Missed Part 1? Watch recording here and take a look at the slides here.

Join us for an online lecture and discussion with Roman Angerer, introducing key insights from his work on Transcendental Pluralism. This event explores two fundamental trajectories of language development – and their related psychological functions across the spectrum of consciousness: the Gestalt and the Analytical type.

In our first session, we explored the transcendentals – the a priori conditions, the deep structures that make experience and stage development possible. In this second session, we will turn to the idea of pluralism and why it matters for understanding human growth and development.

Although the Gestalt and Analytical types have been recognized in children’s early language acquisition and their influence can be observed in the great historical debates of philosophy, psychology, and linguistics – even in Ken Wilber’s reflections on “ascenders” and “descenders” –, Roman Angerer’s model of Transcendental Pluralism is the first to systematically trace these trajectories beyond childhood, through adolescence, and into the further reaches of lifespan development.

Drawing on exemplary cases ranging from infants to complex philosophical thinkers, Roman will show how these trajectories unfold across the lifespan and how they can be tracked from magical to mythic, rational, and integral modes of consciousness through the analysis of linguistic self-expression.

Figure 1 : The Validated Trajectory of Transcendental Pluralism – figure shows percentage agreement between
phases of Transcendental Pluralism and other developmental models; including Jean Gebser’s work as a marker

From Katherine Nelson’s pioneering distinction between Gestalt processors and analytic learners to recent neuroscientific research on sulcal folding and language processing, the lecture demonstrates why these developmental types are crucial for education, psychology, and developmental assessment – and thus explains why pluralism matters.

Participants will gain:

• An understanding of Gestalt and Analytical types of language acquisition and
  development.
• Insights into their neurological and psychological foundations.
• A first look at how Transcendental Pluralism offers a meta-framework to integrate typology and stages of growth.

This event is designed for researchers, educators, psychologists, linguists, and anyone interested in the intersections of language, consciousness, and human development. A Q&A session will follow the presentation.

Note: In preparation you can read an excerpt from a larger work on Transcendental Pluralism: Trajectories of Gestalt and Analytical Language Development

While the excerpt engages linguistics in a highly theoretical way, the actual lecture will work with visual patterns and textual dissections designed to foster a deep, intuitive understanding, one that is comparable to a contemplative practice.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Reading Group with Roman to begin soon. Keep checking the Events page. 

PAST 1: AUGUST 15

Transcendental Pluralism is a groundbreaking stage model that unites theoretical elegance with empirical precision. On one hand, it enables us to measure an unprecedented range of developmental stages with high-resolution detail—including transitional phases and quarter stages. On the other, it is the first model to fully embrace and operationalize typological variance, assessing it through identifiable linguistic patterns. 

Yet for this session, a different focus takes center stage: the model and its measurement emerged from embodied inquiry into the process of growing up and its relation to the path of waking up. As such, it is not only empirical and theoretical but deeply rooted in practical application for one’s spiritual journey. 

In this guided session, we will explore the meta-model of Transcendental Pluralism. That is, we will examine the four transcendentals—the deep structures and fundamental building blocks of consciousness, known also, besides others, from Terri O’Fallon’s STAGES model. Within Transcendental Pluralism, these transcendentals are grounded in the nondual realm known as the self-contained absolute, a term drawn from Sri Aurobindo. From this source, they unfold downward to form four layers of consciousness, each containing four developmental stages. 

But this session is not only about theory. You will also hear and feel how the spectrum of consciousness is intimately woven with the embodied nervous system—and how body and consciousness mutually give rise to one another through guided meditation and relational dialogue. 

To prepare, you’re welcome to read my free eBook: 

Either download it freely – Roman-Angerer-The-Stages-of-Transcendental-Pluralism.pdf – or access the patron edition – eBook for Patrons – roman-angerer.de 

Likewise, you are invited to explore the embodiment of the spectrum through this presentation in advance to our session: Neurophenomenology of Stage Development 

While this first session focuses solely on the transcendental grounding within the embodied nervous system of stage development, our next session will explore the two primary types of consciousness that unfold across the entire spectrum.