Navigating The Metacrisis

At the Helm of the Three Horizons

Bill Sharpe’s Three Horizons Framework describes three overlapping stages of change. Horizon 1 represents the current system in decline, driven by outdated practices. Horizon 3 envisions a transformative future where innovative, sustainable solutions emerge. Horizon 2 is the transitional space where both old and new forces interact, with innovations attempting to either sustain or replace existing structures.

We are living through the twilight of a dying paradigm. Horizon One — what we call “business as usual” — is crumbling beneath the weight of its own contradictions.

The super-organism, this intricate, self-terminating system built on the principles of endless growth, extraction, and profit, is imploding.

We are navigating through an unfolding Crisis

This is no ordinary crisis, but a Metacrisis — an aggregate of many polycrises, the most visible of which are ecological in nature. Yet what we see on the surface — Climate change, Biodiversity loss, Soil degradation, Water scarcity, Food insecurity, Mass migration and refugee crises, Political instability and governance failures— are only symptoms of a deeper crisis: a crisis of separation.

Let’s start with the super-organism.

The superorganism is a global, self-organized system driven by human behavior focused on surplus production. It operates mindlessly, prioritizing growth, energy consumption, and resource extraction through interconnected economies and networks. This relentless pursuit of profit often leads to unsustainable practices, fueling ecological and societal crises worldwide.

It thrives on a web of multipolar traps, intricate systems that sustain themselves by draining the life force of everything they touch — nature, society, individuals. Infinite growth is its mantra, extraction its mode of operation. And though sustainability has become a buzzword in every boardroom, for this system, sustainability only means one thing: the perpetuation of its own paradigm. It is a self-reinforcing cycle of denial, ignorance, and refusal to acknowledge our deep entanglement with the living world.

Horizon One is collapsing because its fundamental premise — extraction without regeneration — runs against the grain of life itself.

The polycrises we see today are not isolated events, but interconnected threads in the fabric of the Metacrisis .

We are pushing the boundaries of nine critical planetary systems , and with each breach, we destabilize the delicate balance that has allowed human civilization to flourish. One of these is the climate crisis; another is the mass extinction of species. But beneath these ecological emergencies lies something more profound: a crisis of complexity.

We have built systems so vast and intricate that we can no longer comprehend or manage them. As we race to innovate, to push the boundaries of artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and global networks, we unleash forces we barely understand. The Promethean fire of technology has been set free, and with it, a new set of risks — unknown, unmanageable, and potentially catastrophic.

But this isn’t just a crisis of systems — it’s a crisis of understanding, of consciousness. At the heart of the Metacrisis is the Intracrisis , our disconnection from each other, from nature, from the very fabric of life that sustains us. We have spent centuries cultivating the myth of separation: that we are distinct from nature, that we stand apart from the ecosystems we depend on. This illusion has driven us into the dead-end of extraction, exploitation, and domination, where even our most valiant efforts to “sustain” are ultimately geared toward preserving the unsustainable.

As the planetary boundaries erode, we are also reaching the limits of human consciousness. Our paradigm of separation, competition, and control is no longer viable, and yet, the transition is far from simple.

This is where we find ourselves in Horizon Two — the domain of the Metacrisis itself. The old paradigm is crumbling, but the new one has not yet fully emerged. We are in the liminal space between collapse and rebirth, struggling to let go of a model that no longer serves us, while simultaneously wrestling with the uncertainty of what comes next.

At this stage, Horizon Two becomes a battleground where both Horizon One and Horizon Three vie for dominance. Horizon One, with its extraction-based, self-terminating logic, seeks to sustain itself through innovation, technology, and adaptation — but these same forces are also fueling the rise of Horizon Three. The emergent forces of artificial intelligence, biotechnology, renewable energy, and new economic models play dual roles: they help Horizon One cling to life while simultaneously empowering the emergence of Horizon Three.

It is in Horizon Two where the interplay between these forces occurs, shaping the future by either feeding into the Metacrisis or serving as the solutions that will bridge us toward regeneration.

And what is this next paradigm?

It is Horizon Three — the emerging consciousness that understands our profound interconnection. It recognizes that we are not separate from nature, but are nature itself.

We are biodiversity. We are part of a larger, living system that thrives on cooperation, regeneration, and balance.

The seeds of this new paradigm are already sprouting in regenerative agriculture, biocultural restoration, and the rise of circular economies. But these seeds are fragile, and they must be nurtured, cultivated, and allowed to flourish in the cracks of the old system.

The Metacrisis, then, is not just a set of physical challenges; it is a crisis of identity and meaning. It asks us to confront the most difficult truth of all — that the world we have built is not just failing us, but is fundamentally unsustainable. More than that, it is an invitation. An invitation to evolve, to awaken to the reality of our interbeing, and to step into a new relationship with life itself.

The collapse of Horizon One is inevitable, but what follows is not. The choices we make now, in this liminal space, will determine whether we continue down the path of separation and self-termination, or whether we embrace the emerging horizon of interconnection, regeneration, and collective flourishing.

In the end, the greatest challenge of the Metacrisis is not climate change, nor is it biodiversity loss or technological chaos. It is the challenge of seeing through the illusion of separation. It is the challenge of accepting that we are not the masters of life, but its stewards.

The super-organism, in its death throes, will try to sustain itself by any means necessary, but we must recognize that its collapse is not a tragedy — it is an opportunity. The real tragedy would be to cling to the wreckage of Horizon One and to ignore the birth of something new, something that reflects the truth of who we really are.

The way Forward

To meet Horizon Three, we must first understand the nature of this emerging paradigm. It is not merely a reaction to the failures of Horizon One, nor is it simply an improvement upon the existing structures.

It is a profound shift — a transformation of the very foundation upon which we build our societies, economies, and lives. Horizon Three represents the recognition that life is not a series of isolated systems or markets but an intricate web of interdependence. Every action, every decision reverberates through this web, shaping the health of the whole.

In Horizon Three, infinite growth is no longer the goal. Instead, we embrace regeneration — healing what has been damaged, restoring what has been lost, and nurturing the potential for new life.

This shift requires not only new technologies and policies but also a new way of thinking, a new consciousness. It requires us to reimagine our relationship with the earth, with each other, and with ourselves.

This is the greatest challenge we face in Horizon Two:

to recognize that the old systems cannot be sustained and to allow ourselves to imagine something different.

The super-organism that has governed our world for centuries — based on extraction, domination, and control — can no longer provide the answers we need.

It is, as we have said, self-terminating. Yet, the collapse of Horizon One does not guarantee the rise of Horizon Three. The space between is fraught with danger. If we do not actively cultivate the seeds of the new paradigm, we risk falling into chaos, allowing the remnants of the old system to wreak further destruction in their death throes.

This is where the Three Horizons Framework offers a critical lens. In Horizon One, we see the current state of collapse — the inevitable consequence of a system that cannot sustain itself. In Horizon Two, we witness the struggle, the friction, the attempt to hold onto the old while something new tries to emerge. And in Horizon Three, we glimpse the possibility of a world that is not based on the extraction of life but on its regeneration.

But how do we navigate this transition? How do we ensure that the collapse of Horizon One opens the door to Horizon Three, rather than plunging us further into the depths of crisis?

First, we must face the truth of the Metacrisis head-on. The polycrisis — the ecological, economic, and technological breakdowns that surround us — are not separate from one another. They are all symptoms of the same deeper issue: the story of separation that underlies our civilization. This story tells us that humans are separate from nature, that individuals are separate from one another, and that life is something to be controlled and exploited. As long as we cling to this narrative, we will continue to reproduce the conditions that have led to the current collapse.

Second, we must cultivate a new story. This is the work of Horizon Two: to make space for a new narrative, one that recognizes the deep interconnectedness of all life. This story tells us that we are part of nature, not separate from it. It tells us that the health of the planet is inseparable from the health of our communities, our economies, and our own bodies.

It tells us that regeneration — not extraction — is the way forward.

But stories alone are not enough. To move from Horizon Two to Horizon Three, we need to anchor this new story in real-world systems and practices. This is where the emerging innovations of regenerative agriculture, biocultural restoration, and circular economies come into play. These are not just buzzwords; they are the seeds of a new paradigm, rooted in the principles of life itself. Regeneration is not a utopian dream — it is a practical, necessary response to the collapse of the old systems.

In regenerative agriculture, for example, we see the shift from exploitation to reciprocity. Instead of depleting the soil through industrial monoculture, regenerative farming works with the natural processes of the earth, restoring fertility, increasing biodiversity, and sequestering carbon.

In biocultural restoration, we see the recognition that human communities and ecosystems are not separate but co-evolving. The health of one depends on the health of the other. By restoring ecosystems, we also restore cultural practices, social cohesion, and economic resilience.

These examples are not isolated experiments. They are the early expressions of Horizon Three — the future that is beginning to emerge in the cracks of the old world. But they must be nurtured, expanded, and scaled. And to do that, we must create the conditions in Horizon Two for these seeds to flourish.

Embracing Uncertainty

This brings us to the third task: embracing uncertainty. Horizon Two is a space of not knowing. The old world is collapsing, but the new one is not yet fully formed. This can be a terrifying place to be. The temptation is to cling to what we know, to patch up the failing systems of Horizon One in the hope that they can be saved. But this is not a time for preservation — it is a time for letting go. It is a time for experimentation, for innovation, for radical rethinking. It is a time to embrace the uncertainty of Horizon Two and to trust that something new is emerging, even if we cannot yet fully see what it is.

Finally, we must recognize that the transition to Horizon Three is not just an external process — it is also an internal one. The Metacrisis is, at its core, a crisis of consciousness. The old paradigm of separation is not just out there in the world — it is within us. It shapes how we see ourselves, how we relate to others, how we make decisions. To move into Horizon Three, we must undergo an inner transformation. We must learn to see the world — and ourselves — through the lens of interbeing . We must learn to act from a place of deep connection to life, to each other, and to the earth.

And in aligning ourselves with the patterns and principles that living systems use to thrive — cooperation, balance, regeneration — we call forth a force of love that permeates all of life. Regenerative design , when guided by this love, offers us the means to harmonize with the natural world and heal the fractures within and around us.

This inner shift is perhaps the greatest challenge of all. It requires us to let go of the old stories that have defined us for so long — the stories of separation, competition, and control — and to embrace a new story of interconnection, cooperation, and regeneration. It requires us to trust that even in the midst of collapse, something new is being born.