• 'Enlightenment' appears in the conscious world, but 'regeneration' requires examining the unconscious world and solving its problems to reach a psychologically complete human being.
• Ken Wilber (American, psychologist) was deeply fascinated by the ideas of the East and West after encountering Lao Tzu's 'Tao Te Ching'. He spent decades in East Asian countries including Korea, directly engaging in spiritual practices and meeting with high monks and clergy, realizing that spiritual experiences do not guarantee psychological completion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBN987DwM_Q

Does enlightenment solve all problems? This is what must be achieved with enlightenment! | durumis & Plato Academy co-planned 'Overseas Spirituality Leaders' interview - Integrative Psychology Master Ken Wilber Interview 1

Many people who claim to have achieved enlightenment or had spiritual experiences have many personality problems, particularly with sex and money. How did you come to know that spiritual experiences do not guarantee psychological completion?

I spent decades in the deep mountains of Korea, meeting countless monks and practitioners, clergy, and even traveling to India, Nepal, China, and Tibet, meeting countless high monks.

Nicodemus, a Pharisee and leader of the Jews, saw the miracles Jesus performed and considered him a teacher sent from God. He sought the Lord late at night, hoping to gain instruction that would add to his knowledge. But Jesus had a subject he wanted to teach him: the fundamental truth of "Who can enter the Kingdom of God?" Who can truly enter the Kingdom of God? No one born of the flesh can enter it. (John 3:1-8)

Jesus' answer was that only those who have been born again can enter.

Only those born of the Spirit can enter. Being born anew as a child of God is an event that occurs when a person who has repented of their sins relies on the merit of Jesus Christ, receives baptism in water, and is sealed with the Holy Spirit. The Bible refers to such people transformed by water and the Spirit as "new creations" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. (1 Corinthians 10:12)

Matthew 7

13. “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter by it.

14. Because narrow is the gate and restricted is the way that leads to life, and few find it."

Even if someone practices, sees and reads the words of the truth of life, and gains enlightenment, the fruit will be seen in their character and actions.

Even in Christianity and other religions, we often see leaders who start with a pure heart and walk the path, but once they reach a certain point, they often collapse due to scandals of fame, power, money, and sex.

Ken Wilber explains the process of enlightenment and regeneration from the perspective of integrative psychology. Even if a person claims to have received the Lord's salvation, bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit is a separate matter. The path is difficult, which is why Jesus referred to it as a narrow path and warned, “If you think you are standing, beware lest you fall.”

Ken Wilber's interpretation of the decisive reason why people, though enlightened, fail to reach a perfect personality from an integrative psychological perspective is unique and worth listening to.

Enlightenment appears in the conscious world, and one can see the pursuit of enlightenment. However, the regeneration of character and behavior in people with healthy character is closely linked to the unconscious world, making it difficult to perceive easily. Therefore, overlooking this aspect could lead to a person collapsing despite achieving enlightenment.

Freud (S. Freud) divided the human mind into conscious, preconscious, and unconscious according to the level of awareness.

The unconscious is the deepest and most important part of the human mind, providing clues to understanding an individual's behavior. The unconscious (無意識) outside the conscious realm occupies most of the mental world, governs human behavior, and determines the direction of actions (Dictionary of Counseling, 2016). Fear, violent impulses, irrational desires, lewd desires, selfishness, and shameful experiences belong to this category.

It is astonishing that 95% of human behavioral patterns are driven by our subconscious (emotional brain) and unconscious (survival brain), and only 5% of behavioral patterns are driven by consciousness (rational brain).

The unconscious has a habit of accepting everything at face value, whether it's positive or negative. If you keep telling yourself that you can succeed in a particular task, the probability of actually succeeding increases. The unconscious does not think or reason independently. It obeys the commands given by consciousness.

If 95% of human activity is unconscious, it becomes a significant challenge to understand how the unconscious (unconscious mind) can be used in learning. Cooperation between the conscious and unconscious is essential to change anything or achieve a goal. By connecting (synchronizing) the powerful force of the unconscious with consciousness, we can control our lives and achieve what we want. Just understanding how the unconscious actually works can dramatically transform our learning and lives.

Matthew 7

7. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

June 20, 2024. Organized by Cham Gil

Postscript

It is important to cultivate the ability to view the incomplete state of human maturity from an integrative psychological perspective. No matter how enlightened, if a person does not address the greed, wounds, and other impurities lurking in the unconscious world, they will stumble at any time. In that sense, we should examine ourselves to see if there is anything unclean in the unconscious of our hearts and strive to improve it.

This is to live a life of worship that is “truth and spirit,” and it will be the foundation for living the “sanctified life” that the apostle Paul spoke of. We should remember Jesus’ words that we must be born again through water and the Holy Spirit to enter the “Kingdom of God.”