Spiral Dynamics

Spiral Dynamics (SD) is a model of the evolutionary development of individuals, organizations, and societies. It was initially developed by Don Edward Beck and Christopher Cowan based on the emergent cyclical theory of Clare W. Graves, combined with memetics as proposed by Richard Dawkins and further developed by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. A later collaboration between Beck and Ken Wilber produced Spiral Dynamics Integral (SDi), with Wilber subsequently incorporating his own modified version into his overall Integral theory.[1]

Development of the theory

University of North Texas (UNT) professor Don Beck sought out Clare W. Graves after reading about his work in The Futurist. They met in person in 1975, and Beck, soon joined by UNT faculty member Chris Cowan, worked closely with Graves until his death in 1986. Beck made over 60 trips to South Africa during the 1980s and 1990s, applying Graves's emergent cyclical theory in various projects.[2] This experience, along with others Beck and Cowan had applying the theory in North America, motivated the development of Spiral Dynamics.[3]

Beck and Cowan further developed Graves's emergent cyclical theory and presented a structured evolutionary model of adaptive intelligence called Spiral Dynamics. They first published their construct in Spiral Dynamics: Mastering Values, Leadership, and Change (Exploring the New Science of Memetics) (1996).[4] They introduced a simple color-coding for the eight value systems identified by Graves (and a predicted ninth) which is better known than Graves's letter pair identifiers.[1] Additionally, Beck and Cowan integrated ideas from the field of memetics as created by Dawkins and further developed by Csikszentmihalyi, which are viewed as explaining the systemic spread of values in society as social DNA in Graves' specific evolutionary sequence. Beck and Cowan coined the term "vMeme" to describe value systems as attractors for memes, with each vMeme corresponding to one of Graves's levels of existence.[5]

Through these value systems, groups and cultures structure their societies and individuals integrate within them. Each distinct set of values is developed as a response to solving the problems of the previous system. Changes between states may occur incrementally (first order change) or in a sudden breakthrough (second order change).[6]

Overview of the vMemes

^vMemes as described in Spiral Dynamics (1996)

Color	Graves code	Description	Attributes
First Tier
Beige[7]	A-N	SurvivalSense. The Instinctive ^vMEME	Automatic, autistic, reflexive Centers around satisfaction Driven by deep brain programs, instincts and genetics Little awareness of self as a distinct being (undifferentiated) Lives "off the land" much as other animals Minimal impact on or control over environment
Purple[8]	B-O	KinSpirits. The Clannish ^vMEME	Obey desires of the mystical spirit beings Show allegiance to elders, custom, clan Preserve sacred places, objects, rituals Bond together to endure and find safety Live in an enchanted, magical village Seek harmony with nature's power
Red[9]	C-P	PowerGods. The Egocentric ^vMEME	In a world of haves and have-nots, it's good to be a have Avoid shame, defend reputation, be respected Gratify impulses and sense immediately Fight remorselessly and without guilt to break constraints Don't worry about consequences that may not come
Blue[10]	D-Q	TruthForce. The Purposeful ^vMEME	Find meaning and purpose in living Sacrifice self to the Way for deferred reward Bring order and stability to all things Control impulsivity and respond to guilt Enforce principles of righteous living Divine plan assigns people to their places
Orange[11]	E-R	StriveDrive. The Strategic ^vMEME	Strive for autonomy and independence Seek out "the good life" and material abundance Progress through searching out the best solutions Enhance living for many through science and technology Play to win and enjoy competition Learning through tried-and-true experience
Green[12]	F-S	HumanBond. The Relativistic ^vMEME	Explore the inner beings of self and others Promote a sense of community and unity Share society's resources among all Liberate humans from greed and dogma Reach decisions through consensus Refresh spirituality and bring harmony
Second Tier
Yellow[13]	G-T	FlexFlow. The Systemic ^vMEME	Accept the inevitability of nature's flows and forms Focus on functionality, competence, flexibility, and spontaneity Multi-perspectival, non-ideological and open-minded Discovering personal freedom without harm to others or excesses of self-interest Experience fullness of living on an Earth of such diversity in multiple dimensions Demand integrative and open systems
Turquoise[14]	H-U	GlobalView. The Holistic^vMEME	Blending and harmonizing a strong collective of individuals Focus on the good of all living entities as integrated systems Expanded use of human brain/mind tools and competencies Self is part of larger, conscious, spiritual whole that also serves self Global networking seen as routine Acts for minimalist living so less actually is more
Coral[15]	I-V	unknown	unknown

Factions and lineages

While Spiral Dynamics began as a single formulation and extension of Graves's work, a series of disagreements and shifting collaborations have produced several distinct factions. By 2010, these had settled as Christopher Cowan and Natasha Todorovic advocating their trademarked "SPIRAL DYNAMICS®" as fundamentally the same as Graves's emergent cyclical theory, Don Beck advocating Spiral Dynamics Integral (SDi) with a community of practice around various chapters of his Centers for Human Emergence, and Ken Wilber utilizing recolored SDi levels subordinate to his Integral framework, with a greater focus on spirituality.[16]

This state of affairs has led to practitioners noting the "lineage" of their approach in publications.[17]

Timeline

The following timeline shows the development of the various Spiral Dynamics factions and the major figures involved in them, as well as the initial work done by Graves. Splits and changes between factions are based on publications or public announcements, or approximated to the nearest year based on well-documented[18] events.

Vertical bars indicate notable publications, which are listed along with a few other significant events after the timeline.

Bolded years indicate publications that appear as vertical bars in the chart above:

• 1966: Graves: first major publication (in The Harvard Business review)[19]
• 1970: Graves: peer reviewed publication in Journal of Humanistic Psychology[20]
• 1974: Graves: article in The Futurist[21] (Beck first becomes aware of Graves's theory; Cowan a bit later[22])
• 1977: Graves abandons manuscript of what would later become The Never Ending Quest[23]
• 1979: Beck and Cowan found National Values Center, Inc. (NVC)[24]
• 1981: Beck and Cowan resign from UNT to work with Graves; Beck begins applying theory in South Africa[22][2][25]
• 1986: Death of Clare Graves[26]
• 1996: Beck and Cowan: Spiral Dynamics: Mastering Values, Leadership, and Change[4]
• 1998: Cowan and Todorovic form NVC Consulting as an "outgrowth" of NVC[22]
• 1998: Cowan files for "Spiral Dynamics" service mark, registered to NVC[27]
• 1999: Beck (against SD as service mark)[28] and Cowan (against Wilber's Integral theory)[29] cease collaborating
• 1999: Wilber: The Collected Works of Ken Wilber, Vol. 4: Integral Psychology (first Spiral Dynamics reference)[30]
• 2000: Wilber: A Theory of Everything (integrates SD with AQAL, defines MGM: "Mean Green Meme")[31][32]
• 2000: Wilber founds the Integral Institute with Beck as a founding associate around this time[33]
• 2002: Beck: "SDi: Spiral Dynamics in the Integral Age" (launches SDi as a brand)[34]
• 2002: Todorovic: "The Mean Green Hypothesis: Fact or Fiction?" (refutes MGM)[35]
• 2002: Graves; William R. Lee (annot.); Cowan and Todorovic (eds.): Levels of Human Existence, transcription of Graves's 1971 three-day seminar[36]
• 2004: Beck founds the Center for Human Emergence (CHE),[37] listing Wilber among "key personnel"[38]
• 2005: Beck, Elza S. Maalouf and Said E. Dawlabani found the Center for Human Emergence Middle East [39]
• 2005: Graves; Cowan and Todorovic (eds.): The Never Ending Quest[40]
• 2005: Beck and Wilber cease collaborating around this time, disagreeing on Wilber's changes to SDi[16]
• 2006: Wilber: Integral Spirituality (recolors the levels to align with chakras)[16]
• 2009: NVC dissolved as business entity,[24] original SD service mark (officially registered to NVC) canceled[27]
• 2010: Cowan and Todorovic re-file for SD service mark and trademark, registered to NVC Consulting[41]
• 2013: Dawlabani: MEMEnomics, the Next Generation Economic System; Beck is content adviser, writes foreword[42]
• 2014: Maalouf: Emerge! The Rise of Functional Democracy and the Future of the Middle East on collaborations with Beck; Beck writes foreword[43]
• 2015: Death of Chris Cowan[44]
• 2017: Wilber: Religion of Tomorrow (further elaborates on the recoloring)[45][46]
• 2018: Beck et al: Spiral Dynamics in Action[47]

Spiral Dynamics integral (SDi)

By 1999[30] or at the latest early 2000, Don Beck was corresponding with Integral philosopher Ken Wilber about Spiral Dynamics and using a "4Q/8L" diagram combining Wilber's four quadrants with the eight known levels of Spiral Dynamics.[48] Beck officially announced SDi as launching on January 1, 2002, aligning Spiral Dynamics with Integral theory and additionally citing the influence of John Petersen of the Arlington Institute and Ichak Adizes.[34] By 2006, Wilber had recolored the levels in his AQAL system, diverging from Beck's SDi.[49]

Later influences on SDi include the work of work of Muzafer Sherif and Carolyn Sherif in the fields of realistic conflict and social judgement,[50] specifically their Assimilation Contrast Effect model[51][52] and Robber's Cave study[53]

Criticism

Spiral Dynamics, as a simplification of Graves's work, has been criticized by some within academia as leading to a "cult-like" community of practice. They instead base their work primarily on the same Gravesian theory that underlies Spiral Dynamics.[54] However, others accept Spiral Dynamics or Spiral Dynamics Integral as the basis for further academic work.[55]

The culture around Spiral Dynamics has also been viewed negatively due to the prominence of the business and intellectual property concerns of its leading advocates.[56]

Metamodernist philosophers Daniel Görtz and Emil Friis, writing as Hanzi Freinacht, praise the unique insights of Spiral Dynamics while also criticizing it for combining too many dimensions of development into one measurement. They have proposed a multi-part system combining aspects of Spiral Dynamics with other developmental measurements.[57]

Influence and applications

Spiral Dynamics has been influential in philosophy,[57] spirituality,[49] economics,[58] cultural analysis,[59] and management theory.[60][61]

Some examples of applications include conflict resolution in Israel and Palestine,[62] economic development in Ghana,[63] and corporate leadership at Whole Foods.[64]

Notes

1. Butters (2015), pp. 68-69
2. Viljoen, Rica (29 May 2018). "Back to the Future – The South African Crucible Revisited". In Beck, Don (ed.). Spiral Dynamics in Action: Humanity's Master Code. Chester, United Kingdom: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1119387183.
3. Beck and Cowan (1996), p. 3
4. Beck and Cowan (1996)
5. Beck and Cowan (1996), pp. 27, 30-33
6. Cook (2008), p. 46–47
7. Beck and Cowan (1996), p. 197
8. Beck and Cowan (1996), p. 203
9. Beck and Cowan (1996), p. 215
10. Beck and Cowan (1996), p. 229
11. Beck and Cowan (1996), p. 244
12. Beck and Cowan (1996), p. 260
13. Beck and Cowan (1996), p. 275
14. Beck and Cowan (1996), p. 287
15. Beck and Cowan (1996), p. 47
16. Butters (2015), pp. 69, 71–73
17. #CITEREFChristianson2015, "Orienting Details"
18. Butters (2015)
19. Graves, Clare W. (September–October 1966). "Deterioration of Work Standards". Harvard Business Review. 44 (5): 117–126.
20. Graves, Clare W. (Fall 1970). "Levels of Existence: An Open System Theory of Values". Journal of Humanistic Psychology. 10 (2): 131–155. doi:10.1177/002216787001000205. S2CID 144532391.
21. Graves, Clare W. (April 1974). "Human Nature Prepares for a Momentous Leap". The Futurist. pp. 72–87.
22. Todorovic, Natasha. "About Us". NVC Consulting. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
23. Cowan and Todorovic (2005), p. v
24. "National Values Center, Inc". OpenCorporates. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
25. Beck et al (2018), pp. 86, 247
26. "In Memoriam..." The Concordiensis. Union College, Schenectady, NY. 16 January 1986. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
27. U.S. Service Mark 75,477,781
28. Butters (2015), p. 71
29. Cowan, Christopher; Todorovic, Natasha. "FAQs: Integral". Spiral Dynamics Online. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
30. Wilber (1999)
31. Wilber (2000)
32. MacDonald, Copthorne. "Review Of: A Theory of Everything". Integralis: Journal of Integral Consciousness, Culture, and Science. 1. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
33. "About Us". Integral Institute. Archived from the original on 10 December 2004. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
34. Beck (2001)
35. Todorovic (2002)
36. Graves, Clare W. (2002). Lee, William R.; Cowan, Christopher; Todorovic, Natasha (eds.). Levels of Human Existence: Edited Transcription of a Seminar at the Washington School of Psychiatry, October 16, 1971. Santa Barbara, CA: ECLET Publishing. ISBN 0-9724742-0-X.
37. "Dr. Don Beck". Center for Human Emergence. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
38. "Organization: Key Personnel". Center for Human Emergence. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
39. "Human Emergence Middle East". Retrieved 4 October 2020.
40. Graves (2005)
41. U.S. Trademark 85,125,521, U.S. Service Mark 85,125,521
42. Dawlabani, Said (2013). MEMEnomics, the Next Generation Economic System. Select Books. ISBN 978-1590799963.
43. Maalouf, Elza (2014). Emerge! The Rise of Functional Democracy and the Future of the Middle East. Select Books. ISBN 978-1590792865.
44. Rice, Keith E. (20 August 2015). "Fare Thee Well, Christopher Cowan!". Integrated SocioPsychology. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
45. Visser (2017)
46. Wilber (2017)
47. Beck et al (2018)
48. Wilber (2000), pp. 145–146, 149, 151
49. Wilber (2006)
50. Beck, Don (14 December 2008). "Large-Scale Psychology: The Design and Transformation of Whole Societies". Archived from the original on 18 December 2008.
51. Rice, Keith E. (4 October 2015). "Assimilation-Contrast Effect". Retrieved 3 August 2020.
52. Spiral Dynamics confab 2008, Beck presents the A/CE – Part II on YouTube video
53. McTaggart, Lynne (May 2011). The Bond: Connecting Through the Space Between Us. New York, NY: Free Press. p. 187. ISBN 978-1-4391-5794-7.
54. Cook (2008), p. 44
55. Frey Horn, Laura (21 May 2006). A Phenomenological Study of Individuals at Spiral Dynamics Integral (SDi) Theory Second-Tier Levels of Development (PhD). The George Washington University. Retrieved 21 Aug 2020.
56. Butters (2015), pp. 75–76
57. Freinacht, Hanzi (10 March 2017). The Listening Society: A Metamodern Guide to Politics, Book One. Metamoderna. pp. 305–308. ISBN 978-8799973903.
58. Dawlabani, Said E.; Beck, Don Edward. Economic Systems and the Emerging Values of Humanity. Bretton Woods 75. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
59. Viljoen, Rica; Laubscher, Loraine I. (1 June 2015). "African Spirituality: Insights from the Cradle of Mankind". In Spiller, Chellie; Wolfgramm, Rachel (eds.). Indigenous Spiritualities at Work: Transforming the Spirit of Enterprise. Information Age Publishing. ISBN 978-1681231556.
60. Cook‐Greuter, Susanne R. (1 December 2004). "Making the Case for a Developmental Perspective". Industrial and Commercial Training. 36 (7): 275–281. doi:10.1108/00197850410563902.
61. Laloux, Frederic (20 February 2014). Reinventing Organizations: A Guide to Creating Organizations Inspired by the Next Stage of Human Consciousness. Nelson Parker. ISBN 978-2960133516.
62. Eldar, Akiva (12 February 2006). "The eight-stage spiral to peace in the Mideast". Haaretz. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
63. Viljoen, Rica (2015). "Navigating Transformation in a Purple Country". Inclusive Organizational Transformation: An African Perspective on Human Niches and Diversity of Thought. Gower. ISBN 978-1472422996.
64. Mackey, John (1 May 2006). "The Upward Flow of Human Development". Whole Foods Market. Retrieved 19 August 2020.

References

• Beck, Don Edward; Cowan, Christopher C. (8 May 1996). Spiral Dynamics: Mastering Values, Leadership, and Change. Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 978-1557869401.
• Wilber, Ken (28 December 1999). Collected Works of Ken Wilber, Vol. 4 : Integral Psychology, Transformations of Consciousness, Selected Essays. Shambhala. ISBN 978-1570625046.
• Wilber, Ken (29 August 2000). A Theory of Everything: An Integral Vision for Business, Politics, Science, and Spirituality. ISBN 978-1570627248.
• Todorovic, Natasha (2002). "The Mean Green Hypothesis: Fact or Fiction?" (PDF). Spiral Dynamics Online. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
• Graves, Clare W. (2005). Cowan, Christopher C.; Todorovic, Natasha (eds.). The Never Ending Quest. Santa Barbara, CA: ECLET Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9724742-1-4.
• Wilber, Ken (3 October 2006). Integral Spirituality: A Startling New Role for Religion in the Modern and Postmodern World. Integral Books. ISBN 9781590303467.
• Cook, John Edward (October 2008). The Role of the Individual in Organisational Cultures: a Gravesian Integrated Approach (PhD). Sheffield Hallam University. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
• Christianson, Tom, ed. (2015). Innovate Development: Emerging Worldviews & Systems Change. Integral Publishers. ISBN 978-1-4951-5908-4.
• Christianson, Tom, ed. (2015). Developmental Innovation: Emerging Worldviews & Individual Learning. Integral Publishers. ISBN 978-1-4951-5909-1.
• Butters, Albion (17 November 2015). "A Brief History of Spiral Dynamics". Approaching Religion. 5 (2): 67–78. doi:10.30664/ar.67574.
• Wilber, Ken (2 May 2017). Religion of Tomorrow: A Vision of the Future of the Great Traditions–More Inclusive, More Comprehensive, More Complete. Shambhala. ISBN 978-1611803006.
• Visser, Frank (May 2017). "A More Adequate Spectrum of Colors?". Integral World. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
• Beck, Don; Larsen, Teddy Hebo; Solonin, Sergey; Viljoen, Rica; Johns, Thomas Q. (29 May 2018). Spiral Dynamics in Action: Humanity's Master Code. Chester, United Kingdom: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1119387183.