Updates: Global Shift Interview - March 2009

1. What is the basic purpose or thrust of the book, Global Shift?

It’s not the intent of the book to say how we can solve all of the world’s problems. That’s largely up to government leaders and the policies they devise regarding the serious economic, environmental, and political issues humanity is facing at this time.

Lasting solutions to global problems will not be forthcoming until governments, financial institutions, and multinational corporations really demonstrate a more serious concern for the environment and economic metrics take environmental costs into account. The relentless pursuit of a larger GDP in the U.S. and other countries has to give way to an economics that values sustainability and conservation of the earth’s resources. It could be said that corporate materialism has to give way to a more environmental and humanitarian outlook, at the level of governments and global financial institutions, before we’re going to see a truly large change away from business as usual. Then the nations of the world—both developed and developing— will need to cooperate to design and implement global policies that truly deal with climate change, overpopulation, diminishing resources (esp. fossil fuels, water, and arable land), and poverty. Right now this is quite a tall order. Motivation and international cooperation are not consistent. As the converging global crises get worse in the future, however, motivation among nations toward doing just this is going to increase.

What the book is actually about (rather than a solution to global problems) is an attempt to portray a new worldview that has been emerging for forty years and will continue to emerge over the next fifty years, and perhaps much longer. This new worldview is a radical departure from the scientific/materialist worldview that has been predominant since the Renaissance. Many others have written about this emerging new worldview—people such as Ervin Laszlo, Barbara Marx Hubbard, Duane Elgin (especially in his forthcoming book The Living Universe), Ken Wilber, Richard Tarnas, David Korten and others. Each writer has a somewhat different take, but there are common themes.

My book tries to spell out some of the common themes that define this new paradigm.

In short, the book is about the evolution of consciousness – a consensual shift in consciousness at the global level—toward a new perception of the world and a corresponding new set of values. This shift is taking place quietly and very gradually, but it is happening.

2. What does the book say about specific things each of us can do to align our lives with the global shift in consciousness that is taking place? Name some practical things anyone can do.

There are things that most of us already know how to do:

• Simplify your life (the current economic recession/depression is forcing many people to do this—learning to get by with less—focusing less on consumption and more on inner development and important relationships)
• Practice nonviolent or peaceful communication (i.e., learn to listen to people, respect differences in personality and point of view, take back projections, and, in the face of aggressive behavior, get to the underlying need of the other person)
• Take care of your body through optimal nutrition, exercise and relaxation (a healthy body has more capacity to align with constructive forces propelling human evolution forward/ a sick body may tend to get self-absorbed or even resonate with destructive forces. Caring for your body empowers you not only to feel better but to better align with your ‘personal mission’ to be of service to someone/something beyond yourself.)

• Practice meditation (one of the best ways to connect with the higher intelligence or consciousness that is seeking to emerge in this century)
• Think inclusively, or globally (As the earth encounters a progressively greater crisis in the future, more people will begin to think beyond national and ethnic identities to a broad identity as a “global” or “planetary” citizen. Many of us are already starting to wake up to a concern for social and environmental problems beyond the sphere of our personal ego needs. There are tens of thousands of grassroots based organizations that deal with environmental and social justice issues.)
• Take concrete actions to reduce consumption of energy and precious resources (reducing our carbon and ecological footprints), recycle and reuse, increase sustainable living practices, help others who are less fortunate socio-economically, invest in a socially responsible way, and educate oneself about global issues. These are just a few among many possibilities.
  
  

Other things not in the book:

• Cultivate an increased capacity for opening one’s heart and embracing unconditional love.
• Listen deeply to inner guidance about the nature of one’s personal contribution to the Shift.
• Work with shadow energies. As the light in human consciousness increases on both the individual and collective levels, unintegrated shadow energies will intensify as well. Many of us are experiencing this individually, and it’s obvious that it is happening globally as well.

3. Is the global shift really global—or does it pertain only to a relative minority of the population? It’s unclear what the size of this movement is.

In their book, The Cultural Creatives, Paul Ray and Sherry Ruth Anderson found that about 12% of the population aligned with the full spectrum of new paradigm values described in my book. This group focused not only on saving the environment and social justice issues, but on inner transformation and spiritual growth as well. About another 12% focused primarily on environmental and political issues, without so much focus on inner personal transformation. In total, about 25% of the population in the U.S. could be classified as "cultural creatives." This was back in 2000 before eight years of political conservatism. In Ray’s recent survey, to be published later this year, the total has risen to 30-35%, with the percentage slightly higher in Western Europe than in the U.S. (In countries such as Britain, France, and Germany, you have a proportionately smaller part of the population than in the U.S. trying to rise out of abject poverty and acquire basic goods associated with the traditional "American Dream." These folks tend to be more consumer-oriented.) During the current global economic recession, the percentage of people identified as “cultural creatives” may have shifted.

In developing countries, especially China, India, and Indonesia, the percentage of the population aligned with the Shift is going to be lower. How much lower is hard to say. In these countries so many people are still at a basic survival level. Many of them are trying to better the basic material conditions of their lives—so the focus is on acquisition of material goods and conveniences.

In truth, not everyone around the world has to embrace the Shift all at once. To make significant impacts on climate change, diminishing resources, deforestation, poverty, and other major problems, you need government leaders and government policies to change. It seems to me that leaders are more influenced by the educated, materially comfortable segments of their countries’ populations, so what it really takes is a shift at the grassroots level of the developed countries which "trickle up" to the leaders. The leaders themselves, of course, have to make personal shifts in consciousness.

4. Though none of us can foresee the future, what is your outlook on humanity’s future over the next decade or two?

Look at evolution or transformation in an individual life. It frequently follows a major crisis or breakdown. So in order to achieve a quantum leap in consciousness for the planet—some breakdown of the existing world order, socially, economically, environmentally, and politically is necessary. This is already happening and will accelerate in coming years, within the lifetimes of most of us who are boomers—born after World War II—or younger. Just how tumultuous it’s going to be is hard to predict. Even for climate change alone, there is disagreement among experts on the magnitude of future problems. Many people have already felt enormous upheavals in recent years, including the current worldwide economic downturn.

5. What do you think of the current emphasis on the year 2012 as a pivotal point in the earth’s future? Many people seem to be making quite a buzz about it.

Most Mayan scholars say that the end of the Mayan long-count, a 5124 year cycle that began on Aug. 11, 3112 BC and ends on December 21, 2012, does not necessarily have concrete implications for events in the world. Traditionally, Mayans viewed the end of calendar cycles as a time for celebration, not a time of cataclysm. The alignment of our solar system with the galactic center—which is supposed to be exact in 2012—has been going on for some time.

In my opinion, it’s better to reserve judgment and not make specific predictions. Something momentous could happen during 2012 or shortly thereafter, or it may turn out to be like the Y2K frenzy at the end of 1999—highly overrated.

Certainly 2012 has become a brand, with many books and soon a movie coming out. There will be 2012 T-shirts and coffee cups soon, if there aren’t already.

6. What are the major take-away messages you would like people to receive from reading the book? Summarize the basic points you would like people to get.

That we really are in the midst of a profound shift in consciousness. It is happening gradually—over decades, not years—but it is happening.

That each of us has a part to play. Even simply by striving to heal ourselves and our lives, we join the larger evolutionary current of the Shift. The Cosmos is a conscious, evolutionary process with a specific direction and destiny (a perception lost to the scientific-materialist worldview). Each of us is part of this greater consciousness, and in each moment our egos choose to go with it or against it. So we need—on a regular basis-- to get quiet and attune to our inner wisdom and guidance to hear what it is that each of us needs to do. This is how we align with the 'Conscious Universe.'’ It may not always necessarily be comfortable or easy, but it will feel “right” in our heart of hearts.

7. What are the implications of the current economic recession for the global shift in consciousness?

It seems to me that many people are re-evaluating their priorities. People are learning that they can get by with consuming less and with making the best with what they already have.

Many others, of course, are being pushed into a survival mode, where they have to focus on basic survival. It’s a very difficult time for people out of work.

Some people will emerge from the recession/depression with new values focused less on consumption and acquisition. Voluntary simplicity, personal growth, and caring for the environment will gain salience for them. Others will return to the old materialistic/consumer-oriented paradigm. Hopefully many will move into the former category.