Michael Barker - The Mystical Genius of Ervin Laszlo

Ervin László (born 1932 in Budapest, Hungary) is a Hungarian philosopher of science, systems theorist, integral theorist, originally a classical pianist. He has published about 75 books and over 400 papers, and is editor of World Futures: The Journal of General Evolution. He is associated with the integral movement, although he is not in the Wilberian AQAL camp.

He underscores the importance of developing a holistic perspective on the world and man, an outlook he refers to as "quantum consciousness".[1] 

The following is from Wikipedia's entry on Laszlo (as was the above quote):

In an essay, Stan Grof compared László's work to that of Ken Wilber, saying "Where Wilber outlined what an integral theory of everything should look like, Laszlo actually created one."[6] Jennifer Gidley, President of the World Futures Studies Federation, is a researcher in the areas of futures studies, integral theory and spiritual evolution, which she refers to as evolution of consciousness. In an in-depth study of integral theorists she made the following claim:

A major distinction appears to be that László (2007)[7] builds his general evolution theory in a more formal, systematic manner. He claims that he built significantly on the theoretical traditions of Whitehead’s process theory, Bertalanffy’s general system theory and Prigogine’s non-linearly bifurcating dissipative structures (p. 164). Wilber’s process appears to have been much broader and more diverse—but perhaps less systematic—gathering together as many theorists in as many fields of knowledge as he could imagine, then arranging them according to the system that he developed—which he calls an integral operating system (Wilber, 2004).[8] Another difference is that although they both appear to use imagination and intuition in the construction of their theoretical approaches, Wilber does not make this explicit whereas László (2007, p. 162) does.[9]

Ervin László is a Visiting Faculty member at The Graduate Institute Bethany. 

Akashic Field Theory 

László's 2004 book, Science and the Akashic Field: An Integral Theory of Everything posits a field of information as the substance of the cosmos. Using the Sanskrit and Vedic term for "space," Akasha, he calls this information field the "Akashic field" or "A-field". He posits that the "quantum vacuum" (see Vacuum state) is the fundamental energy and information-carrying field that informs not just the current universe, but all universes past and present (collectively, the "Metaverse").

László describes how such an informational field can explain why our universe appears to be fine-tuned as to form galaxies and conscious lifeforms; and why evolution is an informed, not random, process. He believes that the hypothesis solves several problems that emerge from quantum physics, especially nonlocality and quantum entanglement.

Gidley's research also discusses László's Akashic Field theory, including a three page hermeneutic analysis of his theory compared to the similar theories a century ago of Rudolf Steiner.

Some of the terms Steiner used to characterize his spiritual-scientific methodology, such as cosmic memory and Akashic record, are currently being reintroduced into the scientific discourse by László...[10]

Macroshift Theory 

László stated in his book You Can Change the World that there is global choice for the coming world crisis, which could come in the form of a global breakdown centred on increasing fragmentation of economic inequality and a new arms race between rising powers. The other choice would be a global breakthrough led by international organizations. This would be by the linking of non-government organizations promoting sustainable development, using the Internet.[11] 

A Macroshift is defined as a popular movement to turn the tide from a global breakdown to a global breakthrough. László sees the years 2012-2020 as a critical period to change course as the coming crisis is taking shape in geopolitical current.

Global shift University 

His latest project created a university based on integral teaching. Among the schools Laszlo established at Giordano Bruno University are 

• Philosophy and Religion (BA in Psychology, with an MA in Religious Studies) 

• Government and Communication (BA in International Relations, with an MS in Human Rights) 

• Economics, Administration, and Sustainability (BS in Business administration, with an MS in International Business) 

• Arts and Culture (BA/MS in Art History, BA in Education)

The university also offers high-school certification and continuing education. Its goal is to creating change accelerators, which he defines as coalescing agents for social action and cultural awareness.

Among the more than 75 books he has published are Introduction to Systems Philosophy: Toward a New Paradigm of Contemporary Thought (1972), The Creative Cosmos: A Unified Science of Matter, Life and Mind (1996), The Systems View of the World: A Holistic Vision for Our Time (Advances in Systems Theory, Complexity, and the Human Sciences) (1996), Science and the Reenchantment of the Cosmos: The Rise of the Integral Vision of Reality (2006), Science and the Akashic Field: An Integral Theory of Everything (2007), Quantum Shift in the Global Brain: How the New Scientific RealityCan Change Us and Our World (2008), and Dawn of the Akashic Age: New Consciousness, Quantum Resonance, and the Future of the World (2013).

The two-part article below comes from Swans. Follow the title links to read the whole articles.

The Mystical Genius of Ervin Laszlo (Part I of II)

by Michael Barker

(Swans - May 20, 2013) You would be forgiven for not knowing who Ervin Laszlo is, as he certainly doesn't make the headlines very often; which is why it is useful that Laszlo has published an "informal autobiography" entitled Simply Genius! And Other Tales from My Life (Hay House, 2011). But despite his generally low media profile, Laszlo is an influential systems theorist and all-round power broker who has helped coordinate circles of ruling-class policy wonks for nearly half a century. New Age salesman and guru to the rich, Deepak Chopra, calls him "a one-man human-potential movement" and notes that: "In a skeptical age when doubters sit by the side of the road saying no to every new idea, Ervin Laszlo said yes." (1) But what exactly does he say yes to... yes to magic... yes to capitalism... yes to macrobiotics... yes to socialism? On the first three counts Laszlo answers with a resounding yes; on the last, well I think it is safe to say that yes is not an option. So why should you care about Ervin Laszlo? Well if his opposition to socialism was not enough, another good reason would be that he has set his life goal as undermining materialism, no less; and unfortunately he has the ear of some very well-heeled members of the liberal intelligentsia.

* * * * *

The Mystical Genius of Ervin Laszlo (Part II of II)

by Michael Barker

(Swans - June 3, 2013) So far Ervin Laszlo's and Aurelio Peccei's efforts to manage the world had ignored the participation of the mass of humanity, and so, as Laszlo tells it, at this stage they realized that changes would not come about unless the elite "were pushed by a critical mass." Therefore, in order to prompt the masses to demand their changes, Laszlo suggested that the Club of Rome needed to include artists among their fold. This apparently was not feasible, so instead Aurelio proposed that Laszlo should gather together a group of artists, writers, singers, and spiritual leaders to advise the Club. According to Laszlo such a group would be more intuitive and holistically orientated, but things never quite got off the ground And so it was only in 1993 that Laszlo eventually brought together this global cultural group as the Club of Budapest, whose aim was "to achieve timely and fundamental change in the world through timely and fundamental change in people's consciousness." (1) Just as one might expect, the Club of Budapest's "Manifesto for Planetary Consciousness" was written (in 1995) by just one person, Ervin Laszlo -- with absolutely no democratic accountability to the mass of humanity whose lives he was attempting to irrevocably alter. Although to be fair Laszlo did spend three hours in consultation with the Dalai Lama making final revisions to his final six-page manifesto. (2)

Two Views on Andrew Cohen's "Evolutionary Enlightenment" - Marilyn Hamilton vs. John Landon

Marilyn Hamilton is well-known in integral circles for her excellent book, Integral City: Evolutionary Intelligences for the Human Hive. John Landon, as far as I know, is completely unknown and has nothing to do with integral theory. He is the author of World History And The Eonic Effect - in fact, I suspect he could dismantle Ken Wilber's conjecture on evolution better than most of the integral critics.

Anyway, they both have reviewed Andrew Cohen's new book, Evolutionary Enlightenment: A New Path to Spiritual. Needless to say, they each have very different perspectives on the book - and I am not against the idea that each is partially true.

Evolutionary Enlightenment: 5 Tenets for the Human Hive

October 23, 2011 by Marilyn Hamilton


Evolutionary Enlightenment, by Andrew Cohen is a refreshingly enlivening read that aligns well with the Evolutionary Intelligences of Integral City.

Cohen, starts with the traditional path of enlightenment as the starting place for practitioners to achieve a deep knowing of the evolutionary experience of the “Big Bang”. His description of this as not only a scientific proposition, but a spiritual reality, underlies a deep and abiding recognition that all Life started as ONE. That as living systems, humans – both in their manifest form and their inner consciousness – arose from a singularity. As Cohen, reiterates, “something came from nothing”. This is both the greatest discovery and the greatest mystery of our 14 billion year old universe.


And yet, in his own path as a spiritual teacher, Cohen has come to the conclusion, that as profound as the traditional experience and teaching of enlightenment is, it is not the end of the story. For the impulse to evolve that sparked the journey of emergence in the universe, is still alive and emerging. In fact it is alive and emerging as humans. We are not only human ”beings” but we are human ”becomings”, and as such humans represent the evolutionary impulse’s leading edge (at least on this planet).


Cohen, conveys his deep inspiration and commitment to all that this evolutionary impulse demands. In fact, he proposes that as we realize the implications of our relationship with the evolutionary impulse, we are obligated to grow up from our egocentric, ethnocentric and even worldcentric preoccupations and mature into a cosmocentric collaboration with it.

Read the whole review.

The muddle over evolution

September 28, 2011
By John C. Landon


The idea of evolution suffers from a certain incoherence due to the multiple almost predatory efforts to close in and control the idea for a certain agenda. The social Darwinist and economic ideologies claiming Darwinism are apparent from the study of cultural history. Beginning in the nineteenth century with Blavatsky, and a critique of Darwin, a new version of the attempt to control the evolutionary concept took off at the beginnings of the modern New Age movement. The figure Gurdjieff, in a rival but parallel equivalent, also adopted an unstated and crypto-social-darwinist version of the idea, not entirely distant (though not the same as) Nietzsche's take on the idea. The occulted aspect of this genocidal and fascist legacy is hard to untangle. Cohen's interpretation seems to resemble this second tradition in a deliberated innocence of the interpretation, but stating nothing about the complex and dangerous background to the muddle of evolutionary thought.


The usage of Cohen (which resembles various strains of 'conscious evolution' in several New Age figures, e.g. Barbara Hubbard) is as false as what it replaces, and leaves the reader somewhat nervous about what is omitted. We need more than New Age platitudes given the dark legacy of 'evolutionary enlightenment', e.g. the mass murder envisioned by the Nietschean on the way to the 'overman'. Nietzsche, as we can see, was hopelessly confused by Darwin, even in his critique of that figure. The idea of evolution has thus become almost schizophrenically muddled from different sides. The idea of 'spiritual evolution' is not necessarily a false one, but the attempt to make it into some kind of adjunct to spiritual practice, indeed, as here, the path of enlightenment,confuses the whole idea. The fact of evolution is visible in deep time in the progression of fossil forms. The dynamic behind this remains elusive and still unknown to us. The issue is not 'spiritual evolution', but the evolution, as Alfred Wallace sensed it, of the human potential to self-realization, in the complex instrument of consciousness that emerged with homo sapiens. The potential to 'enlightenment' so-called clearly became a difficult but marginally realizable possibility for this new 'chimpanzee' (the third, pace, Jared Diamond) who arises in the wake of homo erectus. Understanding this moment of organismic transformation (which looks awfully like the 'spiritual evolution' Cohen is striving to understand) is simply beyond our science, and beyond our New Age gurus. The dynamics of that potential and the 'how' of its evolution remain unknown to us. But to posit some 'evolutionary impulse' behind this is simply metaphysical speculation on Cohen's part.


Another line of analysis lies with J. G. Bennett's depiction in Vol 4 of The Dramatic Universe, where he distinguishes 'animal consciousness' and the 'cosmic' factor of universal conscious energy, the lowest energy in a larger framework. That speculative matrix is entirely up in the air, but it suggests a cogent solution to the riddle: consciousness doesn't evolve at all, rather, man evolved to the point where he experience a a new form of consciousness, the groundstate of a trans-natural cosmic energy. This consciouusness (which yogic treatises call self-consciousness) is built into the evolutionary emergence of homo sapiens. This is admittedly as speculative as the rest of it (I am not as such in agreement with Bennett), but Bennett suggests a number of clues to what is really a HARD problem, in the phrasing of the scientific psychologists studying consciousness: understanding how consciousness evolved, and its relationship to the different, but essential vital energies of 'life consciousness'. More generally the 'evolution' of man is a 'becoming into material realms', while the potential to endlightenment is a countermovement against evolution into enlightenment, liberation. Enlightenment is not the same as a higher state of consciousness.

Read the whole review.