Numinous Nonsense

In response to an old post by roelke, eBuddha discusses (who are these characters?) the feasibility of doing online “integral” research:

So - despite the Integral Wiki, despite the great work being done at the P2P Foundation, despite the various integral groups - the integral research project seems to stay the province of the charismatic leaders, the “try this method” people, and the ruminations of the philosophically-oriented.

I’m thinking about ways to encourage a greater, more practical participation - what are others thoughts?

He then goes on to share several very good ideas, ways of organizing, conducting and monetizing online research projects. I really dug the post and his ideas so I decided to respond:

Hmmm. I’m just wondering, even if we did online research, how well respected is that kind of research in the larger world? Not that it couldn’t reveal some interesting patterns, but how well controlled are those research projects? Would the research be solid enough to actually affect integral theory?

My own sense, is that a research organization (or organizations) will need to be formed and have as it’s main focus conducting, coordinating, and inspiring specific research projects. I’m thinking Mind and Life Institute but geared towards integral-related research. Maybe holding a large conference each year that then inspires new research organizations to arise. For instance, partially as a result of the mind & life work, Alan Wallace was able to connect up with and set up the Santa Barbara Institute of Consciousness which is now doing heavily respected research with top-notch professionals in their field.

I don’t see why there shouldn’t be something equivalent in the integral world, but maybe that’ll just take time. In the meantime it might be really helpful to lay the groundwork for that kind of heavy duty research (the kind that could be published in major journals and could either contribute to or completely modify certain theoretical ideas) by doing web research. I’d be down, just as long as it was clear what I was contributing too, why it was helpful, and how much it would take from me.

Good stuff!

It’s funny, because roelke and I have had this very same discussion at least a few times, and while I was working for I-I I had visions of I-I serving this kind of purpose. It seems to me that they are trying to do that now, but because there focus is so broad, they just aren’t doing a good job of it. The sad thing, from my perspective, is that if I-I were to narrow its focus (too late in the game to do this if you ask me) and act only as a research foundation then that would probably have a greater impact on integral theory then their current outreach initiatives, which basically aim at promoting integral theory to the masses and/or focus on 1st person subjective deepening. Granted, both of those are important, the question is whether or Integral Institute should be trying to cover all of those bases, especially when the theory they are promoting could be expanded with good solid research and make it into the mainstream in a much more grounded form.