2 minute read
Editor's Word Michael Purdy
Editor’s Word
Michael Purdy We have finally completed a goal we have been working on since the inception of this journal. We have brought to publication an Algis Mickunas lecture introducing the work of Jean Gebser. This presentation was given as part of a year–long honors colloquium—"An Inquiry into the Human Spirit"—at the University of Rhode Island in 1978–1979. This lecture is one of the clearest and most interesting introductions to the work of Jean Gebser and we are pleased to finally bring it to our readers. We had hoped to have it ready for the first volume of the Integrative Explorations Journal, but Dr. Mickunas had lost half of the original document. Luckily, the organizers of the colloquium (Profs. Mike Purdy and Arthur Stein) had a transcription for the speech that we were able to work from. After many hours of editing (thanks to Algis Mickunas, Kevin Williams and Michael Purdy) we offer you this fascinating lecture. In an article on the shaman’s web, Pat Arneson explores Gebser’s structures of consciousness as related to the “levels” of Native American shaman experience. This comparison raises some challenging questions about Gebser’s structures and how they fit the Native American experience. I think most of us would describe the primary experience of Native American’s as magical with mythical elements. And certainly the archaic is present. The mental structure is present from the Western influence. How the integral is expressed is most interesting. I leave each reader to judge for themselves the issues this raises. I think it challenges us to explore other mystic/shamanic traditions to compare how they might be described. Another very interesting selection we are pleased to present for this journal issue is a dialogue between Georg Feuerstein and Ken Wilber. Apparently Wilber has had some differences with Gebser over Origin and its relationship to the structures of consciousness. Feuerstein reviews Wilber’s arguments and—I think—very impartially puts the “problems” of understanding the Origin in “perspective.” This piece has helped me rethink Gebser’s idea of the Origin and I expect it will get your juices going too. We have again brought forward translations of Jean Gebser’s work that were originally published in the Gebser Network Newsletter to fill out this issue. It is difficult to find works of Jean Gebser in translation, other than The Ever–Present Origin. This time we are reprinting “Cave and Labyrinth” and “On Living and Loving”, both introduced and translated by Georg Feuerstein. Enjoy. These are wonderful additions to our literature on Gebser and consciousness. At the last minute we added three additional pieces, one descriptive of the cosmic role of Siva, a second talking about the complementary role of the sculptures at Mithuna in Indian experience, and finally, a piece using Gebser to talk about advetsing. Announcement: The next Jean Gebser Conference will be held Oct. 30—Nov. 1, 1997, at Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, founding home of the Gebser Society. Information and a call for papers will be included with this journal. The theme will be: The Archeology of Consciousness: Communication and Culture. For further information see separate conference announcement or contact the editor.
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