Renowned psychiatrist Roger Walsh expands Maslow’s hierarchy to reveal five “meta-motives” culminating in a profound paradox: the deepest fulfillment requires transcending all motivation and allowing the universe to act through us. He then proposes “Bodhisattva 2.0″—seven upgrades to ancient spiritual ideals—arguing that our global crises reflect collective psychological immaturity requiring integration of contemplative wisdom with modern life.
About the Author
Posts by Roger Walsh
Spiritual Intelligence: 21 Skills for Wisdom, Compassion, and Love in Action
Cindy Wigglesworth, John Dupuy and Roger WalshCindy Wigglesworth, trailblazer in the field of spiritual intelligence, has created an assessment tool that identifies our spiritual strengths and weaknesses — qualities that fall outside the traditional IQ or emotional intelligence (EQ) parameters — in order to provide a guide for determining which skills we as individuals need to develop in order to show up in the world as love in action.
The Wonderful (But Flawed) Ideals of DEI
Keith Martin-Smith, Roger Walsh and John DupuyKeith Martin-Smith takes a careful look at the diversity, equity, and inclusion movement when he began to notice the damage it was causing people he knew under the guise of progress, or equity. Putting his keen mind to the task, Keith identified seven key areas where the DEI movement goes markedly astray from the values it aspires to.
The Mysterious World of Shamanism
Roger Walsh and John DupuyRoger Walsh provides us with a brilliant, big picture perspective, pointing out that at the heart of shamanism (and every great world tradition) are psychospiritual technologies—actual practices—that lead us to the doorway of the Great Mystery, and that service is the culmination of each tradition, both as a means to and an expression of one’s realization.
Democracy in Decline? The Supreme Court and the Threat to Public Morality
Mark Fischler, Roger Walsh and John DupuyHow did the democratic process and the values it represents — equality and liberty for all — come to be teetering on the brink? Mark illuminates the fact that the Constitution is not a set-in-stone document, but eminently open to interpretation, and explains that its interpretation is a direct reflection of the worldviews of the Supreme Court justices. In fact, the whole process of democracy needs to be aligned with a certain level of development in order to deliver…
Ken Wilber’s Map of Everything
Brad Reynolds, Roger Walsh and John DupuyBrad Reynolds gives us a beautiful distillation of Ken Wilber’s work, starting from the beginning and spanning decades. Not only does Brad elegantly relate the major themes of Ken’s work, he also makes clear the value of Ken’s contributions—the way this knowledge can be understood and applied to literally expand our notion of reality and evolve our consciousness
The Psychology of Climate Change
Gail Hochachka, John Dupuy and Roger WalshClimate change researcher, sustainable development expert, and activist Gail Hochachka works on the front lines of climate change research, asking—and answering—questions like: How does the way we make meaning, at all our different stages of development, relate to the ways we act on climate change? How can we foster more engagement with climate change? Is climate action scalable? And how are we going to show up for the people who are facing the greatest impacts?
Bringing Soul and Integrity to American Politics
Marianne Williamson, John Dupuy and Roger WalshMore than a political talk, Marianne reveals a psychological and spiritual portrait of the United States, referencing the brilliant vision of our founding fathers, Martin Luther King’s goal of Beloved Community, and telling a stirring story of the way Abraham Lincoln’s second inauguration reflects the high morality of the populace at that time.
Deepening Our Explorations of Reality
Bruce Alderman, John Dupuy and Roger WalshBruce Alderman, poet, mystic, and spiritual explorer, is also an integral scholar and pioneer of the emerging field of metatheory, looking at how to put our disparate fields of information—spiritual, psychological, philosophical, environmental, scientific—together and integrate them into a useful whole.
Buddhas in Blue: Enlightened Ways to Make Policing Work For Everyone
Ryan Johansen, Chris Orrey, Roger Walsh and John DupuyIn this moving, illuminating, and impassioned discussion, retired Police Lt. Chris Orrey and San Bruno Police Chief Ryan Johansen open our eyes as to the realities of policing in today’s world and offer solutions as to how the entire institution of police work could be transformed to become more effective and sustainable, both for police officers and for the communities they serve.
The Essence of Awakening: Who Are We Really?
Lama Surya Das, Roger Walsh and John DupuyLama Surya Das, beloved meditation teacher, scholar, pioneer of bringing Tibetan Buddhism to the West, and author of the bestseller Awakening the Buddha Within among many more, shares bright gems of wisdom from his extensive experience practicing Dzogchen, his long immersion in meditation retreats, and studying in person with the great spiritual teachers of Asia.
Building a Just World: How Our Laws Express Our Collective Values
Mark Fischler, John Dupuy and Roger WalshConstitutional law expert and criminal justice professor Mark Fischler has a thirst for justice and a gift for teaching. With cogency and passion, Mark explains that law is not the absolute that we perhaps thought, but an ever changing reflection of the values we hold as a society. Law is a developmental process, and will benefit from our own dedication to inner moral development.
The Enneagram as a Spiritual Tool
Leslie Hershberger, John Dupuy and Roger WalshEnneagram expert, teacher, master facilitator, and transformational coach Leslie Hershberger leads us into the world of the Enneagram, painting a broader, deeper picture of the Enneagram and its uses as a psycho-spiritual tool than is commonly understood.
From Race to Culture to Kosmos
Greg Thomas, John Dupuy and Roger WalshJoin cultural analyst and co-founder of the Jazz Leadership Project, Greg Thomas, as he explores the transformative power of culture, using his knowledge of jazz and blues as a conduit to greater understanding and connection. Greg tackles layered issues of race through a systemic lens, suggesting a shift from racial to cultural worldview, offering an enlightening dialogue filled with anecdotes from music history and a rich exploration of how shared cultural experiences can dissolve boundaries and unite us all.
Grappling with the Metacrisis
Sean Esbjörn-Hargens, Nicholas Hedlund, Roger Walsh and John DupuyIn this dialogue, the world of metatheories comes alive with urgent, purposeful meaning, because as Sean and Nick point out, integrative metatheories like Ken Wilber’s integral theory and Roy Bhaskar’s critical realism are the only tools that provide a useful framework for us to talk about and confront the vast web of interrelated and wicked problems we face on every level at this time.
Illuminating the Integral Vision: A Metatheory for Understanding Self, Life, and the World
Corey deVos, John Dupuy and Roger WalshCorey gives a terrifically lucid explanation of what the term Integral encompasses: a stage of psychological development, a description of Ken Wilber’s life’s work, and a comprehensive map that comes alive for people, guiding their way and making sense out of enormously complex issues. Corey also describes Integral as a gateway between two massive phases in human history — the “adolescent” phase of collective development now starting to fall behind us, and an integrated phase quite possibly ahead.
The Edge of the Future: Education, Civilization, and the Metacrisis
Zach Stein, John Dupuy and Roger WalshEducator, author, philosopher, and futurist Zachary Stein gives a startling account of the effects the digital age already has on education and where this is headed. Zak sees education in a deeply philosophical sense as fundamental to the sustainability of our civilization, with implications for each component of the metacrisis. Who will be driving the technology stack that actually leads to a viable civilization? Can we maintain our psychological sovereignty in a sea of digital propaganda and know the truth?
The Human Potential Movement: Then and Now
Mike Murphy, Roger Walsh and John DupuyMichael Murphy, author, co-founder of the world-famous Esalen Institute, and pioneer of the Human Potential Movement starting in the 60s, relates a wealth of intimate experience, knowledge, and wisdom covering his decades of living at the leading edge of transformative practice and the realization of human potential.
Nature as Teacher: Finding Beauty, Wisdom, and Self in Everything
Susanne Cook-Greuter, John Dupuy and Roger WalshAdult psychology pioneer and ego development expert Susanne Cook-Greuter introduces us to her favorite wisdom teacher: Nature. Susanne explains how Integral Theory’s 3-2-1 Process can be practiced with elements in nature to gain greater insight into the teachings of nature—evolution, cycles of life and death, the transience of life, the beauty that is everywhere—and to experience oneness with all.
Awakening Joy: Life Skills for Living, Loving, and Serving Life to the Full
James Baraz, Roger Walsh and John DupuyJames’ teachings take us deeply into states like gratitude and compassionate presence, to where we can focus our attention on how it feels to feel good somatically, thereby creating new neural pathways that strengthen awareness and aliveness. James has witnessed a lot of people learn to love themselves and turn their lives around as a result of this teaching.
Nonduality (And Beyond)
A. H. Almaas, John Dupuy and Roger WalshA.H. Almaas (Hameed Ali), renowned author and co-creator of the Diamond Approach, describes his own process of inquiry and some of what he has come to discover in his lifelong pursuit to understand the nature of reality and know the truth.
The Source and Heart of Judaism and the Great Religions
Zvi Ish-Shalom, Roger Walsh and John DupuyIn this remarkable conversation, Zvi describes how he found ways to map and interpret his own profound mystical experiences, how the teachings arise from the ground of being, about how they might become accessible to us all, regardless of religion or spiritual tradition, and how they are especially relevant for young people today, seeking to find a structure for their spiritual journey.
Vertical Development’s Many Gifts
Beena Sharma, John Dupuy and Roger WalshBeena Sharma, president of the Vertical Development Academy (VeDA), gives a beautifully cogent explanation of the 8-stage, full spectrum model of adult psychological development, Vertical Development — illuminating us not only to the characteristics of each stage of development, but the implications and ramifications of each stage, the process of human development as a whole, and how this model can help us face our current metacrisis.
The Remarkable Practice of Dream Yoga
Andrew Holecek, Roger Walsh and John DupuyLucid dreaming expert, author, “curiouist,” and integralist Andrew Holecek explains how lucid dreaming opens the door to a greatly expanded understanding of our minds, our perception of reality, and human potential altogether.
How to Heal a Culture That Has Lost Its Soul
Alexander Beiner, Roger Walsh and John DupuyRebel Wisdom co-founder Alexander Beiner has his finger on the cultural pulse of our times. Here he explores key challenges we face as a global community: sensemaking and truth finding in an culture that has lost its coherence as well as its sense of the divine, and what role psychedelics might play both therapeutically and spiritually in healing our culture. He discusses the need to go beyond the intellectual to find clarity and coherence, using embodied practices like meditation and inquiry, and explains how modalities such as these are an essential container for therapeutic psychedelic experiences.
From Bodhisattva to Ecosattva: Integrating Personal Practice and Global Activism
David Loy, Roger Walsh and John DupuyDavid Loy, Zen teacher, scholar, and prolific author, reveals his acute understanding of the crises we face today, the psychology at the root of the problems, and how we can make our way forward in this in-depth discussion. He has adopted the term ecodharma to focus attention on the challenge Buddhism faces now: integrating personal transformation with global activism and social transformation. As David points out, the focus needs to be on this world, with transcendence being a metaphorical understanding but not an excuse to abandon the problems we and our planet face today.
Healing Collective Trauma: We Are All Shareholders in a Traumatized World
Thomas Hübl, Roger Walsh and John DupuyThomas Hübl, renowned spiritual teacher, author, expert on collective trauma, and creator and facilitator of The Collective Trauma Integration Process, shares fascinating, life changing information about the dynamics of collective trauma — how it is embodied and perpetuated in the language we use, and how we are bound together in a sort of “mutual collusion” that predisposes us to repeat our past, and to repeat over and over the things we would much rather leave behind.
The Moral Imperative to Help Ukraine
Kateryna Yasko, Vytautas Bučiūnas, Bence Gánti, John Dupuy and Roger WalshIntegral leaders Kateryna Yasko, Vytautas Bučiūnas, and Bence Gánti illuminate many of the most poignant and pressing questions of our time, brought to the fore by the ongoing war in Ukraine: Can postmodern people embrace a warrior consciousness when necessary? Are Russians who explicitly support the war worthy of compassion? Can people remain sane and humane while at the same time taking up arms? How can we handle the effects of the psychological trauma that will cascade over generations? And how do we prevent the mass delusion and psychosis that is so easily propagated via modern media technology?
Beyond the Culture War: Consciousness Evolves, Politics Can Too
Steve McIntosh, Roger Walsh and John DupuySteve McIntosh outlines an extraordinary framework to make sense of our political conflicts—extraordinary in that it points to ways through and out of our persistent polarity consciousness. Steve convincingly argues our opportunity is right now: to create a synthesis, a cooperative agreement space, that transcends and includes thesis and antithesis, left and right, individual and community.
The Essence of Zen: One Heart, One Mind
Diane Musho Hamilton, John Dupuy and Roger WalshZen teacher Diane Musho Hamilton brings us home to the simple essence of Zen: to practice as one, without reference to past or future. This heartfelt conversation covers many topics: waking up to our true nature, grief and practices that help us work through it, the tension of “difference,” healing the rift between female and male, the role of ayahuasca and peyote, the ever more subtle process of purification, and a beautiful recitation of 14th century Sufi poet Hafiz’s poem, “I Have Learned So Much.” Allow yourself to be reminded how simple things can get if you let them and how, as Diane says, “We’re all just growing up together.”
Facing the Metacrisis: Conflict, Metamodernity, and Construct Awareness
Jonathan Rowson, John Dupuy and Roger WalshJonathan Rowson, brilliant, driven, articulate, shines a bright light of understanding on the metacrisis we face today, what feeds it, and what could help us find our way through. What is metamodernity and what does it have to offer? Is the ecological crisis fundamentally an educational crisis? Can we grow into our problem rather than thinking of ourselves as “failing beings” as the climate collapses around us?
Facing Death: A Call to “Get Real”
Terry Patten, Roger Walsh and John DupuyAn extraordinary, heartfelt conversation with spiritual practitioner, teacher, activist, Integralist, and author Terry Patten, who was at the time facing his own mortality following a recent diagnosis of a rare and aggressive cancer. An inner radiance shines forth as Terry, with much graciousness and candor, discusses the call to “get real”—not only personally but also collectively; his deepened perception of the “amazing grace of existence;” the directionality that has guided much of his life; and action inquiry: working on becoming next-stage human beings by experimenting with being the best people we can be. A touching and transformative talk, Terry conveys the deepening understanding coming from living on the edge and transmits a “radical okayness” with everything.
How We Can Hack Our Brain to Become Happier, Healthier, and More Transcendent
Rick Hanson, John Dupuy and Roger WalshIn this inspiring and empowering conversation, Rick Hanson spells out how we can use positive, self-directed neuroplasticity to hardwire our brains in order to become happier, cultivate virtues, deal with cravings, become deeply grounded, turn our desired states into stable traits, and more.
Responding to Suffering and Evil: Integral Principles
Roger WalshSuffering and evil challenge us all, but several principles may help Integral practitioners to respond effectively. These include appreciating the role that unrecognized, limited perspectives (and corresponding worldviews) play in creating suffering and evil, and learning to recognize and release such limitations into more integral stances. Doing this skillfully requires taking up effective, authentic psychological and contemplative disciplines, and especially the disciplines of awakening service or karma yoga, whose central elements are described.
Ramping Up Human Evolution in Time to Avert Disaster
Jamie Wheal, John Dupuy and Roger WalshIn this riveting, mind opening (and bending) conversation, philosopher and peak performance expert Jamie Wheal takes our existential metacrisis head on, asking and often answering the biggest questions we, the human race, face today. More than inspirational, this conversation is like an infusion of the energetic, coherent, transpersonal potential of human beings. Guaranteed, you won’t see things the same way after listening.
Polarization, Being Woke, the Universal Agenda, Mindfulness Going Bad, and the Integral Vision
Jeff Salzman, John Dupuy and Roger WalshCulture wars, polarization, discernment versus condemnation, how our psychological development determines political attitudes and values, and how Integral perspectives help us understand them all. A candid conversation, ranging from global current events to personal spiritual turning points, with endearing, brilliant, and optimistic Integral pundit Jeff Salzman.
Calling All Integral Practitioners! Responding Effectively to the Crises and Craziness of Our Times
Roger WalshWe are in a race between consciousness and catastrophe, and the potential catastrophes keep multiplying. But the outcome is not predestined and our fate is in our hands. As integral practitioners, the question becomes: How can we use our integral skills to contribute most effectively? Of course, beneath this lies another question: How do we discover our most effective contributions?
Life as Practice: Karma Yoga and Awakening Service
Roger WalshAnyone who is deeply committed to contemplative practice and to cultivating the qualities it enhances—such as empathy, compassion, clarity and insight, to name only a few—will want to practice as continuously as possible. This means finding a way to use our daily activities and work as part of our practice. Fortunately, such a way is part of the world’s major religious-spiritual traditions, and it is formulated most explicitly in Hinduism as karma yoga.
Unitas Multiplex: A More Integral Approach to Diversity
Roger Walsh and Ken WilberRoger Walsh and Ken Wilber explore a more integral approach to diversity that seeks to add a critical missing piece that has been missing from the conversation: the notion of developmental diversity.
Integral Power Panel
Ginny Whitelaw, Roger Walsh, Jeff Salzman, Gail Hochachka, Bert Parlee and Robb SmithJoin panelists Ginny Whitelaw, Roger Walsh, Jeff Salzman, Gail Hochachka, and Bert Parlee in this far-ranging discussion about power — how to relate to it, how to wield it, and how to avoid getting trampled by it.
Lifestyle and Mental Health: Restoring Sanity in the 21st Century
Roger WalshRoger Walsh describes eight of the most crucial lifestyle-based approaches to help restore balance and sanity to our frantic 21st-century lives.
Cultivating Wisdom
Roger WalshIn an era drenched in data, a desire for wisdom has been reborn. Where can we go to learn about wisdom? This ILP module offers distillations of the world’s accumulated wisdom — ancient and modern, religious and scientific, philosophical and psychological.
Searching for Wisdom in the 21st Century
Roger Walsh and Ken WilberClimate change, wealth inequality, ideological polarization, terrorism, religious radicalization — these are some of the truly wicked problems of the world. And none of our most pressing global challenges can be navigated or overcome without a momentous leap of collective wisdom, as well as a commensurate increase in our ability to recognize and leverage that wisdom. But what exactly is this wisdom that so many of us are searching for? Where can we find it? How do we cultivate it in our own lives and make it available to more people?
The State of the Integral Art
Roger WalshRoger Walsh explains how we can bring the Integral vision into our personal and professional lives and use it to make a meaningful impact in the world.
An Integral Guide to Healthy and Happy Living
Roger Walsh and Ken WilberRoger Walsh and Ken Wilber share a detailed exploration of Integral health and wellness. Together they outline a comprehensive guide to healthy living, offering some incredibly simple and practical ways to help increase your overall health, happiness, and vitality.
8 Simple Lifestyle Tips to Improve Your Health and Happiness
Roger Walsh and Ken WilberRoger and Ken discuss the eight most important things you can do to transform your daily lifestyle, all of which will make a tremendous and immediate difference in your life, your relationships, and your ongoing sense of well-being.
Living an Ethical Life
Roger WalshHow do you live your life free of regret? How do you take the wisdom of the Integral vision and exercise it in your day to day life? How do you move beyond the blame and guilt that so often festers in the basement of your psyche? And why can it be so hard to simply be good? Roger discusses this and more in his presentation on Integral Ethics, delivered at the 2010 Integral Theory Conference.
The Integral Movement: Past, Present, and Future
Roger Walsh and Ken WilberRoger Walsh offers one of the finest overviews of the integral movement that we have ever seen — where we’re at, where we’ve been, and where we’re going. Now more than ever, the integral movement is poised to make a tremendous impact upon the world.
Integral Ethics: How to Practice an Integral Life
Roger Walsh and Ken WilberRoger Walsh and Ken Wilber discuss one of the most important — and least discussed — aspects of integral practice: how to live an ethical life.
10-Minute Practices to Reconnect with Spirit
Roger WalshA quick and easy way to recontact the sacred dimensions of this and every moment.