Guest Blog: An AQAL Appreciation of Structure-stages in Psychosexual Development (Richard Munn)
May 05, 2007 19:39
The following is being posted according to Ken's generous offer. The posting of a submission doesn't imply that Ken or the editors of this site necessarily agree with any or all of it. Thanks, -Eds
An AQAL Appreciation of Structure-stages in Psychosexual Developmentby Richard Munn
richmunn@gmail.com
In the following words I am attempting to paint a description of the psychosexual line of development using the AQAL framework presented by Ken Wilber (2006) in order to provide an expanded outline to this area of growth. My vision for this essay is that it be both academically stimulating and accurate by referring to important figures in this field and also that it be something that is applicable to people’s self-understanding in relation to their sexuality. This will not be an observation of psychosexual development in the Freudian or Psychoanalytic sense but will rather be a gigantic phallus, lingam in the classical Hindu literature The Kama Sutra (Vatsyayana, 1994), extending towards the Heavens with proud stance and upright head looking towards our potentials of actualization; at least as much as its blood supply will allow. Following this theme it must also be noted that the word “psycho-sexual” is not strictly suitable for this expanded view of sexuality because an AQAL developmental perspective not only addresses the psychology of sexuality but also the spiritual (that is to say trans-linguistic and post-individuated) and energetic (which we can think of as Chi from the Chinese system of Tai Chi or Kundalini from the Yoga canon), however that term will be used for simplicity and convenience. This essay will employ the use of AQAL terminology in a manner that presumes the readers’ intermediate or advance comprehension of the AQAL framework, this is done in order to serve a deepening of application within the allowed space and to avoid repetition of the foundations of AQAL Theory, which can be found in Wilbers’ many works and outlined to a standard far more eloquent than may be found here.
In order to begin the erection of a construction that is capable of ‘gifting’ we need to provide a structure for its raising, much like a rose needs a lattice in order to reach up towards the sun and bloom fully and without reserve, for the service of all the animals, insects and humans within it’s particular habitat. In order to provide this scaffold for psychosexual development I will be looking primarily at what Wilber (2006) terms ‘structures-stages’, that is the irreversible ways in which the individual (for I am here looking at Psychosexual development primarily within the individual person’s development; in AQAL terms ‘Zones 1 and 2 of the Upper Left Quadrant’) makes more complex epistemological meaning and higher order disclosures of reality through sexuality. Another way of saying this more poetically and in a way that is in line with ‘sexuality’ (I will define my use of the term ‘sexuality’ in the following paragraph) is to paraphrase Wilber by saying that Eros, or Love, has a direction, a distinct grain and arrow of growth that is pointing squarely towards more sophisticated and embracing means of yearning and release. In order to engage these ‘structure-stages’ of sexuality I will draw from works that both generate theory and enact practices of psychosexual development and then link these back into the broader and more abstract map of the AQAL matrix by way of conclusion. The essay begins by looking at David Deida’s (2004) work, illustrated by Ken Wilber’s writing, which will provide us with in interlocking and mutually supportive account and understanding of what actualisation of what will be loosely termed “pre-personal”, “personal” and “trans-personal” psychosexual development. A more specific account of the “personal” stages of development and how they relate to sexuality will then be provided by drawing on Robert Kegan (1994) and Carol Benjamin’s (1998) work on subject-object theory. This appreciation of structure-stages of psychosexual development will then be placed back within an AQAL frame and this will allow an explicit appreciation of the aspects of psychosexual development that have been omitted or only briefly hinted at within this essay.
Deida’s work will be detailed here based on his 2004 publication The Way of the Superior Man and also from a collection of audio recordings produced during a selection of his workshops. In these sources Deida details both a ‘vertical’ and ‘horizontal’ approach to the development of sexuality but here a pause needs to be made in order to describe the way in which Deida uses the term ‘sexuality’. Deida often uses as a metaphor the Hindu imagery of two Gods, Shiva (the consummate ‘masculine’ yogi, completely beyond the world yet perpetually sexually erect, potent and unmoving) and Shakti/Kali (the immense and unstoppable force and flow of nature, both beautiful and terrifying) which are both different aspects of the ultimately non-sexed or non-gendered Non-Dual Reality as outlined by Nagarjuna (translated by Garfield, 1995). When this ‘Unity’ is even slightly ‘separated’ however the ‘subject-object divide’ becomes apparent and for Deida the ‘Shiva’ aspect identifies with the Witnessing Subject and the ‘Shakti’ aspect identifies with the Dancing Object of Light, Energy and Manifestation. Another less poetic way to say this based upon the Zen or Tantric Buddhist understanding is that Form (phenomenon) is not other that Emptiness (noumenon) and Emptiness is not other than Form yet again as they are even slightly separated an individual will typically identify with or desire either Form or Emptiness in some form. ‘Sexuality’ then for Deida is the ‘spark’ of polarisation that occurs when these two ‘properties’ or ‘identities’ (Shiva/Shakti, Form/Emptiness) are somehow aware of each other. Using this definition ‘sexuality’ is not bound to a man/woman situation or even a human/human interaction but is in its essence the polarity between Shiva and Shakti (hence forth termed ‘Masculine’ and ‘Feminine’ respectively). This means that sexuality can occur, as Deida details in his workshops, between many different masculine and feminine ‘partners’, such as a human and a geographical location or music, sports, philosophy and architecture ad infinitum. The essential message of Deida’s work is that sexuality is the ‘spark’ (or the ‘gap’ to use Mark Epstein’s (2005) language) created from the separation between Masculine and Feminine and that humans with a Masculine essence will identify more consistently and prefer resting as the Masculine and humans with a Feminine essence will identify more consistently and prefer identifying as Feminine. This is the definition of sexuality that will be used throughout this essay. The way in which Deida reaches these definitions of Masculine/Feminine is through direct practice with, to use Wilber’s (2001a) phrase, a ‘community of the adequate’ and therefore can be considered as adopting a ‘post-Metaphysical’ appreciation (Wilber 2006) of what can be the Mythic or Metaphysical description given to Shiva and Shakti by the religion of Hinduism. In his practical application Deida often uses masculine and feminine identities to confer something that is more akin to a typology, meaning the masculine/feminine polarity that exists and ‘dances’ at every ‘vertical’ level, as that appears to be useful for his participants. This ‘typology’ of masculine and feminine however is not the core of Deida’s work but can be considered as the ‘horizontal’ aspect of his presentation.
Following this we proceed towards the ‘vertical’ dimension of Deida’s schema in which we see something more like the structure-stages collated in AQAL theory, these stages move through three broad and fluid developmental spaces, aptly named Stage 1, 2 and 3. For Deida the stages that he provides are acknowledged as fluid and broad, he also comments that he doesn’t really believe his work personally yet finds it a useful framework that helps people navigate what we are calling here the psychosexual line of development with consciousness and love. With this in mind Deida describes “Stage 1” as grounded in deficiency whereby we need something in order to feel happy, safe, or complete; this may be a starving person needing food, an addict needing the thing he or she is addicted to1 or eating as a way of feeling loved. Stage 1 also encompasses interpersonal elements whereby the masculine partner in an ‘intimacy’ uses domination and control based on strength to get what they want from a partner, the feminine version of this is using emotion and sexuality to get what they want. Deida often talks about 1st stage men earning money or being brutish in order to possess women as objects and 1st stage women as using sex to get material goods or some degree of love or attention, which at the “stage 1 moment” both men and women feel they do not inherently embody. A graphic and humorous description of both a male and female operating from this psychosexual level of development can be found in a fictional work by Wilber (2002), the male character creating fantasies about and endless array of naked female bodies and mechanically repeating sexual acts in order to reach orgasm again and again but never really finding release from his dissatisfaction. The female character in this particular work will interrupt the male’s conversation with crude sexual references or physical displays of ‘presenting herself’ (as one would see on The Discovery Channel) by exposing her breasts or vagina. Through these behaviours she gains attention as an attractive object again and again is sexually entered and genitally filled over and over but still does not find the fullness and connection that she yearns for. We can see here Wilber providing a great example of two individuals that are at the same stage of psychosexual development (best thought of as a ‘probability wave’, as detailed in the post-Metaphysical approach of Wilber, 2006) attracting each other and repeating a pattern based on a very deeply felt sense of lack and also at the same time giving a vivid articulation of the Buddhist notion of samsara, the suffering or dissatisfaction of identifying with cyclic existence as a faulty method of gaining sustained satisfaction. Another way in which to look at Deida’s first stage is to equate it with the equally broad term “pre-Modern”, including constrictive and highly normalized gender roles and technologies of production, a further discussion of which we can see in Wilber (2001b).
Logically following a description and illustration of Deida’s 1st stage we move into Deida’s 2nd Stage. The characterisation of this 2nd stage is one of contemporary Modern or post-Modern Western gender relations, which are balanced to a larger degree than within pre-Modern societies. For Deida this stage of cultural and individual development has brought many great things, such as women’s increased autonomy, self-expression, financial stability and equal rights in communication and action with her partner. The move from stage 1 to stage 2 in some sense signals a move away from the interaction between male and female partner as “owner” and “owned” towards two mutually interacting and equal partners who both find intimate relationship serves their autonomous needs. However Deida is also often very vocally critical of and humorous towards the relationship that operates within a 2nd stage frame due to its overly neutralised, mediocre and, in its own way, repressive nature. Due to the balance that is sought within a 2nd stage relationship of two partners and deemed appropriate by contemporary Western culture the key aspect of sexuality is lost according to Deida’s formulation of sexuality being the ‘spark’ created by the polarity of Masculine and Feminine, or more symbolically between Shiva and Shakti. Within the 2nd stage perspective a man (or the masculine partner) is encouraged to get in touch with his inner child, inner feminine or even ‘inner vagina’ and is encouraged to communicate rationally and to appreciate and communicate emotions within a supportive and non-judgemental environment that equally expresses the truth and perspectives of both individuals. For Deida this is much more preferable than some “yahoo” or “macho jerk” that simply communicates and tries to meet his needs through control, aggression or being in the position of ‘top-dog’ yet somehow through the ‘femininisation’ of the masculine partner something is also lost or obstructed from being expressed. This loss is the masculine gift for clarity, direction, facing danger and passionately ravishing their partner. These masculine qualities are repressed within 2nd Stage perspectives as they are seen as regressive “1st stage” expressions of power and control. While at the 2nd stage men’s masculinity is repressed it is here also that a woman’s femininity is subdued because at this stage expression of radiance and flow by a woman is seen as being a “bimbo” or demeaning the woman by negating her mind and emphasising her body. The feminine gift of movement and sensuality is seen as exposing the woman to objectification by the Masculine/Men and is therefore seen as regressive; a good summary of this phenomenon can be found in Vanessa Fisher’s work Integral Beauty (in progress).
Deida’s “2nd Stage”, in which differences between Masculine and Feminine are down-played or repressed as a ‘regression’, is seen in very stark contrast to Deida’s 3rd Stage in which the full spectrum of Masculine and Feminine is played and completely embodied by both partners in a way that facilitates their giving and receiving of their deepest gift and essence. Unsurprisingly this is a very difficult stage to convincingly articulate unless the orator themselves has that kind of embodied living experience and capacity, therefore my somewhat dead description of this stage, and other higher stages found within in this essay, will be a type of abstract dogmatism or perversion of the original communicated message. However the message from Deida’s work regarding this stage is in general found to be opening our partner sexually into a direct experience of the Divine which has as little to do with a Mythic Religious concept as it does with a rational appreciation of mathematics, it is beyond language, yet embraces it, it is beyond personality yet embraces it and it is in its essence beyond experience, but embraces experience also. The overriding concern of the individual at this stage of development is to open their partner into either Love or Freedom, which are ultimately the same thing that is no-thing, by very high levels of sensitivity and using whatever means are sensed as appropriate. It should therefore be made clear that this is not a conventional or even particularly physically or emotionally safe route being described by Deida. We can see a detailed and specific example of advanced, or “3rd Stage”, psychosexual practice in Wilber (2000) whereby a phenomenological description is given of Tantric meditation that transmutes sexual energy into a bliss that does not ‘stagnate’ merely in the genitals but moves into higher structures of awareness and physiology until it is refined in a compassionate joy that extents outwards towards all beings without any discrimination. The perspective of Tantric sexuality as discerned by Deida and Wilber provides us with a clearly distinct paradigm from that of ‘pop’ sexual development books in which “tantra” is equated with “more sexual pleasure”. Such ‘pop’ publications point towards liberation by means of having longer orgasms, learning to maintain sexual arousal for extended periods of time and practicing relaxation, as can be found in Richard Craze’s (2002) book Tantric Sex. Such books give people good advice about becoming more sensitive and developing other useful skills but omit the core message of Tantra, this being the realisation that Form and Emptiness are not one, not two and using developmental frameworks, as enacted within this essay, help us to clarify such issues. Another question that can be kept in mind here is the distinction that is made or emphasised in Wilber (2006) between state-stages and structure-stages and the insight that high Tantric states do not in and of themselves equate to sophisticated constructions of epistemology. After outlining Deida’s work we can place it into an AQAL context and say that he largely addresses stages or ‘probability waves’ of development and distinguishing between Masculine and Feminine in a way that is often practically applied as a typology but would more technically be described according to Wilber (2006) as a post-Metaphysical approach to sexuality, Deida also works with states of consciousness and the Gross, Subtle and Causal bodies, which are now being explored within AQAL yet that work has not been addressed here. Deida also briefly and implicitly uses a quadratic appreciation of sexuality by looking at cultural factors (the Lower Left Quadrant) and a person’s physiology (the Upper Right Quadrant). Deida however largely excludes such social system factors (the Lower Right Quadrant) such as political issues related towards sexuality, presumably because such factors are very difficult to work with during individual guidance with people and take a long time to come into effect, changing policy on gender issues seems less practical than working with the individuals’ relationship towards sexuality, for example. A further analysis of Deida’s presentation with an AQAL context can be found in the summation of this essay. Deida’s work is explicitly aimed at people who are ready to live a ‘Tantric’ life, meaning people who either are stably experiencing the Transcendent or are willing to rigorously practice in order to do so. As well as this realisation Tantric practitioners are required to bring an appreciation of the ‘non-Transcendent’ as equally expressions of the Divine2. Not surprisingly the amount of people who either can or are willing to take up this challenge is quite small and therefore while it is promising to point towards the horizons we can evolve towards in our development of sexuality it is also useful to work with more ‘everyday’ structures. The remainder of this essay will therefore be spent looking at the more conventional structures of Robert Kegan and Carol Benjamin.
Harvard Developmental Psychologist Robert Kegan (1994) has been pioneering in his research on the ways in which cognitive development does not merely cease at Formal Operational cognition as proposed by Jean Piaget but instead continues into at least two epistemologically distinct ways of constructing meaning. The structure that Kegan labels as emerging post-adolescence, whereby the individual can be truly termed ‘socialised’ as they actually contain and embody a social code of normalcy, is called the 3rd Order, due to it’s being third in his developmental sequence of structures of understanding. The defining characteristic of this stage of growth is that the individual here can operate fully as a separate individual who is socially aware and who shares the same ideals with the group he or she identifies with. The level of integration potentially displayed by someone operating at Kegan’s 3rd Order would be far less likely at Kegan’s 2nd Order as the individual would find it extremely hard to consider other’s perspectives enough to identify with a broad social structure on its own terms in Modern Western culture. While the individual operating from a 3rd Order of complexity can be integrated there is a way in which the individual is ‘made up by’ the context in which they live due to their structural capacities’ as yet inability to take the system in which they operate as an object. This lack of capacity to objectify social structures ensures that the 3rd Order individual retains the systems in which they operate remain as ‘subject’ and are consequently pre-reflexively followed. This structural description provided by Kegan largely correlates to Jessica Benjamin’s (1998) work on the ways in which interpersonal interactions are constructed according to the epistemological complexity of the perceiving subject. Benjamin’s first stage, and its relationship towards Feminist thought, is described as a situation whereby the individual does not fully cognise the Other as an Other, that is, as a separate subject, but largely relates to the Other as in internalised object, not fully separate from their beliefs, wishes and desires. Figure 1 is provided in the hope of providing a visual image of this stage of understanding; the circles are joined together to represent two selves that are not yet fully seen as separate from each other.Figure 1
The application of this theory to an understanding of sexuality based within a developmental context is that the perceiving subject at this stage of epistemology does not see the other as separate to them, they are either fused with them or dissociated and objectifying them. Fusion with the Other is termed by Wilber (2006) ‘sick girl’ and objectifying the other from a dissociated perspective is termed ‘sick boy’3. Potentially huge problems occur in intimate relationship at this stage of development for both parties in terms of either abusing the other due to a lack of capacity to see them as an individual with individual needs (‘sick boy’) or by not being able to create a life and identity separate from the abusive context in which the person finds themselves within (‘sick girl’). However even separate from issues of abuse this “3rd Order” or “Objectifying” stage of construction is inherently unfulfilled in psychosexual relationship because of the lack of intimacy that is generated by not recognising the other (‘sick boy’) or not recognising the self separate from the other (‘sick girl’). The intimacy that is lost for the ‘sick boy’ role is due to not being able to feel open and vulnerable with another in relationship and sexuality because they find it very hard to recognise the other as separate from their desires, therefore there is little risk. The intimacy that’s lost for the ‘sick girl’ is not feeling their own needs and desires and the openness that is revealed through sharing those needs and having them met by the Other. This lack of intimacy starts to be moved beyond when the individual can create an epistemological reality at Kegan’s 4th Order, whereby the separateness of the self apart from culture and relationship is fully realised for the first time. This separateness is distinct from the ‘horizontal’ distinctions between autonomy or communion. Regardless of whether the individual approaches others with an autonomous/masculine or community based/feminine personality type the self at this stage of construction can hold the social system they stand in and relationships they have (as opposed to being had by) as an object within their more complex subject. This again is paralleled by Benjamin’s stage in which the individual realises the existential reality of the Other existing as separate from the self and the ‘gap’ that exists inherently between two people that is never fully crossed. Figure 2 is provided to again give a simplistic representation of two separate selves recognising each other as separate selves. 
Figure 2
The loss of intimacy that is experienced in the ‘objectifying’ stage here becomes healed because the individuals recognise each other as separate and can therefore fully see the other in their ‘nakedness’. The individual at this stage can also recognise themselves as being seen as an object and subject in the perceiver’s eyes and therefore ‘nakedness’ can not only be seen in the other but felt in the self. This stage, as outlined by both Kegan and Benjamin, would seem to largely correlate to the phenomenon Deida terms “2nd Stage” and it is a stage of construction he recognises as valuable but also, as previously noted, openly mocks for it’s ‘stand-offishness’. Due to the individual’s recognition of their seperateness and their ability to be a self-sustaining system apart from an intimate Other the self at this stage has a tendency to retreat away in times of stress or not feel the same ‘pull’ towards the other that may once have been felt, there is a certain quality of a ‘take it or leave it’ stance being adopted at this stage of growth. Kegan suggests that most people he has studied are operating from these first two stages of growth, with perhaps 70% of the population at a 3rd Order capacity, the work that would need to be conducted then for most people would not be the ‘going beyond the self’ that Deida is interested and passionate about but rather the ‘construction of the self’ that we can see in Kegan’s work. While both Kegan and Benjamin posit a further stage of epistemological growth that starts to move beyond an identification with a stable autonomous and separate identity, called the ‘5th Order’ for Kegan and described as the ‘plurality of the self’ by Benjamin, these further stages will not be explored here. While the further stages of Kegan and Benjamin are not quite as advanced as Deida’s mature 3rd Stage they still ‘go over the heads of’ a vast majority of people and have been largely covered by addressing Deida’s 3rd Stage, they will therefore not be detailed here, instead we will now briefly address some practices that may help individuals move from Kegan’s 3rd to 4th Order, the movement from objectifying the other to recognising the other as subject.
The work that would appear most suitable for the development from 3rd to 4th Order is some form of contemplative practice as Wilber (2003) reports that studies have demonstrated if formal contemplation is practiced, such as meditation, consistently for four years the individual can progress through perhaps two distinct epistemological stages. Another practice that is also geared towards the specific movement from what we can term a ‘pre-individuated’ to ‘individuated’ organisational capacity is counselling or psychotherapy, notable examples would include the ‘organismic aware’ self of Perlsian psychology or the ‘authentic self’ of Rogerian Psychology. Attachment patterns seem to play an enormous role in many people’s relationship with psychosexual development and therefore depth psychology work seems extremely appropriate, if attachment patterns are not addressed we are likely to repeat patterns with our partner or choose a partner that fits our psychodynamic history. Acting from such a place would mean that we were not in full relationship with the other as the other but instead would simultaneously be having a relationship with the other as a ‘fixed gestalt’ or an ‘undigested experience’ and not fully with the other as the other.
To conclude this essay I will note that when looked at from a perspective disclosed by the AQAL framework the focus of this work has been the structure-stages of development as applied to the psychosexual line of development. Towards this end I have drawn from David Deida’s pioneering and unconventional work to provide us with a broad and fluid spectrum of what may be loosely called pre-personal, personal to trans-personal development within sexuality. I have also described the typological factors of masculine and feminine dynamics within these stages as Deida notes such attempted clarity within a ‘2nd stage’ culture is rare. The correlation between Deida’s stages and Wilber’s (2006) altitude markers appear to run approximately as follows; Deida’s 1st Stages appears to largely relate to Wilber’s Red Altitude in that this perspective in both schemes is almost totally self-concerned, Deida’s 2nd Stage appears to range from Wilber’s Amber Altitude until as high as Turquoise Altitude and Deida’s 3rd Stage and it’s trans-individuated stance correlates with Wilber’s self-transcending Indigo Altitude. Due to the extremely broad definition of Deida’s 2nd Stage and it’s seemingly tight grip upon Western culture a more refined look at this stage was provided through employing Kegan and Benjamin. Kegan’s 3rd Order and Benjamin’s ‘objectifying self’ correlate with AQAL’s Amber altitude in that these structures are very capable of belonging to a group yet find it extremely hard to re-cognise a perspective outside of their own group. Kegan’s 4th Order self and Benjamin’s recognition of the existential Otherness of the environment, meaningful partners and society and the faith placed in the value of individual autonomy places this structure-stage squarely within AQAL’s Orange Altitude. Kegan’s 5th Order and Benjamin’s recognition of the ‘plurality of the self’ was not explored but correlates with AQAL’s Teal Altitude as it is goes beyond Green Altitude deconstruction into a perspective of synthesis beyond post-Modernism.
There are many other perspectives that could have been adopted using the AQAL framework in appreciating Psychosexual development aside from the way in which the Psychosexual line of growth unfolds in structure-stages, notably I could have studied in depth Jenny Wade’s (2004) collection of reported state experiences during sexual intercourse, I could have also provided a more detailed appreciation of typology and it’s relation to psychosexual development through such maps as the Enneagram. An appreciation of the roles the separate quadrants of psychosexual development play could have also been usefully explored in a way that could have uncovered the tetra-arising nature of mind, brain, societal infrastructure and culture, as has been illustrated by Pearson (in process). However I choose to look specifically at Deida’s work and structures of development because they appear to be extremely pragmatic ways in which to help people in gaining greater clarity on the perspective they bring to the psychosexual aspect of life. As this intimate sexual expression of our heart can be so painful and confusing I therefore felt my efforts are most effectively spent outlining a system that offers a view towards potentials and also a clear appreciation of the ways in which people may be ‘stuck’. Our sexually intimate nature has taken billions of years to evolve, let us not treat it with resentment and repression. The clarity of our Original nature is boundless, let us not shrink it with unskilful groping for temporary pleasures.
References
Benjamin, J (1998) The Shadow of the Other. Yale University Press, London
Craze, R. (2002) Teach Yourself Tantric Sex. Hodder Headline, London
Deida, D (2004) The Way of the Superior Man; a spiritual guide to mastering the challenges of women, work and sexual desire. Sounds True, Boulder
Epstein, M (2005) Open to Desire; embracing a lust for life. Gotham Books, New York
Fisher, V. Integral Beauty. Manuscript submitted for publication.
Kegan, R (1994) In Over Our Heads; the mental demands of modern life. Harvard University Press, London
Nagarjuna, trans. J. L. Garfield. (1995) The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way; Nagarjuna’s Mulamadhyamakakarika. Oxford University Press, Oxford
Plotinus, trans. S. MacKenna (270/1991) The Enneads. Penguin, London
Vatsyayana, trans. R. F. Burton (1883/1994) The Kama Sutra. Penguin, London
Wade, J. (2004) Transcendent Sex; when lovemaking opens the veil. Paraview Pocket Books, London
Wilber, K (2006) Integral Spirituality; a startling new role for religion in the modern and post-modern world. Integral Books, London
Wilber, K. (2003) Kosmic Consciousness [CD]. Sounds True, Boulder
Wilber, K. (2002) Boomeritis; a novel that will set you free. Shambhala, London
Wilber, K. (2001a) The Marriage of Sense and Soul; integrating science and religion. Gateway, Dublin
Wilber, K. (2001b) A Brief History of Everything. Gateway, Dublin
Wilber, K. (2000) One Taste; daily reflections on integral spirituality. Shambhala, London
Annotated Bibliography
Yeshe (2001) Introduction to Tantra; the transformation of desire. Wisdom Publications, Boston
Lama Yeshe provides an overview of traditional Tibetan Buddhist Tantric practice in a way that dispels the inaccurate notions generated in the West that Tantra is a means to increase sexual pleasure, making Tantra somewhat of an ancient ‘Lover’s Guide’. Lama Yeshe provides us with practices that help us in going beyond desire and transforming desire into to sophisticated expressions that serve the freedom of more beings.
Vatsyayana, trans. R. F. Burton (1883/1994) The Kama Sutra. Penguin, London
The Kama Sutra is an ancient Indian literature compiled by numerous authors regarding the many aspects of sexual relations in Ancient India, from hygiene to courting, marriage and sexual technique for both men and women. The Kama Sutra, while often praised for it’s open-mindedness, is certain a document of its times, one recommendation being that if a woman does not want to marry a man that man should kidnap her, conduct a marriage ceremony and then he legally owns her.
Craze, R. (2002) Teach Yourself Tantric Sex. Hodder Headline, London
While somewhat directed towards contemplative practice this book is more a helpful manual to instruct people in making sex more pleasurable the use of training muscles such as the female’s pelvic floor or male’s pubococcygenus (PC) muscle. This is in no way a criticism of the book, which may help people become more sexually empowered and possibly interested in spiritual practice, but this kind of text does need to be clearly recognised as separate from the religion of Tantra or living a Tantric life.
Barefoot Doctor (1998) Handbook for the Urban Warrior; a spiritual survival guide. Piatkus, London
The Barefoot Doctor largely presents an approach based on traditional Chinese medicine and the practice of Tai Chi, which would be termed the ‘Subtle body’ within AQAL terminology. Part of the book explores practices that can be used in order to increase sexual energy as well as energy in general and would therefore be of use to people regardless of their psychological development in providing more ‘lust for life’.
Freud, S. (2002) Civilisation and Its Discontents. Penguin, London
Freud presents in this publication a the image of a not yet fully domesticated human but instead one that is charged within libidinal psychosexual energy that needs to be kept ‘under wraps’ by the taming or controlling influence of socialisation. Within the publication higher expressions of sexuality, such as the direct experience with the Transcendent are reduced by Freud to a regressive bliss equated with being in the womb, which Wilber has repeatedly termed the ‘pre/trans fallacy’.
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