STRETCHING TO EMBRACE A DISRUPTED AGE?

The perils of the moment, permacrisis, polycrisis or meta crisis are almost too overwhelming to contemplate. These so called hyper objects stretch, permeate and challenge our deepest conceptions and convictions, about the nature of human existence on the planet, in the midst of the Anthropocene. The deep soul searching evinced by this reality, actually runs counter to every way we have been conditioned by parents, friends, colleague, society and even civilizationally.

Yet some feel, a sacred obligation to wrestle with these enormities and in doing so, attempt to make sense of the nano, micro, meso. macro and mundo trends to just to be able to function with some kind of apposite coherence in our disrupted age. I would argue without embracing the scale of these enormities, as well as their highly fluctuating emotional terrains, there otherwise has to be, some kind of reinforcement of cynicism, avoidance, inertia, apathy, or numbness, to name a few? understandable ways, to avoid living fully into this moment. Of course it is a challenging to embrace, great dismay and enormous frustration, grief or pain. Nevertheless current global circumstances, might be an ideal opportunity to develop, unprecedented planetary friendly eco-centric ways of engaging with life, in this enormous ennobling even joyous struggle.

So when fellow souls, engage in this Great Work, we are all strengthened uplifted and nurtured. Three epic attempts to embrace the significance of, as well as trace the landscapes of the multilevel complexities, of the current zeitgeist, were outlined over the last two months by Jonathan Rowson .

The Alchemy of Crisis is a rigorous deep dive exploring how terminologies of crisis frame, determine and define how one relates to this global moment. Whether it is described as a permacrisis, polycrisis or metacrisis. Rowson expertly delineates how the terminologies that one uses, to depict this planetary disruption, actually frame and determine the way, one acts, experiences and responds to this moment in the global history.

In the Five Flavours of In-betweenness Rowson explores the contours of what is occurring between the collapse and possible emergence betwixt the old deteriorating world and the tentative birth of a new. He terms these flavours as Cultural, Systemic, Paradigmatic, Ontological, Metaphysical. In exploring these varying descriptions he precisely pinpoints their unique domains whilst also distinguishing the characteristic hallmarks of each taste of liminality. What is most pertinent to me, is that he expands and articulates vague notions, that have floated around progressive sphere for years and makes them more tangible and accessible. In fact I may have used more than one or two of these descriptors interchangeably!

In the Inner Life of the Future Rowson probes the ferment of possibilities as well as the chaotic dynamics that lie in the flux of civilizational continuity or collapse. Focussed on the orientation clusters of The Third Attractor, The Third Horizon, and the Third Reality. ?As always his writing is grounded in eclectic, multiperspectival, interdisciplinary sources of wisdom and knowledge. The Third Attractor being a gravitational force that shapes or alters current trajectories towards collapse or authoritarianism. He cites a wide range of pioneers of possibility, of potential redirection, whilst also carefully refraining, from blanket categorization of these promising initiatives. The Third Horizon sourced from Bill Sharpe is described as how the individual relates to business as usual, collapse or emergence in this present moment. Whereas the Third Reality is where ‘Innovations in eco-social-spiritual praxis that work to make consciousness relevant and grounded, in an understanding of power in our historical and cultural milieu, and informed by cutting-edge theory’. As with most of his current writing Rowson, is pointing to new bio-psycho-social, spiritual sensibilities, that give rise new forms of ecological and spiritual awareness and consciousness, to underpin practical engagements in this age of disruption.

Rowson’s epic attempts to sense into, to describe, to articulate the barely liminal and subliminal currents of this civilizational moment, emulate that full hearted, soul level connectedness that shine a light forward and encourages us all not to be intimidated. In stretching, to embrace feel, make sense and even be satisfied with fairly incomplete understandings is a noble path. In not conceding to the easy routes of resignation, immobility despair and cynicism, in these worst of times. He and peer pioneers, forge pathways of possibility, for others, while upholding the sanctity of life and human spirit as the highest possible value to live into, in the current moment.

‘Innovations in eco-social-spiritual praxis’ is a wonderful preliminary description of my latest offering; A short course in ‘Co-Creating Regenerative Culture’ with a special focus on Regenerative Presence, Agency and Community. DM if you would live to participate as you may be able to give me feedback on the shape of the course.

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