17th International Transpersonal Conference
Consciousness Revolution: Transpersonal Discoveries that are Changing the World
Moscow June 23rd - June 27th
The Participatory Turning... Towards Process and Evolution
By: Zayin Neumann, M.A.
Abstract:
In this paper I will focus primarily on the Participatory Turn as outlined by Jorge Ferrer (2002, 2009). I will combine a brief survey of this Participatory Turn peppered with several original contributions offered for the first time in this presentation. We will outline a polyadic understanding of co-creation (focusing on inter-personal, intra-personal, and transpersonal co-creation), and the importance this multilayered approach places on creativity within a spiritual path/tradition. I will consider the importance of pluralism within the Participatory approach, focusing especially on the distinction between multiple-worlds (Ferrer) and multiple-levels-one-world (Wilber, Combs), the importance of a process oriented metaphysics (the fallacy of things), the fallacy of transcend and include, and the conflation of developmental models across mutations. We will go on to consider the importance of qualitative rankings, and where Ferrer emphasizes a pragmatic orientation, we will add a kind of mutational orientation alongside a metaphysical orientation. In closing we will take some time to consider the very important question of unity within and among spiritual traditions and paths.