""States" still must be converted to "traits." You still have to go from acorn to oak if you are going to become one with the forest. So while "states" are important, "stages" are even more important." ~ Ken Wilber from A Brief History of Everything
States and stages. It's an important part of Ken Wilber's Integral Philosophy.
Quickly: We've all had moments of inspiration—whether it's that time when we're in flow as we write or paint or speak, or when we're on a psychedelic trip and see the interconnectedness in ways we've never dreamt of (hasn't been my path) or when we're making love and feel that ineffable union with our partner's mind, body and spirit.
Whatever catalyzes your "state" experiences, it's really only a nice little balloon that'll lose it's air in a week and lay shriveled on the floor unless you can create the structures in your life to LIVE from that place of awareness. THAT requires you to evolve to a new STAGE of development at which level of development the state experience is normal.
States and Stages. Make sense?
Have you ever had a flash of insight at a weekend empowerment seminar/meditation retreat/rave/whatever and come back all wide-eyed and unstoppable, telling your friends about your incredible experience and your newfound enlightenment?!? (Me, too. :))
But this STATE experience is usually (always?) short-lived until we've evolved to a point where it's more than just a state experience—until we're living from a STAGE of development the new awareness can't "stick." And, sure enough, a week or two later, we might find ourselves back to our old selves and wondering what (the hell?!?) happened. :)
The remedy? Honor the state experiences we're blessed to have but see them for what they are: a TASTE of what's possible. And know that the way we get to live with those state experiences on a sustainable level is to build the structures in our lives that push us forward as human beings.
Think of it like this: You want to see the world from a certain height? You have a couple of options: You can get shot out of a cannon and see the world from 1,500 feet up. Briefly. Then what happens? Well, unless you're Superman and fly away and live happily ever after, you come crashing back down to earth. Ouch.
A much better option: If you want to live from that height, why not build a skyscraper and live from penthouse suite? Too much work? Yep, sometimes it feels like it! But if we want to have any more than the fleeting experience of flying across the sky in a gleeful state experience, we MUST do the work. We must patiently, diligently and persistently advance through stages of development. We've gotta dig an incredibly (!!!) deep foundation and then patiently erect floor after floor after dozens of floors until, alas, you have a view from one of the highest and most beautiful points in the world.
That's states and stages.
So... Are you focusing on your rituals? Your meditation? Your journaling? Your authenticity? Your transparency? Your fearlessness? Your mind? Your body? Your open heart?
Good. See you at the top! :)
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