The Emergence Of Integral Consciousness with Allan Combs, Ph.D.

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We all sense intuitively that reality is not a jumbled assortment of unrelated parts, but a dynamic, unified whole. Yet, as fields of knowledge become increasingly complex and specialized, it's often difficult to see how all the parts of this whole truly fit together. In this dialogue with consciousness researcher Allan Combs, we explore the emergence of what he calls, "Integral Consciousness" - a perspective which reveals the unity beneath all of our diverse domains of understanding. How does the submicroscopic world of the quantum physicist relate to the macroscopic world of biology? Is there a connection between the concrete realities studied by, "hard science" and the ethereal domains of the psyche and the spirit? Is it possible to discern a pattern connecting all of our diverse knowledge - of the outer and the inner - into a single, unified, and meaningful whole? These questions and more are explored in this engaging dialogue. (hosted by Craig Hamilton)

Bio

With a background in consciousness studies, neuropsychology, and systems science, Allan Combs, Ph.D. has spent the past three decades exploring the spiritual and psychological implications of leading-edge scientific discoveries. He is Professor of Transformative Studies at the California Institute of Integral Studies. He also holds appointments at the Saybrook Graduate School and the Assisi Conferences, and is Professor Emeritus at the University of North Carolina-Asheville. Allan is also a Director of the Center for Consciousness Studies at the Integral University, co-founder of the Integral Foundation, a member of The General Evolution Research Group and the one-hundred member Club of Budapest. He is Co-Editor of the Journal of Conscious Evolution, Associate Editor of Dynamical Psychology, and serves on the Editorial Board of Science & Consciousness Review.

He is the author of over fifty articles, chapters, and books on consciousness and the brain, including:

• Radiance of Being: Understanding the Grand Integral Vision; Living the Integral Life (Paragon House 2002)
• Mind in Time: The Dynamics of Thought, Reality, and Consciousness (Advances in Systems Theory, Complexity, and the Human Sciences) (co-author) (Hampton Press 2003)
• Changing Visions: Human Cognitive Maps: Past, Present, and Future (co-author) (Praeger Publishers 1996)
• Synchronicity : Through the Eyes of Science, Myth and the Trickster (co-author) (Marlowe & Company 2000)

To learn more about the work of Allan Combs go to sourceintegralis.org.

Topics Explored in This Dialogue

• Where does consciousness come from
• What does it mean to have an "integral" perspective
• How the new science of "complexity" can inform our understanding of ourselves and our place in the universe
• How consciousness evolves over time
• How "The Secret" fits in an historical context