“What you find in nature is
what works. It wouldn’t be there if it didn’t. Boundless wisdom awaits.” –Bill
Plotkin PhD
In his book Nature and the Human Soul Bill Plotkin writes a groundbreaking blueprint about authentic human development that he calls the Eight Soul-centric/Eco-centric Stages of Human Development. Part psychology, part philosophy, the book is an amazing treatise on the human condition, revealing the healthiest path toward authentic elder-hood and genuine wisdom. Through an eco-centric lens, as opposed to the egocentric one of mass culture, Plotkin reveals an elegant way to individuate the ego and self-actualize the soul through eight amazing stages of life. Here are the eight Soul-centric/Eco-centric Stages of Human Development.
1) The Innocent in the Nest
This is the stage of early childhood, the stage of innocence.
At this stage we don’t have human language. Everything is innocent. Our domain
is the nest. We look, listen, feel, and smell everything for the first time.
We’re not able to label anything, like “ahhhh, this smells like pine.” Our grip
on our verbal mind is precarious. We have no name for things. We’re not even
thinking that the “branch” grows out of the “tree trunk.” The tree just is. We
just are.
There are only images,
scents, sounds, feelings, and movements in and around us. Luminous presence is
paramount. Feeling is primary; thinking is secondary. Our life is all about the
senses and the body. We take it all in. No judgments, but lots of deep
curiosity. We’re taking the first steps on an adventure through the endlessly
fascinating, sensuous world of nature. We are Innocence personified. We are
Spirit. We are unquestionably in relation with everything at this stage, and
everything is waiting for us to question it. Our ego is a pinpoint in its
development, but it is developing. We are being born into a creature that has
the capacity to wonder.
2) The Explorer in the
Garden
This is the stage of middle
childhood, the stage of wonder. At this stage we are developing ways to engage
with nature and culture. Our domain is the garden, the immediate environment.
We explore, mimic, and imagine new ways of connecting with humans,
other-than-humans, and things. Language is an amazing new tool that we play
around with. Bio-mimicry is another. We’re having a blast naming things in
relation to our cultural paradigm. Play is paramount.
Wonder is primary,
exploration is secondary. Our life is all about discovering family through
culture, and nature through the amazing biodiversity of the ecosystem. We are
learning how to name and label things through a still deep curiosity. We are
becoming more and more creative. We build things, like forts. We climb trees.
We talk to squirrels and fall in love with each moment. We are becoming a
unique individual in a world that seems never ending. Our ego is an egg, or a
seed, incubating, forming, and planting roots. We are becoming a creature that
has the capacity to become autonomous.
3) The Thespian at the Oasis
This is the stage of early adolescence, the stage of creative
fire. At this stage we are concerned with securing an authentic social self.
Our domain is the oasis, the greater environment and the extent of our society.
Exploration is still very important but the center of gravity has shifted to
social concerns and how best to fit into our peer groups. Puberty is an amazing
force that is transforming us in powerful ways. The budding ego is paramount.
Peer pressure is primary, sexuality is secondary.
Our life is all about
fitting in and discovering our place within society. We seek confirmation
through the societal paradigm, and our curiosity has shifted almost completely
toward sexuality. We are becoming more authentic, and we are beginning to
recognize the authenticity of others: people, animals, things. We recognize
boundaries: our own, and others. Our ego is in full bloom. The egg has cracked.
We are becoming a creature that has the capacity to leave home: to move on, to
wander.
-It’s worth noting that the
majority of people in Western societies have not gone beyond this stage. And so
true adulthood, or psychological maturity, has become an uncommon achievement,
and genuine elder-hood nearly nonexistent.
4) The Wanderer in the
Cocoon
This is the stage of late
adolescence, the stage of mystery and darkness. At this stage we are concerned
with understanding the Great Mystery. Our domain is the cocoon: a mystical and
mythical transformation place within the unconscious realm. We are beginning to
explore ways of letting go, of saying goodbye; while at the same time exploring
new ways of identifying and defining our world. Mystery itself is fast becoming
an essential guide. We are learning how to open up to serendipity. We are
becoming more sensitive to coincidence.
Exploration is paramount.
Hearing “the call of the wild” is primary; heeding the call is secondary. Our
life is all about honoring obstacles and letting go of attachments. We seek,
courageously, to be completely consumed by the underworld, as our center of
gravity expands beyond any of our preconceived notions. We are learning how to
stretch comfort zones, break mental paradigms, and pass through existential
thresholds. Our ego is fully formed, ready to emerge from the cocoon. We are
becoming a creature that has the capacity for soul initiation.
5) The Soul Apprentice
at the Wellspring
This is the stage of early adulthood, the stage of
visionary action. At this stage our concern is learning about the history of
our culture. Our domain is the wellspring, the perennial fountainhead of
cultural depths. We are creating the foundation for what will become our
vocation. Our initiation into soul is an awesome inspiration to us. We are
learning how to tap into ancient knowledge and stand on the
shoulders of giants.
We also learn more about the
magnanimous interconnectedness of cosmos & nature. Awareness is paramount.
Inspiration is primary, understanding is secondary. Our life is all about
emerging into a full-fledged soul-centric being. We seek to build platforms and
secure foundations for launching off points. We are learning how to hear a
language older than words. Our ego has wings and is ready to fly. We are
becoming a creature with the capacity for cultural creation.
6) The Artisan in the Wild
Orchard
This is the stage of late
adulthood, the stage of cultural renaissance. At this stage we are concerned
with manifesting a genuine system for the delivery of our soul work. Our domain
is the wild orchard, a robust environment of ripened fruit. We have discovered
our unique vocation. Our induction into the circle of artistry is a cultural
boon, but we are diligent in our cultivation of soul. We are learning how our
soulwork is also artwork, and how to deliver it as a gift to the world. Art is
paramount. Benevolence is primary, teaching is secondary.
Our life is all about
planting the seeds of our knowledge and communicating deeply with others:
human, and other-than-human. We seek to cultivate the philosophy of
soul-centrism and eco-centrism by imparting its wisdom onto others. We can now
hear nature speaking a language older than words. Our ego is in full flight. We
are becoming a creature with the capacity for mastery.
7) The Master in the Grove
of Elders
This is the stage of early
elderhood, the stage of wholeness. At this stage we are concerned with the
world as a whole, as a vibrating interconnected web of life. Our domain is a
grove, a place that is linked to the entire ecosystem. We have planted our seeds
and now we get to watch them grow. We have been crowned with the mantle of
mastery and now we see with “over-eyes” how the energy of psyche/culture is
joined and linked forever with the energy of nature/world. Wisdom is paramount.
Vigilance is primary,
observance is secondary. Our life is all about caring for the soul of the human
and more-than-human community. We seek nothing more than to tend to the web of
life with a humor of the most high. We can now both hear and speak, fluently, a
language older than words. Our ego flies above all, tending to the way it all
fits together. We are becoming a creature with the capacity to surrender to the
cosmos.
8) The Sage in the Mountain
Cave
This is the stage of late
elderhood, the stage of grace. At this stage we are concerned with tending to
the universe as a whole. Our domain is a mountain cave, a place up high where
the cosmic structure of the universe is displayed in all its glory. We have
surrendered to grace. We are humbled by our wisdom, and honored to have lived a
life of soul-centric/eco-centric relevance.
Gratitude is paramount.
Numinosity is primary, luminance is secondary. Our life is all about being one
with cosmos and spirit. We seek nothing more than to let go, to give way. We
have become a language older than words. Our ego is at rest, nesting in an
infinite nest. We are becoming a creature with the capacity for rebirth, but
first, death.
