The global system is breaking — and it’s not the first time. In this gripping new episode of Big Picture Mind, Robb Smith unpacks what he calls a “Terminal Crisis”—a rare moment in history when the prevailing financial hegemon (today, the United States) loses its grip on a system that is demanding reconfiguration. It’s the […]
Terminal Crisis: The Economic World War Has Begun Read More »
Bruce Alderman and Josh Leonard explore the slow, invisible pull of digital systems — algorithms, platforms, attention economies — that subtly yet profoundly shape our beliefs, behaviors, and social worlds. This post was originally published on Integral Life.
Caught in the Algorithmic Undertow Read More »
Read Bruce’s White Paper Here: Polarization and the Algorithmic Undertow: Integral and Critical Realist Perspectives – Integral Life Bruce Alderman explores how our rapid transition into a globally networked information environment has created unprecedented challenges for human cognition, social cohesion, and collective meaning-making and sensemaking. In this foundational episode, Bruce Alderman joins Josh Leonard to
Polarization and the Algorithmic Undertow Read More »
Psychotherapist and developmental theorist Kim Barta joins Keith Martin-Smith for a deep dive into the psychological and developmental dynamics surrounding one of the most polarizing figures of our time: Donald Trump. This post was originally published on Integral Life.
The Shadow of Trump Read More »
In this powerful and often provocative dialogue, psychotherapist and developmental theorist Kim Barta joins Keith Martin-Smith for a deep dive into the psychological and developmental dynamics surrounding one of the most polarizing figures of our time: Donald Trump. Drawing from decades of clinical experience and the STAGES developmental model, Kim outlines a rigorous three-part typology
The Shadow of Trump Read More »
In this powerful second installment of Big Picture Mind, Robb Smith presents a sweeping yet grounded vision for the future of the integrative worldview — one that meets the historic demands of our moment and invites each of us into a shared project of planetary coherence. We are living amidst a multi-system breakdown: geopolitical instability,
A Grand Strategy for the Transformation Age Read More »
Robb Smith explains how pain acts as a catalyst for transformation at both individual and civilizational levels. He describes how humanity often resists reorganization until the pain of not solving a problem exceeds the discomfort of change. This rising pressure from unresolved systemic crises—what he calls “steering crises”—eventually forces the emergence of new worldviews and
How Pain Drives Integration Read More »
We are living through a civilizational turning point — a “Transformation Age” defined by meta-crises across geopolitics, technology, ecology, and meaning itself. In this second episode of Big Picture Mind, Robb Smith lays out a bold and actionable strategy for how integrative thinkers, leaders, and creators can rise to meet this moment. Drawing from his
How to Meet the Moment: The Strategy for a New Civilization Read More »
In this deeply personal excerpt from Evolving Spirit, Zen teacher Santiago Jimenez shares a dramatic experience of profound ego dissolution, describing it as an intense “ego blow-up” that shattered his cohesive sense of self. Santiago vividly recounts how initial feelings of blissful emptiness, liberation, and freedom from suffering unexpectedly gave way to confusion, vulnerability, and
The Stink of Zen: How to Avoid Spiritual Bypassing Read More »
