Ralph Metzner—Expanding Consciousness

Seven Phases of Socio-Cultural Transformation The Discovery of the consciousness-expanding substance LSD at the height of WWII synchronistically coincided with the invention of nuclear weaponry. As the world geopolitical order attempted to come to terms with the existence of these horrendous weapons of mass destruction, the next few decades saw the birth and growth of a multifaceted movement of consciousness expansion in all areas of society and culture. We can identify a series of profound social-cultural transformations proceeding in seven stages, like the octave pattern described by Gurdjieff. These transformative movements represent a creative response of the collective human psyche to the evolutionary survival challenge posed by nuclear weaponry, world-wide environmental devastation and runaway population growth.