The Third Concept -
Transcendence in Human Psyche System Evolution

The Third Concept concerning Transcendence goes like this: At certain critical transformation periods and locations in mankind's history there first appear isolated persons, and later small groups, functioning in a new human psyche stage pattern that is evolved to a stage beyond the collectives in which they are embedded.

The new individual human psyche stage transcends the patterns of other contemporary individuals and collectives. After these transcendent individuals set their own lives in new directions, they initiate a transcendent transformation in the collectives in which they are embedded. This ultimately recasts those collectives in the psychic image and likeness of their new individual stage.

The Concept of Transcendence means that individuals are Not blocked from evolving beyond their collectives. According to the Concept of Recapitulation individuals Cannot evolve beyond their collectives. Transcendence places individuals in the primary role of change and transformation in their own lives and in the world.

Thus a new and completely different type of leader/entrepreneur can emerge into the world, in all areas of life and work – Not just business. This new stage of leading-edge person is the driving force, during a period of chaos and decay, to begin building a new, more advanced epoch of local and world history. Now we have the Living System Psychology tool to understand what is happening in our current World Human Transformation to the emerging pattern of Living System Life and Work.

Let's discuss several manifestations of the Third Concept. Transcendent persons tend to emerge in significant numbers when the then dominant human psyche stage patterns and their existing human collectives and culture face major problems - Problems that its then dominant leader/manager class and organizations can no longer handle. That is what is happening today. And its “Tipping Point” was reached in mid-August 2007.

Of course, many conventional leader/managers are unaware consciously of their perilous situation. And those who are aware focus their energy on trying to fix-up the problems of their existing situation using conventional solutions within their limited ability to perceive the transformed reality around them.

This situation triggered by Transcendent individuals lead a build-up to their culture's transformation to its next stage. Recall that both individuals and collectives evolve through the same sequence of stage-by-stage psyche transformations - But not usually simultaneously. Individual Recapitulation to a given stage always comes after collective transformation to the same stage – But Individual Transcendence always comes before collective transformation to the new stage.

The Third Concept means that transcendent transformation for individuals and smaller groups always leads the later transformation of larger collectives (even whole cultures or civilizations) to the same more evolved stage. Thus, leading-edge persons and groups emerging at critical times in history become the catalysts and driving force for the eventual collective transformation into a new era of human history – An era that is discontinuously different from the preceding era.

That is exactly what is happening today for the seventh time in human history. That is exactly why transcendent forms for the leadership/management profession, organizational structure, operations process and entrepreneurship are critically needed. We believe that today’s transcendent forms must be consistent with the Stage A’ psyche stage patterns.

It is useful to consider what it can mean for you to transcend beyond the psyche stage pattern of your environment. It is a traumatic and bitter/sweet experience. First of all, you can expect to be in a lonely position. Your personal relationships with your collectives are sure to be different from what is then considered to be Normal. You may no longer receive understanding or validation from the collectives you are embedded in. You are commonly considered to be a cynic, a destructionist, or at least weird. This experience often extends as well to your personal relationships in addition to organization relationships. You may no longer receive understanding or assistance from your previous sources of support. You must learn to supply these things to yourself from within yourself.

This is why qualitatively new forms of personal understanding, of leadership/management and of entrepreneurship need to be learned and practiced. This is what the Isis Group Network was created – To give you, as an emerging leader, the transcendent learning and training to enable you to re-create yourself, to create new relationships, to create new organizations and to enable you to collaborate with other individuals and organizations to do the same.

Gradually you will meet other persons who are making similar discoveries about themselves and their work. You may even find a facilitator who enables you to discover what is happening to you. That is what my associates and I offer to you. We hope you will learn how to contribute to same way to others.

You need to realize that transcendence has exciting, liberating characteristics. For example - You need not be a pawn controlled by current collectives. In fact, you find yourself unable to be a pawn – a victim. If you can use your more evolved psyche stage patterns to achieve practical results in your life, and then in collective life, you will become a highly productive catalytic leader for the new era in your chosen areas of interest and in the world.

The Third Concept of Transcendence can be summarized as follows. At certain times in the lives of some persons, and at critical periods and locations in mankind's history, they undergo a transcendent stage of human psyche that emerges from within themselves. They are then enabled to set their own lives and at least their local region of the world in new directions. This is accomplished through their new understanding of life and new patterns for becoming a practical, more highly productive person in their chosen areas of work.

Because major collective transformations are always traumatic times in history, and because the world transformation now in process promises to be the most profound one in human history, we must not fear that the world will end. The old paradigm for life and work and its results are coming to an end, but the new one is being born. Our time is an example of the myth of the Phoenix in action in human affairs. For those who understand what is coming and act accordingly, this traumatic period can be the best of times.

After the dust settles from each of man's transcendent transformations, a new historical era enfolds and irreversibly modifies the prior ones. It re-interprets and re-directs the previously dominant parts of us into more productive channels. Our previous psyche stages remain within our psyche system, but their previous forms are transmuted from the effects of the new stage.

Our time is not to be feared. It is to be celebrated. It is to be approached with excitement because it gives us unusual opportunities for using our new Living System leadership/management, organizational form, operations process and entrepreneurship.

John Clayton Caris

Links to other Posts of this series:

Three Concepts Underlying Human System Psychology - Part 1
Three Concepts Underlying Human System Psychology - Part 2