04 Jan Transpersonal Psychology and Ken Wilber’s Descending Line
In his early works Ken Wilber created a schema of personal and spiritual development in which all psychological and spiritual paths were placed into either an ascending or descending current, later named “vectors” by Daniels (2005), and ranked by Wilber in terms of his assessment of their increasing sophistication and usefulness. Although Wilber paid lip service to the view that the currents were separate but equal, it was obvious from further analysis that in his view they were not. First of all, the term “descending” carries a pejorative connotation (Daniels, 2005), and, if the point of development is to climb to the height of what’s possible, why would someone choose a path whose destination is not that? Secondly, with his ranking of the systems, it was obvious that he favored the ascending over the descending, and in particular, male, solitary pursuits. This article will review the ascending and descending lines of Ken Wilbur’s interpretation of the perennial philosophy, provide an overview of the descending line and its manifestations in the world today, and look more closely into one of the facets of the descending line: transpersonal sexuality.
Daniels, M. (2021). Shadow, self, spirit revised edition: Essays in transpersonal psychology. Charlottesville, VA: Imprint Academic.
Wilber, K. (1977). The Spectrum of Consciousness. Quest Books
Wilber, K. (1979). No Boundary. Shambhala Publications, Inc.
© 2023 Catherine Auman
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