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Abstract: Our humble senses, derivatives of space and time, can be seen as the fertilized egg of Awakening. Our earliest insights from the senses arrive as states, and these sensorial roots can grow into the mystical experience of God. This paper will bring a laser focus to the senses and how they develop, related to a recent research initiative, StAGES, that demonstrates how quadrants, levels, lines, states, and types express in repeating patterns, and provide the engine of development. Our senses give rise to both development and spirituality, which precede states and perspectives, allowing us to demystify our notions of enlightenment.
Introduction
Many significant movements have graced humanity through its journey from its beginning to the present. While they are all important, there are several that seem to serve in fundamental ways.
The great mystical traditions, such as Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, have influenced our human family for 2000 years or more, their practices surviving by handing down the teachings and practices from generation to generation, to this very day (Smith, 1989). These traditions seemed to focus on particular areas that make us uniquely human: the areas of awareness and states.
Chapter One: Roots and Branches
Overview: Spiritual direction as a profession has expanded and grown throughout the centuries and most spiritual lineages have directors, guides and/or soul friends to support the laity (Empereur, p. 23). As a field, it continues to grow and develop, adding the insights from other knowledge areas and expanding its reach to all spiritual paths. The work herein simply falls into that continued expansion by further exploring the integration of the understanding and research of adult developmental levels with spiritual direction practices.