For years, Tami Simon, the President of Sounds True, has tried to convince Ken Wilber to do an audio on his integral work. He decided to do a four-day session with her asking questions. The result is this ten CD package which adds up to twelve-and-one-half hours of material by the eclectic and prolific philosopher whose many books have been translated into more than twenty languages.
Wilber's theory of everything blends ancient wisdom with modern science. His probes range widely from evolutionary theory to anthropology, psychology, sociology, and spirituality. The adventuresome listener will find plenty of material here of interest, thanks to Simon's fine questions and Wilber's enthusiasm, openness, self-deprecating humor, and ability to talk freely about anything. This thought-provoking audio course provides an "integral" map of the Kosmos — the universe that includes the physical cosmos as well as the realms of consciousness and Spirit.
On Session One, Wilber calls himself a storyteller who has fashioned "an ongoing docudrama on the big picture." Since his first book, written when he was 23, he has reveled in the passion of a philosophical quest to map human possibilities. Wilber defines some of the terms he uses repeatedly including the three realms of experience explored (The Good, the True, and the Beautiful), the five components of the Integral Map (quadrants, lines, states, types, and stages), evolutionary development, and states of consciousness.
For those most interested in the quest for wholeness and expression of your authentic self, Wilber offers four equally valid definitions of spirituality, a cogent explanation of feminine and masculine drives, and an affirmation of meditation as a tool for personal development. He also covers mystical experiences in nature, enlightened teachers, reincarnation, sexuality and lovemaking, ethical dilemmas, developing witness consciousness, and integral perspectives on lucid dreaming, astrology, brain machines, and the enneagram. Those whose appetites have been whetted by this smorgasbord of ideas, ideals, declarations, and insights can visit Ken Wilber and the Integral Institute at www.integralinstitute.org.
