Integral Theory, as most of us know it, is a valuable sensemaking tool, and is the baby of Ken Wilber. Although his first book was published in the 80’s, Wilber himself has largely remained a recluse over the years. The only time during which he was most active in public was around the late 90’s – 2006, after which serious health issues forced him back into a more private space. As the years have gone by, the then robust “integral movement” that gathered around Wilber has transformed, expanded, morphed and mutated, and–to some degree–has also shrunk. One could argue, the Integral community hasn’t really evolved as a united front that is influential in global and local affairs.
Meanwhile, as Wilber predicted 2 decades ago, postmodernity—with its many flavors—is clearly now alive. Welcome, culture wars! In response, while many new intellectuals, academics and media personalities have sprung into action, the Integral presence has been somewhat invisible or mild. In recent years, some of the community’s valued teachers have also died while many are aging. It is long overdue for Integralists to examine what our journey has been and where we might want to go. What, indeed, is the future of Integral itself? Are we really a united and integrated community that’s acting on its full potential? What’s our succession plan? Let’s talk! We’ll use the Polarity Perspectives teachings of Barry Johnson for this discussion.
