Inner Transformation for 21st

Century Futures:

The Missing Dimension in

Higher EducationCHRISTOPH WOIWODE

BATH SPA UNIVERSITY & INDO-GERMAN CENTRE FOR SUSTAINABILITY

INTREPID KNOWLEDGE, FINAL CONFERENCE, 27TH TO 29TH MARCH 2019, LISBOA PORTUGAL

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2“At present mankind is undergoing an evolutionary crisis in which is concealed a

choice of its destiny; for a stage has been reached in which the human mind has

achieved in certain directions an enormous development while in others it stands

arrested and bewildered and can no longer find its way”

(Sri Aurobindo in Live Divine, 2005: 1090).

“The problem is not how to demonstrate … that Gaia is in desperate trouble. […] The real

problem is how to get people to internally transform from egocentric to sociocentric to

worldcentric consciousness, which is the only stance that can grasp the global dimensions of

the problem in the first place, and thus the only stance that can freely, even eagerly, embrace

global solutions” (Ken Wilber in Sex, Ecology, Spirituality, 2000: 541; italics original emphasis).

INTEGRAL YOGA

INTEGRAL THEORY

Fundamental crises lead to existential

questions of our existence

• E.g. Fritjof Capra, Thomas Homer-Dixon, Otto Scharmer, Ken

Wilber, Vedantic Scholars and Practitioners of Spiritual Traditions

alike find similar answers:

“[Answers] can be given from a purely materialistic-deterministic

point of view, or …from a more holistic perspective that also includes

the more subtle mental and intentional spiritual sources of social

reality creation.

…when looking at the global challenges of our time, we can

recognize the call of our time to come up with a new synthesis among science, social change, and the evolution of self (or

consciousness).” (Theory U, Scharmer 2009: 14, 15)

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Making the case for Interiority: a

crisis in consciousness

Alienation (Roy Bhaskar)

spiritual-cultural divide (Scharmer)

A notion of a developmental or evolutionary perspective of human consciousness

the key to inner transformation of the individual (self) and the collective (Self)! (like

Aurobindo’s)

We must seek to step out of our (Western) mindset ‘comfort zone’ to overcome

inherent limitations to develop a planetary consciousness

“We are in the midst of an unprecedented evolutionary crisis in which the fate of our species

hangs in the balance. We are failing to adapt to our world. […] it is a crisis in consciousness,

which is the real force behind all evolution. The consciousness that we have developed as a

civilization is insufficient to meet the needs of our species or to fulfill our planetary role.”

(Vedantic/Yoga scholar Frawley 2006: 182)

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A co-evolutionary perspective

on interior-exterior

Four Quadrant Model of Integral Theory

Development of the self

and the Self

Reynolds (2006: 204)

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Tackling theory: an example of integrating interiority with urban development/planning

Conceptual/theoretical area Sample authors1. Integrative approaches/frameworks: Very diverse: among others

a) integral theory Ken Wilber

b) Critical Realism & philosophy of metaReality Roy Bhaskar

c) Theory of relational and contextual reasoning

d) transdisciplinarity

Helmut Reich

e.g. Basarab Nicolescu

2. Spirituality:a) Sociology, anthropology and religious studies

b) Global relevance and rise of spirituality

Very diverse: among others Tacey, Heelas &

Woodhead, Giri

3. Theory of communicative action & postsecularism

Jürgen Habermas

4. Deep and Integral Ecology/sustainability/climate change

Arne Naess, Jochen Kirchhoff, Esbjörn-Hargens &

Zimmerman, O´Brian, Hochachka

5. Indian philosophical traditions of integralism:a) Vedanta philosophy (advaita=non-duality)

various writings ancient and contemporary (e.g. Sri

Aurobindo and other more recent sages)

b) Earth democracy/ecology Vandana Shiva

6. Management studiesTheory U Otto Scharmer

7. Urban planning practice and theories in relation to integrative frameworks:

Contemporary postmodernist approaches

(collaborative planning, complexity, fuzzy logic)

and explicit integrative approaches (Marilyn

Hamilton, Ian Wight), postsecular city (Baker &

Beaumont)

(Wo

iwo

de

2016)

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The emerging Field of

Interiority

Integrating

INTERIORITY/

SPIRITUALITY

POSTSECULARISM

POSTMATERIALISM

(W)HOLISM

NEO-INTEGRATIVE

THEORIES

PERENNIAL PHILOSOPHIES

(e.g. monism, Integral Yoga, Zen Buddhism)

Meta-theorising

TRANS-DISCIPLINA

RITY

Human global/planetary

sustainable development

mapping the wider fields that emerged in the past few decades with an emphasis on (re-)integrating interiority with science, culture and nature

(Woiwode 2016)

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A Paradigm Shift - How can we get out of the

cave to overcome maya (illusion/ignorance)?

The Great Transformation

(WBGU 2011) The Great Transition

(greattransition.org, Raskin

2002&2016)

The Great Turning

(Macy & Johnstone 2012)The Great Mindshift

(Goepel 2016)

Transmodernity (Ghisi 2008)

Cultural-spiritual paradigm shift

(Scharmer 2007)

(Image by Theresa Knott, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52263458)

The long path of renewal

(Papa Francescu 2015)

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A Global Transformation of Values?

Transformed humankind?Evolving new worldview is changing our cosmology

(Western/Westernized perspective)

“integral“, “transmodern“, “post-industrial“

Holarchic, holistic and systemic

Conscious effort to re-integrate with nature and kosmos(cosmos)

Significant departure from (post-)modern condition

(Post)Modern Condition

The modern and

alienated Human

Estranged from nature

& cosmos

Logical, rational,

intellectual, reductionist

Transmodern Condition

The integral, planetary

Human

Consciously evolving &

recreating our connections

with Nature & kosmos

Post-rational, trans-rational,

transformed consciousness (Gidley 2006)

(Gidley 2007, Goerner 1999, Wilber 2000)

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Glancing into the future:

More spiritual but less religious?

Report to the Club of

Rome in 2013, forecasting

developments to the year 2052

Sarah Severn:

The youth is becoming more

spiritual: recent discoveries in the fields of quantum physics, human

consciousness, and noetic science

will be mainstream;

“We live in turbulent times and the

search for meaning in life is

becoming a powerful driver”

Dag Andersen: “The next cultural

step”

Real core of the old paradigm that

will be dying in 2052 is idea that

physical material is the only real

reality

New religiosity, self-development,

healing increasing in importance

Next step is transformational change

– people “… perceive self-

development as important in order

to have a good life…the

development of consciousness has

become a goal in itself.”

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The ‘new spirituality‘

in the ‘West’ a (re-)emergence of spirituality characterized by a change in its meaning

many people spiritual but not religious, rejecting the dogmatic framework of established religions (Bucher 2007)

‘popular spirituality’ (Knoblauch, 2009)

‘alternative spirituality’ (Mohrmann, 2010)

‘secular spirituality’ (Benedikter and Molz 2012)

the core of spirituality is the personal experience of transcendence, practices of personal growth and transformation through the development of mind and consciousness, the essence of “to know thyself”

“The relationships in art are not necessarily

ones of outward form, but are founded on

inner sympathy of meaning”(Wassily Kandinsky, 1914, The Art of Spiritual

Harmony)

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(“aatmaanam viddhi”, Sanskrit)

“know

thyself”

(English)

“nosce te

ipsum” (Latin)

“erkenne Dich

selbst” (German)

γνῶθι σεαυτόν

(“gnothi seauton”,

Greek)

‘Practical Spirituality’ and Transformation

“Practical spirituality also emphasizes on transformative practice which leads to self-transformation, cultural transformation and world transformation”

(A. K. Giri, Practical Spirituality and Human Development, forthcoming, p. 3)

spirituality rooted ‘in-this-world’

conscious action in the quotidian world situated in the ‘here-and-now’

revitalisation of spirituality in many Western societies embraces ‘engaged spirituality’ (Tacey, 2003) or

even ‘green yoga’ with an ‘eco-yogic’ practice (Fürch, 2009; Brenda and Georg Feuerstein, 2007)

PioneersIntentional communities (e.g. eco-villages)Transition MovementYoga movement,Slow Food movement,Faith communities, etc.

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Revamping Learning & ResearchLevel Individual Organisation HE/Research

Institutions

First-Order-

Learning/Change

Achievement/

competition

Learning by adaptation

Efficiency/operative controlling

Mode 1-Science

‘Efficiency gap’/

linear logic of excellence

Second-Order-

Learning/Change

New lifestyle

designs, reflexivity of

individual values and orientations

Change of

goals/strategic

controlling, reflexivity of

cooperative/

organisational action strategies

Mode 2-Science/

Science for sustainability

Transformative

Learning/Change

Wisdom/

presencing,

awareness about

own relational embeddedness

New models of

meaning/organizational

change in reflexivity of social transformation

Transformative/ Mode 3-Science

(source: adapted from Schneidewind and Singer-Brodowski

2013: 80; translation from German by C. Woiwode)

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Integral paradigm: postformal-

integral-planetary pedagogies(Gidley2009, 'Educating for evolving consciousness: voicing the emergency for love, life and

wisdom' in de Souza et al. (ed.)

Education for compassion, love, care, embracing each others’

perspectives/empathy, mercy

Wisdom, creativity

“we are drowning in information while starving for wisdom”

(Worldwatch Institute, 2018 State of the

World Report ‘EarthEd’: Rethinking Education on a changing planet) (Gidley 2009: 558)

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16Example:

Swadharma – AurovilleSwadharma = ‘the work governed by one’s own

nature

Learning objective is intended to be two-fold:

Inner development

Outer manifestation

Learning process is:

Self-referential - finding the inner guide

Self-directed - choices based on inner

guidance

Experiential - learning by doing

Immersive - residential, full-time

Integral - touching all parts, wholesome

Pedagogy simultaneously enables the learner to

be:

In harmony with one’s inner nature

In harmony with one’s outer work

In harmony with the larger whole of which the

individual is a part

Source: www.swadharma.auroville.org/swadharma

Module: Sustainability and Inner Transformation

International Master Programme in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science

aim of the course

to critically assess the potential role of inner transformation for sustainability

specific objectives of this course are threefold:

1. to develop a critical understanding of the potential interlinkages between inner transformation and sustainability

2. inner transformation theories and practices are assessed in relation to a specific sustainability field

3. to engage and critically reflect on the nature of inner transformation and its salience to sustainability science and learning

Wamsler 2018; www.lumes.lu.se/about/programme-outline/3rd-

semester/sustainability-and-inner-transformation

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Example: Lund

University Centre for

Sustainability Studies

Competencies for an integral vision for urban

development practice and practitioners (source: http://english.iihs.co.in)

Example: A new ‘urban

practitioner’?

Proposal by Indian Institute for Human Settlements

(Bangalore)

builds on a century-long tradition of integral

education pioneered by Tagore, Aurobindo,

Krishnamurthy, Ambedkar, Azad and Gandhi

The Core ‘module’ a series of engagements with:

• The s/Self

• Society and Environment

• Professional practice

Agency is the essence of urban practitioners who

also see themselves as collective actors in co-

evolving socio-cultural, political and institutional

landscapes

(Woiwode 2012, Urban Development and Spirituality, in TRIALOG)

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Conclusions

Swanson (2009) urges humanity to “re-learn Being”: education for sustainable

development would require a global ethical reorientation with learning focusing on ethics, creativity and critical thinking in transdisciplinary projects

Finding one’s calling or vocation to unlock creativity and ‘know thyself’ (who am I? why am I here?)

Immersion: learning in projects, real-world/living labs

Learning must consider both knowledge AND wisdom

The inner dimension underscores and helps develop ethical frameworks and constrains

Transformational learning requires transformational practices at personal and

collective levels

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Thank you

“It is evident […] that the fate and well-being of

modern civilization will be shaped significantly by

the balance (or lack thereof) between the two

opposing developments of technological progress

and spiritual wisdom”

(Capra and Luisi 2014: 276)

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