Kegan's theory of adult development

[ygolo]

I am surprised nobody talked about this on here given the usual life-cycle goes through regarding typology on this site (curious/trying out/pseudo-believer/cramming own prejudices in the theory/non-believer/limited use as short-hand when its useful)

I've posted before about how MBTI is worse than IQ in fostering a fixed mindset.

I think it goes deeper than that, which upon learning about Robert Kegan's theory about adult development made me think that maybe the cycle of belief in type is similar to the stages of adult development. Maybe type really works for the supposed 58% of the adult population stuck in phase 3 of Kegan's development theory most of the time.

There is a set of Medium articles that made a good read for me:

Part 1: How To Be An Adult— Kegan’s Theory of Adult Development

Ever wondered what it means to be an adult?

medium.com

Part 2: How To Be An Adult -Kegan’s Theory of Adult Development

In Part 1 I introduced a new way of viewing adulthood, based on Dr. Kegan’s Theory of Adult Development.

medium.com

Part 3: How To Be An Adult -Kegan’s Theory of Adult Development

“No need is more fundamentally human than our need to understand the meaning of our experience.” — Jack Mezirow

medium.com

Also, the linked article on self-authorship

Three Elements of Self-Authorship - Redorbit

By Magolda, Marcia B Baxter This article describes three distinct yet interrelated elements of self-authorship: trusting the internal voice, building an internal foundation, and securing internal commitments.

www.redorbit.com

The tl;dr?
Move from attachment and identifying with who or what makes you you (subject), detach and observe it as object.

Interestingly, this is also one of the core concepts of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (they call it cognitive defusion or de-fusion as I think of it)

 

[yeghor]

I am surprised nobody talked about this on here given the usual life-cycle goes through regarding typology on this site (curious/trying out/pseudo-believer/cramming own prejudices in the theory/non-believer/limited use as short-hand when its useful)

Part 3: How To Be An Adult -Kegan’s Theory of Adult Development

“No need is more fundamentally human than our need to understand the meaning of our experience.” — Jack Mezirow

medium.com

Below excerpt from Part 3 of the article reminden me of Jodie Foster's character's (Ellie Arroway) retelling of her experience in the movie Contact and how it changed her. I guess Stage 5 transformation and mindset must be something like that.

Transcending our self: Experiment with self-transcendent experiences
Kegan found that a disproportionate number of Stage 5 adults had dabbled in self-transcendent experiences: often beginning with psychedelics and, after that, making meditation, martial arts, and other state-shifting practices a central part of their lives.

Self-transcendent experiences (STEs) are experiences (also referred to as non-ordinary states of consciousness) where, for a brief moment, people feel lifted above their day-to-day concerns, their sense of self fades away and they feel connected to something bigger. I’ve written about self-transcendent experiences here.

Many of them described their frequent access to self-transcendent states as the “turbo-button” for their development, leading Kegan to state that transitioning to Stage 5 requires self-transcendence: where the self transcends its boundaries (the individual ego) and becomes part of something larger.

Contact - Hearing scene

 

[ygolo]

Below excerpt from Part 3 of the article reminden me of Jodie Foster's character's (Ellie Arroway) retelling of her experience in the movie Contact and how it changed her. I guess Stage 5 transformation and mindset must be something like that.



Contact - Hearing scene

Maybe. Only 1% (according to the medium article) gets to stage 5. I currently more concerned about spending more time in stage 4 than stage 3 or 2. I do tend to agree with the stages myself.

 

[yeghor]

https://medium.com/@NataliMorad/par...ndence-the-power-of-psychedelics-426f5a09fff1

In my research on meaning and development, I keep reading about the value of self-transcendent experiences (STEs). These are experiences (also referred to as non-ordinary states of consciousness) where, for a brief moment, people feel lifted above their day-to-day concerns, their sense of self fades away and they feel connected to something bigger.

For many of us, these experiences are very few and far in between.

Yet, research shows that STEs can have a profoundly positive effect on the human psyche. Notably (to me), they are associated with higher levels of adult development (Kegan and Maslow) and living a more meaningful life (Emily Esfahani-Smith).

Maslow's Pyramid of Needs (addition's on the right are mine)

Maslow Pyramid 2

Maslow Pyramid 3

 

[yeghor]

Maslow Pyramid 3 correct image

 

[yeghor]

https://medium.com/@NataliMorad/par...ndence-the-power-of-psychedelics-426f5a09fff1

David Yaden, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania and the lead author of a recent paper in the Review of General Psychology, “The Varieties of Self-Transcendent Experience,” defines STEs as “transient mental states marked by decreased self-salience and increased feelings of connectedness”.

In short, they help us transcend the boundaries of the self (the individual ego) and become a part of something larger.

Think about a particularly meaningful experience in your life. Chances are it involved a feeling of awe or connection (holding your baby in your arms, being immersed in nature, etc.) — experiences where you were ‘outside yourself’.

Indeed, many of us have experienced STEs. They exist along a spectrum of intensity that ranges from the routine (e.g., losing yourself in music or a book), to the intense and potentially transformative (e.g., feeling connected to everything and everyone, mystical experiences), to states in between, like those experienced by many people while meditating or when feeling awe.

According to William James, the great American psychologist of the 19th century, the magic of STEs lies in their “annihilational” aspect — the way they induce a feeling of self-loss.

 

[Pionart]

This sounds a lot like spiral dynamics.

You should love the Thematic Hierarchy.

 

[Pionart]

The Thematic Hierarchy

I've constructed a model mirroring spiral dynamics. It's based on developmental stages. There is a lot of variation in which stage someone gets to in life. Each stage resembles a cognitive function. There are 16 levels but I haven't named the higher levels. Any type can be at any level but some...

www.typologycentral.com

Notice that my model includes more stages, so is more usable by highly advanced minds.

 

[ygolo]

Actually, having just been exposed to Kegan's stages, I do have to dig deeper into the empirical basis of development theories in general.

https://srconstantin.wordpress.com/2017/04/06/are-adult-developmental-stages-real/