Editorial Page
Transformation and the brink of destruction
Welcome to our third issue. In this winter of 2003 our economy is near all time lows. Years of tension in the Middle East have grown into war, terrorism, death and wholesale destruction here and abroad. If we have supported either of the political parties, both involved in attempts to create middle eastern alliances to secure our oil privileges and undermine existing power structures, we must assume some of the responsibility for this condition. When in this process we were perceived to have strayed from our self appointed path of "freedom and justice for all" and to employ "less than scrupulous means" we created enemies. We are now experiencing a kind of karmic payback plain and simple but that doesn't mean we should not attempt to equitably resolve the issues for all parties. Instead of posturing and bravado, I suggest a true inner assessment at a national level regarding our need for oil and our hopes for the future of our children and this planet. War will only engender more terror. The work of psychospiritual transformation requires us to expose the limitations of our exclusive beliefs and attachments providing us the option of releasing them in favor of more inclusive positions. It entails arriving at the brink of one's belief system, and letting go to allow a more expansive and inclusive frame to emerge.
In this case, we can understand that the pursuit of oil to the expense of our democratic ethics and morals is corrupt. It will breed corruption. We must look for new approaches for dealing with this conflict. For transformation in the middle east to occur I would humbly suggest a release of our belief that we need their oil. I suggest the only rational response to the continued escalation (in addition to protecting our people) is a united international disarmament effort with Iraq and Korea, at the same time reducing our interests in oil by actively retooling for alternative fuel sources, at the same time offering huge tax credits to oil and transportation companies for alternative fuel research, development, retooling, retraining, etc. It would be wise to rally the nation behind freedom from our need for oil and make this our highest priority. This would unite our populace through a common purpose, increase jobs and create new opportunities to constructively grow while averting the slaughter of innocent people. We would be wise to actively establish a scheduled withdrawal of our interest in the middle east ultimately removing any need for this fuel and for our continued presence in this area. We could share a common victory through this transformation process. If this means a re-assessing of our relationship to Israel, I am sure a just and supportive position can be found. The terrorists believe they are fighting a holy war. They are very wrong, that is only a justification for their frustration, lack of self-worth, sociopathological tendencies and limited world view. If we are fools we will fuel the fires of their insanity and rush over the brink to the easy path of mutual self-destruction which of-course they welcome and which we have gone down so many times before. To psychospiritually transform this situation requires seeing a bigger picture and an active willingness to release old attachments. It is up to the most enlightened to begin the process.
In this issue we consider transformation from a number of positions. First up is the second installment of Paul Bernstein's interview with Michael Washburn discussing life's three stages of psychospiritual development. I offer a piece on the Kaballah and its orientation to psychospiritual transformation. Ken Bausch provides us with a "Chaos" inspired view of religion as attractor, process and biology. David Gustaf Thompson offers a piece on healing our fragmented worldviews. Douglas Peter-Frank discusses the need for a transpersonal child psychology. Brenda Peddigrew presents an organic inquiry exploring the chaotic moment in transformative learning. Finally Amrit Sorli contributes an essay exploring the nature of conscious experience.
Dana Gaynor
Editor-in-Chief, Journal Of Psychospiritual Transformation