An Integral View of Spiritual Experience

A spiritual experience has been described by some as an encounter with the presence of the infinite within our finite universe of time and space. It takes on many forms and can be conceived of in a wide variety of ways.

Here Steve McIntosh addresses such questions as: How do we gain a deeper understanding of such a spiritual experience and why is it important? What does understanding our spiritual experiences have to do with our evolving consciousness? And what is evolutionary spiritualty? From the materialistic science point of view, spiritual experiences are limited to chemical firings in our brain. However, McIntosh believes that spiritual experience is one of the most direct and powerful pieces of evidence for the reality of spirit. He points out, “Every instance of authentic beauty, truth, and goodness is a spiritual experience. Unpacking how and why those values are authentic expressions of the infinite within the finite can expand our understanding of how spiritual experience can do good work in the world, and how it can evolve our own consciousness and grow us spiritually.”

McIntosh challenges us to hold two seemingly paradoxical worldviews: an infinite, nondual universe and a personal God. One of our natural tendencies is to embrace one pole and to try to invalidate the other. However, one of the technologies of integral thinking is the ability to see interdependent polarities. He goes on to posit, “We can begin to work with this polarity of theism and nonduality in a way that both sides can true each other up, both sides can allow each other to be more fully what they are... there’s a procreative tension between the two... we don’t need to … pick a winner, nor do we have to say it’s all true and it’s a paradox and that’s it.” (hosted by Justine Willis Toms)