= Spiral_Dynamics =

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= Spiral_Dynamics =
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Introduction
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Spiral Dynamics is a model of developmental psychology and human
development that posits a discrete and linear series of "stages of
development" that individuals, organizations, and societies progress
through, within dynamic and non-linear processes. It lacks mainstream
academic validity or support, although it has been applied in
management consulting and some academic literature.

It was initially developed by psychologist Don Edward Beck and
communications lecturer Christopher Cowan based on memetic theory and
the emergent cyclical theory of Clare W. Graves. A later collaboration
between Beck and new-age writer Ken Wilber produced Spiral Dynamics
Integral (SDi). Several variations of spiral dynamics presently exist,
with some drawing upon Wilber's pseudo-scientific integral theory.

History
======================================================================
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Union College psychology professor
Clare W. Graves published a series of articles which described a
so-called emergent cyclical theory of developmental psychology and
human development.

Spiral Dynamics emerged as a result of a collaboration between
University of North Texas (UNT) professor Don Beck, communications
lecturer Christopher Cowan, and Graves. Beck and Graves first met in
person in 1975, and was joined by Cowan shortly after in developing
Graves's emergent cyclical theory, working closely with Graves until
his death in 1986. In 1979, Beck and Cowan founded the consulting
company National Values Center, Inc. (NVC). By 1981, both Beck and
Cowan had resigned from UNT to work with Graves. During the 1980s and
1990s, Beck made over 60 trips to South Africa applying Graves's
emergent cyclical theory in various projects. This experience, along
with others Beck and Cowan had applying the theory in North America,
motivated the development of spiral dynamics.

Beck and Cowan first published their original extension of Graves's
theory in the 1996 book 'Spiral Dynamics: Mastering Values,
Leadership, and Change (Exploring the New Science of Memetics)'. At
around the same time, new-age author Ken Wilber published 'Sex,
Ecology, Spirituality' (1995), which expounded and drew heavily upon
Graves's work. Beck and Cowan introduced a color-coding for the eight
value systems identified by Graves, and predicted a ninth value
system. Additionally, Beck and Cowan integrated ideas from the field
of memetics, identifying memetic attractors for each of Graves's
levels. These attractors, which they called "VMemes", are said to bind
memes into cohesive packages which structure the worldviews of both
individuals and societies.

In 1998, Cowan and Natasha Todorovic formed their own consulting
company, NVC Consulting (NVCC). In the same year, Cowan filed for the
service mark of "Spiral Dynamics" service mark, which was registered
to NVC. Beck was against the nature of Spiral Dynamics as a service
mark, and by 1999, the pair had ceased collaborating, in part due to
Cowan's opposition to Wilber's theory, which he regarded as overtly
spiritual and unrelated to Graves's original theory. That same year,
Wilver published 'The Collected Works of Ken Wilber, Vol. 4: Integral
Psychology', which contained the first spiral dynamics reference in
literature at the time.

Following the split of NVC, Cowan and Wilber began to expound upon two
different conceptions of spiral dynamics. Wilber's theory increasingly
incorporated elements of spirituality, religion and original concepts
drawn from his integral theory. In the early 2000s, Beck and Wilber
launched the Integral Institute and the Spiral Dynamics Integral (SDi)
brand. Beck also founded the Center for Human Emergence. By 2005,
however, Beck and Wilber had fallen out due to disagreements on
Wilber's changes to SDi. The following year, Wilber published
'Integral Spirituality', which incorporated chakras into SDi theory.

In 2009, NVC was dissolved as business entity, and the original SD
service mark (officially registered to NVC) was canceled. The next
year, Cowan and Todorovic re-filed for the SD service mark and
trademark, which was registered to NVCC. By 2010, the three theories
of spiral dynamics comprised Cowan and Todorovic's trademarked "SPIRAL
DYNAMICS®", which purported to be fundamentally the same as Graves's
emergent cyclical theory; Don Beck advocating SDi with a community of
practice around various chapters of his Centers for Human Emergence;
and Ken Wilber subordinating SDi to his similarly but-not-identically
colored AQAL altitudes, with a greater focus on spirituality.

Timeline
==========
ImageSize = width:800 height:230
PlotArea = left:100 bottom:120 top:10 right:05
Alignbars = justify
DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy
Period = from:01/01/1952 till:01/01/2023
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy
Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4
ScaleMajor = increment:4 start:1952
ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1953

Colors =
id:Exp value:rgb(1,0.8,1)
legend:Initial_experiments
id:EC value:rgb(0.4,0.2,0.8)
legend:E-C_levels_of_existence
id:MS value:rgb(0.8,0,0.8)
legend:Abandoned-manuscript
id:SA value:yellow legend:South_Africa_trips
id:SD value:blue legend:Spiral_Dynamics
id:TMf value:rgb(1,0.6,0) legend:SD_sm/tm_filed
id:TMr value:red
legend:SD_sm/tm_registered
id:SDtm value:darkblue legend:SPIRAL_DYNAMICS®
id:IntSD value:skyblue legend:Integral_with_SD
id:SDi value:rgb(0.8,0.8,0) legend:SDi
id:CHE value:rgb(0.6,0,0) legend:CHE
id:Integral value:rgb(0,0.6,0.4) legend:AQAL_altitudes
id:bars value:gray(0.9)

LineData =
at:01/10/1966 color:EC layer:back # "Deterioration of Work
Standards." Harvard Business Review
at:01/09/1970 color:EC layer:back # "Levels of Existence: An
Open System Theory of Values."
at:01/04/1974 color:EC layer:back # "Human Nature Prepares for
a Momentous Leap" The Futurist
at:31/12/1977 color:MS layer:back # The Never Ending Quest:
manuscript abandoned
at:08/05/1996 color:SD layer:back # Spiral Dynamics: Mastering
Values, Leadership, and Change
at:01/10/1999 color:IntSD layer:back # Collected works of KW,
vol. 4
at:01/03/2000 color:SDtm layer:back # "Spiral Dynamics: The
Layers of Human Values in Strategy"
at:01/08/2000 color:IntSD layer:back # A Theory of Everything
at:01/01/2002 color:SDi layer:back # Spiral Dynamics in the
Integral Age
at:01/06/2002 color:SDtm layer:back # Mean Green Meme: Fact or
Fiction?
at:01/11/2002 color:EC layer:back # Levels of Human Existence
at:01/01/2005 color:EC layer:back # The Never Ending Quest
at:01/10/2006 color:Integral layer:back # Integral Spirituality
at:01/05/2017 color:Integral layer:back # Religion of Tomorrow
at:01/05/2018 color:SDi layer:back # Spiral Dynamics in Action

# at:01/06/2006 color:Integral layer:back # Wyatt Earpy
# at:30/07/2006 color:SDtm layer:back # Observations on Wilber's
Wyatt Earpy post

BarData =
bar:graves text: "Clare W. Graves"
bar:beck text: "Don Beck"
bar:cowan text: "Christopher Cowan"
bar:todorovic text: "Natasha Todorovic"
bar:wilber text: "Ken Wilber"

PlotData=
width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)
bar:graves from:01/01/1952 till:01/01/1960 color:Exp
bar:graves from:01/01/1960 till:02/01/1986 color:EC

bar:beck from:01/05/1974 till:01/05/1996 color:EC
bar:beck from:01/01/1981 till:01/12/1999 color:SA width:3
bar:beck from:01/05/1996 till:01/01/2002 color:SD
bar:beck from:01/01/2002 till:24/05/2022 color:SDi
bar:beck from:01/01/2004 till:24/05/2022 color:CHE width:3

bar:cowan from:01/01/1976 till:01/05/1996 color:EC
bar:cowan from:01/05/1996 till:01/01/1999 color:SD
bar:cowan from:01/01/1999 till:15/07/2015 color:SDtm
bar:cowan from:01/05/1998 till:01/02/1999 color:TMf width:3
bar:cowan from:01/02/1999 till:01/09/2009 color:TMr width:3
bar:cowan from:01/10/2010 till:01/12/2012 color:TMf width:3
bar:cowan from:01/12/2012 till:15/07/2015 color:TMr width:3

bar:todorovic from:01/01/1998 till:01/01/1999 color:SD
bar:todorovic from:01/01/1999 till:end color:SDtm
bar:todorovic from:01/12/2012 till:end color:TMr width:3
bar:todorovic from:01/10/2010 till:01/12/2012 color:TMf width:3

bar:wilber from:01/12/1999 till:01/01/2002 color:IntSD
bar:wilber from:01/01/2002 till:01/10/2006 color:SDi
bar:wilber from:01/10/2006 till:end color:Integral
bar:wilber from:01/10/2006 till:end color:SDi width:3

Theories
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Spiral Dynamics describes how value systems and worldviews emerge from
the interaction of social and historical conditions and mental
processes. It posits a linear series of "stages of development" that
individuals, organizations, and societies progress through, which
emerge as a response to the local environment, social circumstances,
place and time. Under the theory, groups and cultures structure their
societies around corresponding set of values, with each new value
stage developed as a response to solving existing problems. Changes
between states that occur incrementally are described as "first-order
changes", whilst changes that emerge from a sudden breakthrough are
known as "second-order changes".

Beck and Cowan's original theory
==================================
VMemes as described in 'Spiral Dynamics' (1996)
|colspan=5|**'First Tier**'
!colspan=2| Color Graves code Description Attributes
|**Beige**
|**A-N**
|'SurvivalSense' -- Instinctive * Automatic, reflexive * Centers
around satisfaction * Driven by deep brain programs, instincts and
genetics * Little awareness of self as a distinct being
(undifferentiated) * Lives "off the land" much as other animals *
Minimal impact on or control over environment
|**Purple**
|**B-O**
|'KinSpirits' -- Clannish * Obey desires of the mystical spirit
beings * Show allegiance to elders, custom, clan * Preserve sacred
places, objects, rituals * Bond together to endure and find safety *
Live in an enchanted, magical village * Seek harmony with nature's
power
|**Red**
|**C-P**
|'PowerGods' -- Egocentric * In a world of haves and have-nots, it's
good to be a have * Avoid shame, defend reputation, be respected *
Gratify impulses and sense immediately * Fight remorselessly and
without guilt to break constraints * Don't worry about consequences
that may not come
|**Blue**
|**D-Q**
|'TruthForce' -- Purposeful * Find meaning and purpose in living *
Sacrifice self to the Way for deferred reward * Bring order and
stability to all things * Control impulsivity and respond to guilt *
Enforce principles of righteous living * Divine plan assigns people to
their places
|**Orange**
|**E-R**
|'StriveDrive' -- Strategic * Strive for autonomy and independence *
Seek out "the good life" and material abundance * Progress through
searching out the best solutions * Enhance living for many through
science and technology * Play to win and enjoy competition * Learning
through tried-and-true experience
|**Green**
|**F-S**
|colspan=5|**'Second Tier**'
|'HumanBond' -- Relativistic * Explore the inner beings of self and
others * Promote a sense of community and unity * Share society's
resources among all * Liberate humans from greed and dogma * Reach
decisions through consensus * Refresh spirituality and bring harmony
|**Yellow**
|**G-T**
|'FlexFlow' -- Systemic * Accept the inevitability of nature's flows
and forms * Focus on functionality, competence, flexibility, and
spontaneity * Find natural mix of conflicting "truths" and
"uncertainties" * Discovering personal freedom without harm to others
or excesses of self-interest * Experience fullness of living on an
Earth of such diversity in multiple dimensions * Demand integrative
and open systems
|**Turquoise**
|**H-U**
|'GlobalView' -- Holistic * Blending and harmonizing a strong
collective of individuals * Focus on the good of all living entities
as integrated systems * Expanded use of human brain/mind tools and
competencies * Self is part of larger, conscious, spiritual whole that
also serves self * Global networking seen as routine * Acts for
minimalist living so less actually is more
|**Coral**
|**I-V**
|'unknown' |'unknown'

Cowan and Todorovic's "Spiral Dynamics"
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In 2008, Cowan and Todorovic published an article on spiral dynamics
in the peer-reviewed journal 'Strategy & Leadership', edited and
published Graves's unfinished manuscript, and generally took the
position that the distinction between spiral dynamics and Graves's
ECLET is primarily one of terminology. Holding this view, they opposed
interpretations seen as "heterodox."

Cowan and Todorovic's view of spiral dynamics stands in opposition to
that of Ken Wilber. Wilber biographer Frank Visser describes Cowan as
a "strong" critic of Wilber and his integral theory, particularly the
concept of a "Mean Green Meme." Todorovic produced a paper arguing
that research refutes the existence of the "Mean Green Meme" as Beck
and particularly Wilber described it.

Beck's "Spiral Dynamics integral" (SDi)
=========================================
By early 2000, Beck was corresponding with Wilber about spiral
dynamics and using a "4Q/8L" diagram combining Wilber's four quadrants
with the eight known levels of spiral dynamics. Beck officially
announced SDi as launching on January 1, 2002, aligning Spiral
Dynamics with integral theory and additionally citing the influence of
John Petersen of the Arlington Institute and Ichak Adizes. By 2006,
Wilber had introduced a slightly different color sequence for his AQAL
"altitudes", diverging from Beck's SDi and relegating it to the values
line, which is one of many lines within AQAL.

Later influences on SDi include the work of Muzafer Sherif and Carolyn
Sherif in the fields of realistic conflict and social judgement,
specifically their Assimilation Contrast Effect model and Robber's
Cave study

SD/SDi and Ken Wilber's Integral Theory
=========================================
Ken Wilber briefly referenced Graves in his 1986 book 'Transformations
of Consciousness', and again in 1995's 'Sex, Ecology, Spirituality',
which also introduced his four quadrants model. However, it was not
until the "Integral Psychology" section of 1999's 'Collected Works:
Volume 4' that he integrated Gravesian theory, now in the form of
spiral dynamics. Beck and Wilber began discussing their ideas with
each other around this time.

AQAL "altitudes"
==================
By 2006, Wilber was using SDi only for the values line, one of many
lines in his All Quadrants, All Levels/Lines (AQAL) framework. In the
book 'Integral Spirituality' published that year, he introduced the
concept of "altitudes" as an overall "content-free" system to
correlate developmental stages across all of the theories on all of
the lines integrated by AQAL.

The altitudes used a set of colors that were ordered according to the
rainbow, which Wilber explained was necessary to align with color
energies in the tantric tradition. This left only Red, Orange, Green,
and Turquoise in place, changing all of the other colors to greater or
lesser degrees. Furthermore, where spiral dynamics theorizes that the
2nd tier would have six stages repeating the themes of the six stages
of the 1st tier, in the altitude system the 2nd tier contains only two
levels (corresponding to the first two SD 2nd tier levels) followed by
a 3rd tier of four spiritually-oriented levels inspired by the work of
Sri Aurobindo. Beck and Cowan each consider this 3rd tier to be
non-Gravesian.

Spiral Dynamics vs AQAL altitudes
!colspan=4|SD / SDi !colspan=4|AQAL altitudes
source tier level level tier source !rowspan=12|directly from
Graves 2nd '???' |Clear Light 3rd inspired by Aurobindo
'???' |Ultraviolet
'???' |Violet
|Coral |Indigo
|Turquoise |Turquoise 2nd analogous to Graves
|Yellow |Teal 1st |Green |Green |1st
|Orange |Orange
|Blue |Amber
|Red |Red
|Purple |Magenta
|Beige |Infrared

Wilber critic Frank Visser notes that while Wilber gives a
correspondence of his altitude colors to chakras, his correspondence
does not actually match any traditional system for coloring chakras,
despite Wilber's assertion that using the wrong colors would "backfire
badly when any actual energies were used." He goes on to note that
Wilber's criticism of the SD colors as "inadequate" ignores that they
were not intended to correlate with any system such as chakras. In
this context, Visser expresses sympathy for Beck and Cowan's dismay
over what Visser describes as "vandalism" regarding the color scheme,
concluding that the altitude colors are an "awkward hybrid" of the SD
and rainbow/chakra color systems, both lacking the expressiveness of
the former and failing to accurately correlate with the latter.

Validity and reception
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Spiral dynamics has been criticized by some as appearing to be like a
cult, with undue prominence given to the business and intellectual
property concerns of its leading advocates. Psychologist Keith Rice,
discussing his application of SDi in individual psychotherapy, notes
that it encounters limitations in accounting for temperament and the
unconscious.

The journalist Patrick Vermeren argues that spiral dynamics is an
ideological construct that is in blatant contradiction to scientific
facts and has no theoretical or empirical validity, noting that
Graves' speculative assumptions about human developmental stages
contradict established findings in biology, physics and evolutionary
psychology. Vermeren also criticises spiral dynamics as ahistorical
and factually inaccurate in its dating of human development stages;
arbitrary in its use of color codes; reliant upon esoteric and
pseudoscientific concepts; contradictory to evolutionary theory; and
primarily a tool that consultants use to sell services to HR
professionals.

Nicholas Reitter, writing in the 'Journal of Conscious Evolution',
observes:

On the other hand, the SD authors seem also to have magnified some of
the weaknesses in Graves' approach. The occasional messianism,
unevenness of presentation and constant business-orientation of
Graves' (2005) manuscript is transmuted in the SD authors' book (Beck
and Cowan 1996) into a sometimes-bewildering array of references to
world history, pop culture and other topics, often made in
helter-skelter fashion.

Influence and applications
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Spiral dynamics has been applied in some academic articles on
management theory, which was the primary focus of the 1996 'Spiral
Dynamics' book. John Mackey and Rajendra Sisodia write that the vision
and values of conscious capitalism as they articulate it are
consistent with the "2nd tier" VMEMES. Rica Viljoen's case study of
economic development in Ghana demonstrates how understanding the
Purple VMEME allows for organizational storytelling that connects with
diverse (non-Western) worldviews.

Spiral dynamics has also been noted as an example of applied memetics.
Schlaile also notes Said Dawlabani's SDi-based "MEMEnomics" as an
alternative to his own "economemetics" in his chapter examining
memetics and economics in the same book. Elza Maalouf argues that SDi
provides a "memetic" interpretation of non-Western cultures that
Western NGOs often lack, focusing attention on the "indigenous
content" of the culture's value system.

Spiral dynamics remains influential in new-age philosophy and
spirituality.

SDi has also been referenced in the fields of education, urban
planning, and cultural analysis.

Works cited
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*
*
*
*
* (Note on page ii: "This study was approved by Indiana University
Institutional Review Board (IRB)." Note also that a previous report
was published as: Nasser, Ilham (June 2020). "Mapping the Terrain of
Education 2018-2019: A Summary Report". 'Journal of Education in
Muslim Societies'. Indiana University Press. 1 (2): 3-21.
[https://doi.org/10.2979/jems.1.2.08 doi:10.2979/jems.1.2.08], but is
not freely downloadable.)
*
*
*

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Original Article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiral_Dynamics