A Time Between Stories Episode 6

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Episode 6: The Evolution of Spiritual Community and Leadership

In contemporary western culture, communities that are built around a particular doctrine or philosophy are usually regarded with suspicion and fear. For the sophisticated postmodern mind, there is an almost reflexive mistrust of any religious, spiritual or political ideology in which shared agreements begin to emerge – and most especially where there is a charismatic leader at the center.

The historic mistakes of such communities, and the often shameful and destructive tendencies of their leaders, are all too real. They conjure frightening images of abuses of power and sexuality, loss of independence, groupthink, superstitious belief, and blind subservience to a charismatic authority figure.

But in our relentless preoccupation with what can go wrong in these settings, we invariably fail to recognise the bigger picture. Coming together in an experience of profound communion is a deep human need, and we see it manifest in many different ways throughout history. Indeed, when we cannot meet in an awakened state of oneness with each other, we are denied one of the deepest joys of being human.

The problem is that when this kind of coherence is achieved, it often comes at the cost of individual sovereignty and higher levels of sense-making. At the same time, when we abandon the idea of authority and hierarchy in this context, our respect for learning and attainment is lost, and we end up smothering any opportunity for developmental growth.

The complex truth is that human coherence or “communitas” can be either positive or negative, and usually it’s not a black and white distinction. Coupled with that, inspired authority or leadership inevitably comes with deep risk, but when we abandon it completely we deny the truth and profound rewards of natural hierarchy.

Is it possible to achieve high states of coherence within a group of people who are independent thinkers, sense-makers and sovereign souls? And are we ready to admit that no group can operate without hierarchy, or without authentic leadership?

When all is said and done, human culture and civilization, with all of its profound successes and failures, is built upon communities and their shared vision for what is possible. Inspired leadership is surely an intrinsic part of this picture, and as such we abandon it at our peril.

Marc Gafni has spoken at length in recent times about what he calls the democratization of enlightenment. Gafni sees this as an inevitable evolutionary step in our journey towards ever greater coherence and sense-making as we venture into the 21st century – just as the democratization of governance propelled us into the modern age in the 19th and 20th.

Andrew Cohen proposes that if enlightenment is to truly make sense in the 21st century, our onward journey must encompass the evolution of the “Triple Gem” or Three Jewels of Enlightenment. In the Buddhist tradition, spiritual aspirants take refuge in the Three Jewels: the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. As we enter the meta-modern or Integral age, Cohen argues that we must preserve this essential structure, but radically rethink it. Calling his vision “Triple Gem Integral”, he sees it as the starting point for any conversation about the complex matrix of community, sovereignty, coherence and natural hierarchy.

On the rare occasions when human beings do really come together in a field of deep coherence, our felt experience of ecstatic aliveness is magnified and intensified, propelled beyond the ordinary into an elevated state of unity consciousness that cannot easily be described.

A collective creative flow state emerges, and a kind of new being, seemingly with its own sense of identity, agency and direction. At the same time, none of the unique gifts of the individual are lost – on the contrary, they are enhanced and augmented by the deep trust that is discovered.

From a scientific perspective, flow states are said to promote heightened decision making, problem-solving, innovation, creativity and teamwork. What if we could harness such flow states reliably in this extraordinary shared context?

Both Gafni and Cohen agree that the goal of any new or emerging meta-modern spirituality should be to achieve such a rarefied degree of coherence. The challenge is to do so in a way that is most appropriate to our cultural context – without ever abandoning autonomy or rational thought, and while simultaneously respecting natural hierarchy.

This most likely has not been accomplished yet in any kind of stable way. But the promise and potential of awakening to this rare kind of communion, where autonomy is preserved and hierarchy respected, is enormous. If we can develop the methodology and the technology, it may be possible to achieve something that exceeds our wildest dreams.

In this provocative dialogue, Andrew Cohen and Marc Gafni explore the evolution of spiritual community and leadership in our postmodern and emerging meta-modern culture. Drawing on first-hand experience of both the positive and negative dimensions, Cohen and Gafni invite us to engage in a sober reassessment of this critical dimension of spiritual and cultural endeavour – and look for new ways to understand and cultivate the deep human need for coherence and connection.

Marc Gafni and Andrew Cohen

Dr. Marc Gafni and Andrew Cohen are spiritual teachers and thought leaders who share a strong foundation in an evolutionary approach to spiritual awakening and practice. Both are original and innovative thinkers who have produced pioneering bodies of work in evolutionary spirituality, and formulated many of its core tenets.

Their teachings uphold and demystify the foundational principles of traditional, modern and postmodern wisdom streams, weaving them together into an integral whole. The aim of these dialogues is to generate a creative and dynamic evolutionary tension – to catalyze an awakening to higher and deeper states and stages of consciousness, liberating insights and life-affirming perspectives.

The dialogues will unfold organically over time as an inspiring example of emergent spirituality in action – one that gives rise to its own unique tapestry of coherence and meaning.