein’s article he discusses the need for a new insight, a “revisioning,” a “change of heart.” There is also an interesting comparison here with Burneko’s article emphasizing the shortcomings of rational consciousness for human growth and the importance of the integral in transforming our everyday life. Finally, this article is an attempt to concretize ideas of the integral presented in Mickunas and Feuerstein’s presentations. We have our first ad in this issue introducing a second edition of Georg Feuerstein’s book, Structures of Consciousness. There was no charge for this ad, partly because the journal has no formal policy on ads. This will need attention at the next Gebser conference.

Announcement: The next Jean Gebser Conference will be at University of Pennsylvania, California. Information and a call for papers will follow in May or June. The theme will be Mythic Consciousness.

Georg Feuerstein announces that he still has copies of a translation of Gebser’s article “In Search of the New Consciousness,” written in 1972 and published in Gebser’s book Verfall and Teilhabe (Salzburg, 1974). Copies are $3 for US and Canada and $4 others (US currency, shipping included). Copies can be obtained from: Integral Publishing, PO Box 1030, Lower Lake, CA 95457.

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