A "tremendous thirst" for Integral in Iran?

During dinner, I was seated next to Muhammed Legenhausen and across from Dr. Fanaii.

I gave them my documents and told them about Integral Institute and the Integral Spiritual Center. "Have you heard of philosopher, Ken Wilber?"

Legenhausen:  "Yes, in fact, I recently approved the purchase of his Collected Works for our library."

"Really!" I was delighted. "Have you read Wilber yourself?"

No, not really, but he had browsed them. He thought Ken's writings (particularly Wilber 2-3 on the levels) would be of great interest to many seminary students.

Why? I probed.

Because Wilber reflects a sophisticated understanding of Western philosophy, psychology, and individual development. And he pays attention to the special importance of spiritual understanding.

Is that of interest?

Well, yes. Many young, smart, religious Muslims are interested in psychology. They want to explore the interconnections of psychology and spirituality.

So you think psychology students will be especially interested in Wilber?

Yes, there's a tremendous thirst here for this kind of material. And he offers to pass the Wilber material on to others there.

So I shared my hunch that Integral consciousness offers an important new opportunity—a trans-rational bridge connecting the discriminating mind of post / modernism (high structures) with the sacred sensibilities of traditional mystical Islam (high states.)

Yes, he said. What's missing is that we aren't praying together.

Back to that, I thought. Okay.

Praying  together before entering the negotiation/battlefield.

"Remember Me and fight."

Perhaps we do need deep shared silence. Daring to be visibly heart-open before the "other."

Maybe that's the only way to create a safe intersubjective circle inside of which it is possible to have a genuine meeting.

Maybe that's the only way that sincere, inquiring, courageous Iranians and Americans can meet as whole persons and learn how to generate sacred, high-level, consequential conversations.

Maybe that's the only way to have a cultural conversation that can be counted on, one that can grow to include all parties' heads, hearts, and feet, one that can still make sense in billions of ordinary human moments of loss, fear, sorrow, and anger.

Comments

[Hokai Diego Sobol]

Dear Terry, thanks a lot for these reports. The very prospect of an integrally informed dialogue with Iranians is exciting to say the least. Let's hope this initial step will be followed by other, even more engaged meetings, perhaps by instituting a biennial conference? Godspeed, Hokai

[ned]

Very impressive. Thanks for this report, Terry! I think it's high time Americans realized that Iran is not some sort of monolith.