Opinion (Mark Sandomirsky, psychotherapist): “The younger ones often know more than the senior ones. Technological progress is very rapid, and the difference in the perception of the world for children and adults is enormous.

“The so-called pre-figurative society has been formed, which in principle is easily explained: children process the information field differently, assimilate the data more quickly, and for adults it is more difficult to keep up with advances in technology. That is why a five-year-old can easily turn on any electrical device and tell his grandmother how to use it.

“And one could only be glad that a new generation is advancing if it were not for the problems arising from this distance between adults and children.

“The first one is that the younger generation develops the illusion of access to knowledge: you can ‘google’ any information and find it on the Internet. The second one is that their sense of superiority destroys the authority of adults. Both of these problems are concentrated precisely in school, but it is simply impossible to solve them in the present school organization. …

“Two things are still needed for the effective learning of children. Firstly, they must come together to compete with each other, including assessment, as competition is the best stimulus for learning. Secondly, they just need an adult who would be the moral authority for them and coordinator of information flow. ”

My Comment: We need to get together, not to develop competitive skills, but to develop mutual support and understanding that in today’s integral society it is precisely cooperation that gives rise to success.
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Question: We condemn the ego as the source of all our problems, but actually what is wrong with worrying about yourself? After all it is our basic natural attribute?

Answer: We should understand that if you constantly worry only about your self-benefit, you are actually harming yourself and limiting yourself in succeeding.

Here hides the evil that a person should feel to its full depth. Indeed, there are people who want to “exit themselves,” their limitations. They aspire to “exit the body,” to expand their horizons and to see the world, “what is it for and why? What else is there outside this life?”

This urge isn’t typical of everyone, but today when the whole world is suffering we should explain to people that the only way to be saved from the troubles is to strongly tie yourself to the environment. If you don’t do that the relations in the family, the country, and the world are destroyed; no one enjoys anything and everyone suffers.

The main thing is that because of these corrupt relations we cannot even provide ourselves food. The food systems, the climate, everything is destroyed. It is the same in the family where the relations are corrupt and nothing works anymore.

Question: But why should I stop caring about my wellbeing because of all that? All the creatures in the world try to feel good and to take care of themselves. Is this basic desire the source of all our problems, for example, family problems?

Answer: Suppose things don’t work in the family. The refrigerator is half-empty, there is a pile of dirty clothes and everything has gone wrong. By the way, the same thing is happening in the world—the lack of good mutual relations destroys everything. One part of humanity throws tons of food in the garbage, and the other part is starving. Billions are wasted on health care, but we are all suffering from some illness.

Clearly, this cannot go on. Therefore, a married couple that is ready for change comes to our courses, and we explain to them that the concern one feels for himself should change to concern for others, and in this case to the spouse.

“Love covers all sins,” this principle is fulfilled egoistically. No one is asking a person to detach himself from his ego, but only to establish a new attitude above it towards what is on the outside, towards one’s spouse, towards other people, towards the world, towards nature, towards the environment, etc.

We must perceive the world as “round,” as integral, which means to start perceiving everything that is outside your ego as your own, like a mother taking care of her child, then you will feel good.

The whole idea is to use your ego correctly and wisely, not to get rid of it. A couple that wants to succeed egoistically continues to adhere to this. Only the approach changes: Considering what is going on in the world and in the family, there is only one method—to rise above your ego and to use it in the opposite direction. Examine your spouse like a mirror of your own attributes and accordingly operate the ego in the opposite manner. Then instead of the evil inclination, it will appear as the good inclination.

The main point here is to create an “incubator,” which means the right environment. No special efforts will be needed by a person if he lives in this “green house.” By its influence, the environment will raise the concern for others in his eyes and lead him in the right direction. Then this approach to life will become natural for him. In the same way a child readily accepts the morality of his group. Yes, there are difficulties: For example, married couples need “redesigning.” But these changes will be relatively easy and pleasant like recovering in a sanatorium.

Of course, a person must also participate in the process, in his feeling and understanding, of his own free will. His support is essential, he cannot just come and say “change me.” but one way or the other, he can certainly agree and nothing super-human is required of him.
[83851]
From a “Talk on Integral Upbringing” 7/11/12

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Question: Part of our audience is scientists who study the world. These are people who try to comprehend, understand, and feel at what stage our world is today and what happens to it. What information would it be best to convey to this segment and in what form should it be?

Answer: As a rule, scientists are accustomed to charts, tables, opinions of others, excerpts, peer reviews, and so on. They need material in a book form. That is why we need to present our work like this.

In principle, we did this in the past. Our two books have been published. Now, as a result of our talks on integral education and upbringing, we need to publish one more.

It will be more practical, almost like a textbook with appendices, with the description of the work in the master classes and focus groups, and so on. It should be a practical guide based not only on the discussions, but also on the work done.

I believe that this is very important material. It will become the basis for many studies that will begin in the near future in connection with the development toward the integral community.
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From a “Talk on Integral Upbringing” 5/31/12

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Question: There can be a certain accent in any book, such as an accent on anthropology or development, or certain professional or psychological aspects. Considering that the material should be sharp and relevant, what is the best way to prepare a book on the integral method?

Answer: In my opinion, this book should be anticipating the next book or even a series of books that will become a practical guide for the creation of segments of an integral community. Later, these segments will unite into a single integral whole. This is why we need to emphasize the practical aspect, the way the various groups of the population in different situations that we observe in single-industry towns, schools, and family units, all of them solve their problems in their own way by ascending to an integral whole.

Right now, we live in a separated society, a family or a classroom, in a city or a part of it, in a company, and so on. There is tension between people that includes certain external and internal factors. We need to show how we can lead them to internal unity, the perception of the common power, the common thought, the perception of a community, which arises between them.

After all, a family is not just a husband and a wife, children, and grandparents. A family is something that connects them and is the collection of all the attributes and connections that connect them, everything that they wish to elevate and preserve.

How are we supposed to solve all our problems and answer all our questions on the basis of this unity, this alliance, preserving and developing it and acting in its name? At first, we rise to the level of the creation of a single community, and based on it, we begin to answer these questions only so that these answers would strengthen our community, alliance, and unity. Then, we will rise higher and higher in our unity by solving these problems.

We will see a very interesting tendency. Apparently, these problems appear only so that we would connect more and more strongly. This is the main reason for them, and it is not because I am me and you are you.

In reality, things are completely different. They come from the demand of our internal and external nature, which forces us to rise above ourselves, to unite, and thus create something referred to as a single person, a single whole.

This method of solution needs to be spelled out, shown and described. I think that, right now, this is the most necessary and the very first preliminary movement toward an integral community, including integral education and upbringing. Work we prepare will need to be sent to the many specialists who already are speaking about it and assume that this is the next step of human development in regard to the solution of all our problems, especially the economic and financial crisis, unemployment, and so forth.

Obviously, we simultaneously need to show the next step: becoming an integral community that will solve all the global problems. In other words, the reconstruction of our entire social system of civilization where trade, science, culture, finances, economics, family, the education of children and adults, all these things, come together, and nothing can be decided without the community to which we are striving and with which we can use to solve anything.

If we are able to show all this in such a general way, then to acquire responses from political and social scientists, psychologists, physicists, biologists, ecologists, and other specialists, then, in addition to this work, we also will be able to publish the material we receive from them with their support and by working through their comments. Once we unite with the scientists, we will create an Internet community around this book, a forum where we will be able to exchange opinions and solve various problems.

Today, they already are becoming very dynamic. They literally flow one from another and include all the segments of society and their problems, and in this way we will be able to move on to the next step of our work where we already will see in a more practical way how we can apply this idea to the solution of current and future problems. This is the way I see all this.

We are facing two steps. The first step is to gather and prepare all the materials, including our conversations. Then, acquire many reviews, maybe co-write certain articles, comments, and so on, and unite all of it so that it will unite us.
[83757]
From a “Talk on Integral Upbringing” 5/31/12

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Question: Before you write a book or prepare a lecture course, you set a goal. Based on the goal and objectives, we can distinguish two types of material: informational and inspirational material.

The first one simply informs you that the method, the phenomenon, exists, and so forth. The second type encourages a person to do something. What is the best approach for structuring a book on the integral method?

Answer: Today, we are experiencing very fast dynamics: Society is changing, its point of view, the entire existing paradigm, everything is changing. Taking into account that we need to change society, solve the practical tasks of saving towns, cities, and suburbs from collapse, to solve the problems of unemployment, protect children from violence at school and citizens from killing on the streets, and so on, given all this, we need to publish a book in the form of a guide to solving these problems.
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From a “Talk on Integral Upbringing” 5/31/12

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Question: In Russia we have several groups of 10-12 people each, who specialize in integral learning. They have been studying the materials for six months, they have begun to write articles, and now the time has come for practical training. These are the circles we are preparing to become teachers and educators. What are our goals and objectives?

Answer: I think that first they need to study the materials on integral education and upbringing, learn to conduct focus groups, master classes, lectures, and then do practical training.

Groups can be much larger than 12 people. Let others join them – large social circles still need to be exposed to the integral knowledge.

First you need to make a class where you would teach and involve people in preparing materials for the publishing of books on the integral method, because this makes them advance.

Second, it is necessary to form them into a group, which will use this material (even before the actual book is ready, but parts of it are being prepared) and present these excerpts, these small works to different specialists, who will comment on them. This group will work with the material, get in touch with the specialists, and have various talks with them.

This way, this kind of work, the collection of materials, will basically turn into the formation of a certain community, a club, which will then generate their ideas in a more practical way, adapted to the social environment the club is in.

Our objective is to turn these people into active disseminators of the notion of the integral community, who would realize this through the search for appropriate scientists and specialists who agree with the integral ideas. I think that this is what matters most.

Because no matter where we are, we primarily must establish connection with people who society recognizes as the bearers of knowledge, who could join us and support us and one another to make this idea accessible to large circles of people. It is very important to the general population where the idea comes from; in other words, it must be a big community.
[83753]
From a “Talk on Integral Upbringing” 5/31/12

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Question: Can you give an example of a joint, practical exercise that can be given to married couples in the integral education course?

Answer: First of all, we need to be concerned that their mutual influence on each other will be constant. Apart from that, during the time from meeting to meeting, they must maintain a connection between themselves, share impressions every few hours.

Couples work together in a partnership. Sometimes one of them is higher than the other and sometimes they are equals. They learn all of this in a new system of mutual relationships, doing homework every day. During the day they do follow ups:

How many times, in one way or another, did they have to remember the principle “love covers all transgressions,” how many times did they need to go above their ego in order to see their partner positively instead of negatively, and within themselves to see their egoism as negative instead of positive.

Each one exchanges the criticism of the partner with self-criticism, meaning, in clarifying his or her own attributes that are displayed in the other as bad. Couples note how many times they supported each other at home, and how many times that they were in contact with other couples, let’s say, once every three to four hours, by phone or internet or through conference calls.

And so they advance forwards every day meeting at the course and receiving new, methodological explanations. After a learning session should follow a workshop and homework for the next day.

In addition, one should allot separate time for clarification of the past day. It could be that something was not successful, so what can be done to succeed? And it can be that today, during the course, instead of going forward according to plan, it is worthwhile to go over the lesson and workshop on the same subjects and questions that accumulated from yesterday.
[83682]
From a “Talk on Integral Upbringing” 7/11/12

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Question: It has come to my attention that Israelis are very easily switched to feelings. While, say, in Russia, a person is used to solving problems with reason, and when I ask him: “What do you feel?”, he answers me with a question: “And what are feelings?”.

However, throughout the seminar on the integral method, which was carried out for regular people, I did not have to explain it. Maybe, it is a phenomenon of the influence by the common integral field?

Answer: I think that it is not only the influence of the common field. If you are not dealing with high level politicians, big public figures, and leaders of all kinds, who, by the nature of their work, have become so “covered up,” then everyone else can very quickly and very easily switch over to feelings. This can be seen in the results of the roundtables.

Even ardent enemies can face each other there, for example, Arab representatives from the so-called “occupied” territories and students from Tel-Aviv, who are absolutely different from each other, Bedouins from the Negev and so on. Meaning, that it can be professors and right next to them, the recently arrived repatriates from Ethiopia, Africa. And suddenly it turns out that the integral approach brings them to such a common denominator, that, say, after 40 minutes of talking, you no longer feel any difference between them.

That is an amazing phenomenon! It cannot be explained by anything other than the fact that we are moving towards commonality coinciding with nature, which begins to be revealed within us on the next level, today it is felt as unwanted, as a crisis and so on. And in reality, if we move towards it, then it turns out that here, in us, a kind of new force is emerging, new opportunities, a new internal structure of nature.

We suddenly jump up to a new platform, which is moving somewhere, and it becomes simple and easy for us. And based on our new commonality, which we literally have created in 30-40 minutes, we can reach agreements and solve various questions. We want to stay in this feeling. It must constantly be cultivated and developed, and then it will become the most important thing for us in our lives.

First and foremost, of course, we need to provide basic living conditions, food and shelter, for everyone. But in principle, this is what is actually physically needed for man, as a representative of the animal world, all else will be evaluated from the point of view of commonality. And maintaining this commonality, common confidence, common support, interaction, warmth, safety, everything that man subconsciously feels coming from what he has attained in this connection will be most important for him.

With no regrets, he will refuse all kinds of excess just to maintain this feeling and to exist in it, to live in it, so that there he would have everything necessary for life, and most importantly, the perception of himself in a warm environment, in harmony. This is because here he begins to feel the revelation of a special force, a special quality. This comes from the global integral nature, which today begins to influence us this way.
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From a “Talk on Integral Upbringing” 5/30/12

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Opinion (Dennis Meadows, American scientist and Emeritus Professor of Systems Management, co-author of The Limits to Growth): “It is difficult to break the dependence of ‘personal dreams’ from GDP growth. So much attention in the world is focused on GDP growth and personal wellbeing because business needs to profit in the short term. Companies do not make a profit when you study, communicate with friends, read, or love. They profit when you buy something. That’s why friendship is not advertised, but a lot of products are advertised. That’s why the majority create a personal vision in terms of consumption. …

“But in the long term, catastrophe cannot be avoided. Catastrophe is not a particular year, but a process, which can last for centuries. …

“I think that it is possible to prepare for this period and mitigate the consequences. In this case, both efficiency and changing ‘personal dreams’ can help. …

“The main problems today are not in science, but in society. In science, I would single out a few basic points that need to be addressed. The first one is accumulation of energy. …

“The second one is finding new alternative sources of energy. …

“The third one is inventing the ways of producing, delivering, and storing food, which will be resistant to a shortage of fossil fuels, as the existing agriculture intensively uses hydrocarbons. Also, new ways must be resistant to climate change, especially changes in precipitation and an increase in temperature extremes. …

“In the 21^st century, the circumstances will be formed so that science will have to develop and implement the concept of ‘stability and flexibility,’ but not in terms of ‘sustainable development,’ but in terms of ‘system resilience.’ Moreover, this resistance should be not only technological, but also social. We face many challenges; science will not only have to open new horizons, but to solve problems. …

“The monetary system should be changed: …the existing concept of money is based on the concept of continuous growth. If there is no growth, there will be no basis for the existence of the current monetary system. …

“Education today is a preparation for life in the next 50 years. The current historical period is based on cheap fossil resources and will end in the coming decades. What will those people who studied to be an economist, financier, banker or lawyer do?

“In the USA in 2008, we saw the situation when a huge number of lawyers and investment bankers, who had performed the same and not the most necessary work, suddenly became redundant and found themselves on the street. …I believe that if you choose science and have a good education in science or engineering, then you know how and why nature, technology, and something works…When circumstances change, you will be in great demand!”

My Comment: The author does not suggest a solution. He believes that we will hold in this limbo for a long time and survive by conserving energy and food. The limit of the growth of egoism has been reached; it no longer develops, and that is why it does not require “fuel” for itself. It has become closed, global, and integral and thus requires correction, to be brought to the form in which it will be able to exist, that is, not withdrawing into itself, but becoming included in others. It forces itself to be corrected, like the Pharaoh who drove people out of Egypt through oppression.
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Question: There is concern that a person who is mentally included in the general integral system will stop applying regular physical effort, and it is possible to say that he will turn into an abstract slacker. Will there be place for linear human efforts in the integral world?

Answer: We were evolving throughout human history under the influence of the egoism developing in us. Egoism was going through various stages: physical egoism, food, sex, and family and egoism that directed us towards wealth, fame, power, and knowledge, but today, we have reached an impasse and need something higher.

The attracting force of the past egoistic development disappears; a person rushes to something, but where, it is unknown. That is why we have all these spiritual methods, techniques, manipulation, New Age, and the like. People are suddenly become attracted to religions again; truly, it seems “back and forth,” but in reality, it is a search that will pass quickly.

We enter into the integral. That is, now humanity will begin to understand that our next state is the creation of an integral society.

And what is wrong with our egoism?

Today, we have reached the line, and from here, we will start building an integral system or become like the integral system, nature, which is the same.

How do we do this? We do this with the egoism that grows in us.

What does it mean growing; we have said that it no longer grows?

It begins to grow so that you will transform it into integral. This is a completely different egoism, which will oppose and hinder your becoming integral. And on the basis of it, looking at it, you can change yourself because you will be able to see all the negative disturbances, this breaking in this mechanism, and how to correct it and become integral.

Why do we need this system?

We need it so that through all kinds of breakdowns, failures, suffering, various conflicts, the lack of understanding, and egoistic rejection of other people, my egoism dragged me away again.

Why do I need, on the basis of it, to try through my efforts to enter into the integral system with everyone?

Because then I obtain skills, learning like a pupil who does exercises. A pupil is given homework all the time; he should feel: correct or incorrect. The incorrect turns into the correct, it is said: “The experienced one is better than two inexperienced.” “The experienced one” is the one who realizes his transgressions, mistakes. That is, we are constantly analyzing our mistakes, but they are not our mistakes; thus, our egoistic nature is specially developed in us, not because we want this, but in order that we rise above it and create an integral community.

That is why egoism is growing, but this is an entirely different egoism, directed against the community.

This is another kind of work. If earlier I used egoism linearly and through it constantly advanced, developed egoistically, now I consciously, pushing against it, transform it into integral unity, connection with others. Today, it is building material for me; I build with its help.

Comment: So, for egoism to be manifested, do I have to interact with the world physically, do I have to be in this world?

Answer: Our world was created this way for this purpose because in it we can be simultaneously in egoistic and in higher qualities.
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From a “Talk on Integral Upbringing” 5/30/12

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