The way we understand reality is based on the extent to which we are prepared to encompass reality.  If your consciousness is restricted, then your perspective on the world will be, and the world-view you adopt will be likewise

There would seem to be five perspectives, leading to five moral standpoints.  These are. from most restricted to most universal:

1. Me-centrism - none of you matter (only me), the world revolves around me, I am god's gift to women, the world owes me a living, I can do what I want irerspective of how it affects you (but you are not allowed to do anything that might affcet or upset me) etc etc
2. Chauvinism  - only my own tribe/clan/race/culture/sect/religion/country/civilisation is valid and laudable.  All the others are inferior
3. Anthropocentrism - all human tribes, races, cultures, creeds etc are equally noble.  But human beings are superior to all other life; man is the paragon of creation, made in the image of God, or alternatively, the highest intelligence that has evolved and therefore the best
4. Biocentrism - all life is sacred; alternatively, all species have equal status (Deep Ecology)
5. Pancentrism - everything that is, is Divinity

These stages can be considered stages of spiritual evolution (in a manner somewhat akin to Da Free John's seven stages of life), from the most limited self-centered and selfish attitude of emotional immaturity (Me-centrism) to universal.compassion and sensitivity for all life (Biocentrism), and seeing the Godhood or infinite Buddhas in every grain of sand (Pancentrism).  As the spirit evolves it becomes more expansive and universal

This is then the inverse of the concept of individualisation and freedom from the tyranny of the group consciousness or group-soul, as described in various respects by Rudolph Steiner, Ann Ree Colton, C.G.Jung and his followers, and Ken Wilber

An alternative way of looking at it would be that each of these perspectives constitutes a higher octave of the subtle or etheric body.  According to Barbara Ann Brennan, the lower Emotional Body is concerned only with one's own self and needs and desires, the middle Emotional body (or the "astral body" as she misleadingly terms it) with interpresonal relations and feeling love for the human race as a whole, and the higher or transpersonal emotional body (or "celestial body") with feeling love and compassion and empathy for all life.  These three emotional bodies can also be related to the astrological planets and signs Venus/Taurus, Jupiter/Sagitarius, and Neptune/Pisces (using the general Humanistic school interpretation of astrology)

This would give the following correspondence:

extent or field of  love/empathy	self	own tribe race culture country creed etc		humanity as a whole	all life	everything - the entire cosmos
psychological stage (Ken Wilber)	"Typhon" Axial-Pranic-Image	Verbal- Membership early and middle Ego / Persona	Late Ego/Persona	Mature Ego, Biosocial Centaur High Subtle		Low Causal High Causal Ultimate
etheric body (Barbara Brennan)	Emotional body		"Astral body" (middle emotional body)		Celestial Body	no equivalent (Paramatman)
astrological signs and planets (metaphoric)	Moon / Venus / Mars Aries / Taurus		Jupiter / Saturn Sagitarius / Capricorn		Neptune Pisces	no equivalent
term used here	Me-centrism	Chauvinism		Anthropocentrism	Biocentrism	Pancentrism

Me-centrism

Chauvinism

Anthropocentrism

Biocentrism

Pancentrism

Kheper Home | Evolution Home | World-Views page | Topics Index | Esotericism | News and Events | Khepershop | Search

images not loading? | error messages? | broken links? | suggestions? | criticism?

contact me