Ken Wilber on Integral Theory, and the Importance of Waking Up, Growing Up, Cleaning Up, and Showing Up

Ken Wilber covers a vast array of topics in this remarkable interview. It was so enthralling and all encompassing that before we knew it over three hours had flown by! Ken shares his personal story and then offers an overview of Integral Theory that is not to be missed. Integral Theory is completely in harmony with the spirit of Night Club (and the six tracks of Night School), and has unparalleled explanatory power that covers both the nocturnal and diurnal aspects of what Night Club aspires to offer. This is one reason we invited Ken to be our first interview guest, because the map he describes completely covers the territory we will be exploring. Topics covered include the importance of both Waking Up and Growing Up, and the difference between states and structures of consciousness. This is followed by a discussion of Cleaning Up (the importance of shadow work) and finally Showing Up (using all four “quadrants” to step back into the world). We then return to his personal journey, emphasizing the place of the nocturnal meditations on his path. We then discuss the irreducible instruction on the spiritual path (and the little known secret to attaining lucidity), and the affective or emotional aspect of what it is like to “wake up.” What does that actually feel like, how can we identify it? We then talk about what being fully realized has to include, and the limitations of “partial enlightenment” that trap so many unsuspecting practitioners. In order for your awakening to be complete, you have to return fully and freely into the world of form. We close with a look at the plasticity or dream-like nature of the phenomenal world, and the role of projection in the creation (or co-enactment) of the world. This interview reveals how one can use the medium of sleep and dream to wake up to the nature of mind and reality altogether. In this interview you will see why Ken is called a national treasure.