Wilber traces human development from infancy into adulthood and beyond, into those states described by mystics and spiritual adepts. The spiritual evolution of such extraordinary individuals as the Buddha and Jesus hints at the direction human beings will take in their continuing growth toward transcendence.

Wilber traces human development from infancy into adulthood and beyond, into those states described by mystics and spiritual adepts. The spiritual evolution of such extraordinary individuals as the Buddha and Jesus hints at the direction human beings will take in their continuing growth toward transcendence.

This book chronicles humanity's cultural and psychospiritual evolutionary journey over some six million years from its primal past into its dazzling cosmic future.

Drawing on modern research in psychology and psychiatry, as well as the world's great contemplative traditions, this classic presents a model of individual development that embraces both the conventional stages of psychological growth and the higher levels of spiritual development. In nine seminal essays, the authors and three contributors present discussions on the following topics: A full-spectrum model of consciousness, focusing on the self and its journey through the basic structures of matter, body, mind, soul, and spirit Types of psychopathology that emerge at the various levels of spiritual development Misuses and psychiatric complications of meditation practice Pioneering research into the cross-cultural stages of the meditative path A new preface by Ken Wilber, placing this work within his current integral model of consciousness Contributors include the psychiatrist Mark Epstein (author ofThoughts without a Thinkerand several other books on Buddhism and psychology), and the Christian theologian John Chirban.

This is the definitive guide to the life and work of Ken Wilber, widely regarded as the most comprehensive and passionate philosopher of our times. In this long overdue exploration of Wilber's life and work, Frank Visser not only outlines the theories of this profound thinker, but also uncovers his personal life, showing how his experiences influenced and shaped his writing. Wilber's impressive body of work, including nineteen books in more than thirty languages, brings together science and religion, philosophy, art, culture, East and West, and places them within the all-encompassing perspective of evolution. Visser's book follows Wilber's four distinct phases as he reveals not only the story behind Wilber's writing, but also the man behind the ideas. In recounting the course of Wilber's life and the motives that led him to the subjects he has written so much about, Visser uncovers the intricacies of one of the world's most important intellectuals. Included in this indispensable resource is a complete bibliography of Wilber's work.

A passionate conversation among the best minds in transpersonal studies about the ideas of Ken Wilber, the prominent contemporary thinker whose first book, The Spectrum of Consciousness, published by Quest in 1977, launched the transpersonal psychology movement. Transpersonal thinkers taking part in this dynamic dialogue combine Eastern and Western spirituality with mainstream fields such as psychology, medicine, physics, and ecology to map the human drive toward Spirit. Contributors include best-selling authors Jack Kornfield (A Path with Heart), Joseph Goldstein (Insight Meditation), Michael Murphy (The Future of the Body), Stanislav Grof (The Holotropic Mind), and Jeanne Achterberg (Rituals of Healing). Wilber's spirited response to each probing assessment of his ideas and the authors' rebuttals give readers ringside seats at an engaging sparring match among intellectual and spiritual superstars.

The freshest and most respected thinkers in transpersonal psychology explore the myriad pathways to knowledge.