The Stages Model Of Consciousness Evolution (Terri O'Fallon)

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Terri O'Fallon is a former student of integral theorist Ken Wilber and ego development pioneer Susanne Cook-Greuter and the founder of the groundbreaking Stages International Model Of Human Development.

The STAGES model has a comprehensive framework with 12 distinct stages and 6 different kinds of perspectives for understanding the evolution of human consciousness. The primary utility in this model (and others) is that they provide structural definitions that map how awareness evolves through predictable patterns. The more we understand the patterns, the better we can place ourself and understand the terrain.

In this conversation, Terri offers a structural roadmap that helps us understand exactly where we are, where we're going, and why transformation can feel so disorienting…let’s just say the last part resonates.

Here’s an image of the stages model.

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This episode is great for:

• Spiritual seekers experiencing confusion about why their inner work feels chaotic. Why certain practices aren't working or why they feel like their life is falling apart despite doing "all the right things"

• Anyone going through major life transitions who feels like they don't know who they are anymore and needs a framework to understand that transformation confusion is normal

• People fascinated by developmental psychology who want to understand the precise structural mechanics behind how human awareness evolves beyond cultural stereotypes

• People struggling with developmental impatience who want to rush to enlightenment without doing the horizontal work of integrating each level fully

Ideas that really stuck out to me:

1. The balloon metaphor explains healthy vs. unhealthy development patterns. Balanced development requires both horizontal richness and vertical growth at each stage. A tall skinny balloon rushing upward without depth falls over. A wide flat balloon staying horizontal without growth never gains height. We need full expansion at each level before ascending to the next.

2. States and stages operate independently explaining spiritual bypassing phenomena. You can access incredibly advanced spiritual states while remaining at early developmental stages. Ancient spiritual masters 5,000 years ago may have had profound realizations while operating at stage 2.5 or 3.0 developmentally. This explains why some meditation teachers can touch non-dual awareness yet behave narcissistically.

3. The meta-aware tier fundamentally transforms your relationship with time and requires spiritual practice. Linear time dissolves into eternal presence where past, present, and future collapse into timeless awareness. You literally cannot access these stages without contemplative practice or natural capacity for sustained focus on transcendent states.

4. Social construction of reality shapes every aspect of early development. Babies are completely receptive to everything from their environment. Parents, language, culture, and context literally construct the child's reality through repeated interactions. Understanding this makes conscious parenting possible rather than unconscious pattern transmission.

5. Your relationship with developmental models follows predictable stages. At stage 4.5 such as strategist, you become fascinated by frameworks and typologies. This is when people discover integral theory, spiral dynamics or the stages model. But as you enter the meta-aware tier models become less interesting than direct experience. At 5.5 you might integrate multiple paradigms into your own framework before eventually transcending models entirely.

What clicked for me was Terri's explanation of boundaries as the core mechanism of development. In the concrete tier, we form boundaries such as physical, emotional and social. In the subtle tier, we refine and sophisticate these boundaries like intellectual, behavioral and relational. In the meta-aware tier, we systematically transcend the boundaries we've spent our entire lives building.

This isn't about eliminating boundaries but about gaining the capacity to work with them consciously rather than being unconsciously limited by them. It's like learning to play piano. First you must master individual notes, scales, and finger positions to form your technical foundation then eventually you can play beautiful music fluidly without consciously thinking about each component. The boundaries become integrated tools for transcendent expression.

The model also explains why some spiritual communities can be so dysfunctional. Advanced states without corresponding stage development creates "spiritual inflation" and often a lack of relational maturity to handle expanded awareness responsibly.

I hope you enjoy this conversation!

- Scott

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Recommended Resources:

• About Terri O'Fallon

• STAGES International Website

• The Mind's I

Episode Transcript

• Terri O'Fallon Full Transcript

Show Notes

• 00:00 - Introduction to the Stages Model of Consciousness

• 05:16 - Understanding the Utility of the Stages Model

• 10:48 - The Role of Boundaries in Development

• 14:34 - Building Upon Existing Models of Consciousness

• 19:40 - The Balloon Metaphor for Development

• 30:22 - The Distinction Between State and Stage

• 33:50 - Navigating Life's Transformations

• 39:51 - Understanding Archetypes in Development

• 46:53 - The Evolution of Time Perception

• 57:57 - The Impact of Life Experiences on Development

• 01:02:01 - Future Directions and Resources for Learning