7/5/2015 ToSeeaWordSomeTechnicalPoints,byKenWilber

http://www.integralworld.net/kiefer.html 1/6

INTEGRALWORLD:EXPLORINGTHEORIESOFEVERYTHINGAnindependentforumforacriticaldiscussionoftheintegralphilosophyofKenWilber

KenWilberwrotetheessay"ToSeeaWorldArtandtheIoftheBeholder"foranexhibitionofAnselmKiefer(seetheOctober21entryinOneTaste,pp.260269).TheNovember12entrycontainedsometechnicalpointsrelatedtothatessay,whichweredeletedfromthefinalversionofOneTaste.Fortheinterestedreaderthosepointsarepublishedbelowforthefirsttime,withpermissionoftheauthor).

ToSeeAWorldSometechnicalpoints

KenWilber

"ToSeeaWorld,"whichIwrotefortheAnselmKieferexhibit,remindsmehowdifficultitis,atthispoint,towriteshortpieces.IfIhaveanythingneworfreshtosay,itisbecauseoftheoverall"bigpicture"thatIhavetriedtodevelopandyet,inordertousethatbigpicture,Ihavetointroduceittothereaderfirst.SoIhavetofindshort,simplewaystosummarizewhatis,afterall,rathercomplexmaterial,andthisisaverydiceygame.IfindthatoftenIamforcedtousenotjustsimple,butsimplistic,summariesnotjustshortandaccuratebutshortandslightlyinaccurate.IntheKieferpiece,forexample,Isaythateachindividualhasavailabletheentirespectrumofworldviews.Thatisfineasasimplisticsummary,buttechnically,eachindividualhasavailabletheentirespectrumofbasicstructures(orthebasiclevelsintheoverallspectrumofconsciousness,mattertobodytomindtosoultospirit)butworldviewsarecollectivelysharedperceptions,andthesedonotresideinindividualsalonemoreover,thesurfacefeaturesnecessarytofleshoutthedeepfeaturesofthebasicstructuresareprovidedonlybyculturalcontexts,andthosedonotresideinindividualseither.Nonetheless,eachbasicstructurecarrieswithitthemaincognitiveingredientsthatwillundergridaparticularworldview,andsinceIdidnothavethespacetogointoallthesedetails,asashortcutIsimplysaidallindividualshaveavailabletothemtheentirespectrumofworldviews.

Whatoftenhappensisthat,whensomebodyinourculturehasatranspersonalpeakexperience,theywillclothethatexperienceinthesurfacestructuresofournontranspersonalculture,oftenwithstrangeorsadresults.Thisiswhyweawaitthenewsymbolsofafuturetranspersonalreligion,andthisiswhereartistscanandwillhelpimmeasurably.Inthemeantime,individualsstillhaveaccesstothesehigherlevelsofthespectrumofconsciousness,buttheyfindlittlesupportfortheminthecultureatlarge,sotheirworldviewsareusuallyshapedbyvariousmicrocommunitiesinwhichtheyfindthemselves,andthesemicrocommunities(suchastheavantgarde)arealmostalwaysalienatedfromthelargerculture(preciselybecause,attheirbest,theyaretappingintohigherdomainsnotofficiallyrecognizedbyconventionalreality).Sothegeneralpointsoftheessayarestillaccurateandtheconclusionisstillsound(Iwouldn'thaveusedthesimplisticsummaryotherwise)butitdoespointupthedifficultyofgettingtheseideasacrossinashortspace.

TheKieferessayisbasedonthetheoryofintegralsemioticsthatIoutlinedinTheEyeofSpirit[chapter3,note12].Inlinguistics,itiscommontospeakofsignifiers,signifieds,referents,semantics,andsyntax.Forexample,theword"dog."Thewrittenormaterialword"dog"isthesignifier.Whatcomestoyourmindwhenyoureadtheword"dog"isthesignified.Theactualdogisthereferent.Thesemanticsoftheword"dog"isitsmeaning,itsreferent,orwhatthewordactually"pointsto."Thegrammaticalstructurethatthelinguisticword"dog"existsinisthesyntax.

Oneofthemaincontroversiesinsemiotics(ortheoverallmeaningofaword)ishowtorelatethesevarioussymbolicentities.Andmypointisthatthesefourmainentities(signifier,signified,semantic,andsyntax)areactually,precisely,thefourquadrantsofanysign.Ifthisistrue,thenwewillhave,arguablyforthefirsttime,an"integralsemiotics"thatexplicatesthesefouringredients,whichareessentialincreatingallmeaningand

2peoplelikethis.Like Share

7/5/2015 ToSeeaWordSomeTechnicalPoints,byKenWilber

http://www.integralworld.net/kiefer.html 2/6

significance.Thus,signifiersareUpperRightquadrant(theexteriorwordsandwrittensymbols)signifiedsareUpperLeft(theinteriorideasandpsychologicalstatesevokedbysignifiers)syntaxisLowerRight(theformallinguisticsystemanditsgrammaticalstructures)andsemanticsisLowerLeft(collectiveculturalmeaning,values,referents,andworldviews).

Allreferentsexistinaparticularworldvieworworldspace(LowerLeft),andartistscanpaint,depict,orotherwiseexpressthoseworldspaces(thisiswhatImeantby"magicobjects,""mythicobjects,""existentialobjects,"etc.).Inotherwords,thesemantics(thereferentormeaning)ofapaintingdependsupontheworldviewtowhichtheartisthasaccess.Byandlarge,anartistinamagicalworldviewwillpaintmagicalobjects,anartistinthemythicworldviewwillpaintmythicobjects,andsoon.Thisisbecausethereisnotasinglepregivenworld,butratheraspectrumofenacted(orcocreated)worldviews,inwhichdifferentperceptions,andthereforedifferentobjects,exist.Andartists,justlikeeverybodyelse,generallyexistwithinaparticularworldview,andbypaintingordepictingthoseworldviews,theyrenderthemmorevisible,oneoftheirgreatservices.

Thisalsomeansthat,inorderforartiststopainthigherworldspaces,theyhavetodeveloptothosehigherdimensionsintheirownbeing.AsKandinskysaid,"Constructiononapurelyspiritualbasisisaslowbusiness.Theartistmusttrainnotonlyhiseyebutalsohissoul."Thishappensonlyaswetranscendindividuality,asMondrianknew:"Throughourintuition,theuniversalinuscanbecomesoactivethatitpushesasideourindividuality.Thenartcanrevealitself."Or,asMalevichputit,trueartcanbegin"onlyifthesuperconsciouswereaccordedtheprivilegeofdirectingcreation."

Ifwelookspecificallyatthepsychic,subtle,causal,andnondualworldspaces,theideaisthatperceptionsinthosedomainscanbedepictedbyartistswhoarealivetothosedomainsintheirownbeing.Thatgivesusatleastfourlevelsoftranspersonalart.Further,withinthoselevelstherearedifferenttypesorwaysofdoingart.Therearedifferenthorizontalstylespossibleateachofthoseverticallevels.Wehavealreadylookedattheverticallevels(psychic,subtle,causal,andnondual)hereareafewofthemostimportantstyles:

Transpersonalrealismthisinvolvesdepictingthetranspersonalterrainexactlyasoneseesit,moreorless.AlexGrey,forexample,oftendrawsthetranspersonalrealmspreciselyasheseesthem,inaveryrealisticfashion(aswellasdoingnumerouspaintingofamoresymbolicnature).ErnstFuchsandtheFantasticRealistsattempttopaintinnerspiritualvisionsexactlyastheyperceivethem.LikewisetheSurrealistsattemptedtodepictinnerrealitiesgraphically(some,butbynomeansall,ofwhichweretranspersonal).Theacupuncturemeridianlines,depictedonacupuncturecharts,areanexampleofarealisticmapoftheethericenergysystems(whichexistatthepraniclevelbuttendtobemoreeasilyperceivedatthepsychiclevel).MuchofTibetanBuddhistart,whichlookssymbolicormetaphorical,isactuallyarealisticdepictionofcertaintranspersonalrealities(suchasarchetypalyidamorspiritualforms)thatbecomedirectlyseenandexperiencedinadvancedmeditation(particularlyatthesubtlelevel).

Transpersonalimpressionismthisisbasedonadirecttranspersonalperception,butdepictedinsoftertones,easierlines,thanthestarkerrealism.Nonetheless,impressionismisstillrelatedinasomewhatrealisticfashiontotheeventorperceptionitisdepicting.Zenpaintingsinwhichbambootrees,birds,lakesaredepictedassoft,foggy,andmistyarenotsomuchnaturerealismastranspersonalimpressionismthesoftimpressionoftheworldnolongerseendualistically.Butbeforewecantrulyunderstandimpressionism,weneedtocontrastitwith:

Transpersonalexpressionismtheconventionaldistinctionbetweenimpressionismandexpressionismisthattheformerisbasedonanexternalperception(e.g.,alandscape),thelatteronaninternalperception(e.g.,anemotionalstate).Whilethereissometruthtothat,theunfortunateimplicationisthattheformeris"real"or"realistic"andthelatteris"merelysubjective"and"notreallyreal."But,statedassuch,thatisacompletelymisleadingdistinction.Allperceptionsexistinspecificworldviews:aphysicallandscapeexistsinthesensorimotorworldspace,emotionsexistinthepranic(oremotionalsexual)worldspaceorlevels1and2intheGreatChain.Bothareequallyreal.Sotypicalimpressionismandtypicalexpressionismarebothdepictingrealstates,oneexternal,oneinternal.Tosaythatimpressionismisrealistic(andthusbasedonsomething"reallyreal")butexpressionismis"merelysubjective"(andnotbasedonsomethingthatis"reallyreal"),issimplytovaluethesensorimotorworldspaceanddenytheemotionalworldspace,whereasinfacttheyarebothequallyrealandequallyexistinglevelsintheGreatHolarchyofBeing.(Infact,theGreatNesttheoristsareunanimousthatthepraniclevel,level2,isactuallymorerealthanthephysicallevel,level1,becauseithasmoredepthandthusisclosertoSpiritastranscendentalGoal.Onlyinflatland,onlyinthemodernwasteland,isthesensorimotorworldtheworldofscientificmaterialismandbodyismmadetheonlyandultimatereality.Thisisareductionisticnightmareweneednotshare.)

7/5/2015 ToSeeaWordSomeTechnicalPoints,byKenWilber

http://www.integralworld.net/kiefer.html 3/6

Likewise,thecommondistinctionnatureversusabstractwhichismadebyvirtuallyallartcriticsiscompletelymistakeninitsimplication,whichisthatnaturepaintingis"representational,"whereasabstractpaintingis"nonrepresentational."That'sveryincorrect.Alandscapepaintingrepresentsordepictsstatesofnature,anabstractpaintingrepresentsordepictsstatesofmind.Bothare,inthatsense,representational,becauseboththesensorimotorworldspaceandthementalworldspacearerealandexistinglandscapes.

Nonetheless,thedistinctionisusefulinthissense:impressionism(bothconventionalandtranspersonal)isdepictingstatesthatarerelativelyobjectivetothepainter'sconsciousness,whileexpressionism(bothconventionalandtranspersonal)isdepictingstatesthatarerelativelysubjectivetothepainter'sconsciousness.

Thatistrueforbothconventionalandtranspersonalart.Tofocusonthelatter:Inallcasesofgenuinetranspersonalartwhetherrealist,impressionist,orexpressionisttheartistisattemptingtodepictorconveysomespiritual,transrational,supraindividualstate,feeling,awareness,orinsight,throughthechosenmedium(music,painting,dance,poetry,etc.).Butwithtranspersonalexpressionism,thesestatesarestill"tooclose"tobeseenmoreobjectivelyorrealistically,andthusartistsoftenfeeltheyaretryingtoconveysomethingforwhichtheydon'tquitehavethevocabulary.Unliketranspersonalimpressionismandrealism,wheretheeventsorstatesareseenfairlyclearly,transpersonalexpressionismalwayshasasenseofastruggletoconvey.Occasionally,transpersonalexpressionismsimplycommunicatesstatesthatintrinsicallydonotlendthemselvestoobjective,impressionistic,orrealisticmodes.MuchofRumi'spoetrysomeofthepaintingofKandinsky,Mondrian,Malevich,andRothkoandmanyspiritualhymnsaregoodexamplesoftranspersonalexpressionism.

Technicalpoint:thereasonthishasalwaysbeenanincrediblyslipperydistinctionimpressionismversusexpressionism,theformerbeingobjectiveandthelatterbeingsubjectiveisthatinthegrowthanddevelopmentofconsciousness,whatissubjectatonestagebecomesobjectatthenext.Thus,theinfantstartsoutidentifiedwithhisbodyhissubjectiveselfishissensorybodyhecannot"objectify"thebodyorseeitasanobject.Butwhenthemindemerges,thechildidentifieswithit:themindbecomesthenewsubject,whichcanthenwitnessthebodyasanobject.Whenthesoulemerges,itbecomesthenewselforsubject,whichcanthenwitnessboththemindandthebody.Finally,withtheemergenceofII,orthepureemptyWitnesswhichistheprimordialSelforAbsoluteSubjectivitythesoul,themind,andthebodycanallbeimpartiallywitnessed:onehasceasedidentifyingexclusivelywithanyofthem,sothatwithOneTasteonecanidentifyaswellwiththeentireworld.Ineachcase,wedisidentifywithalowerlevel(whichbecomesanobjectofawareness),identifywithahigherlevel(whichbecomesthenewselforsubjectofawareness),onlytoeventuallydisidentifywiththat.Thus,whatissubjectatonestagebecomesobjectatthenext,untilbothsubjectandobjectareexhaustedandOneTastealoneshines.(ThisisjustanotherexampleofWhitehead'sdynamicofprehension,whichIconsiderfundamental:thesubjectofthismomentbecomestheobjectofthenextmoment'ssubject.HumanmacrodevelopmentthebroadstagesofhumangrowthanddevelopmentfollowWhitehead'smicrodevelopmentthemomenttomomentunfoldingofexperienceaswewouldexpect,sincebotharesimplyexamplesofthemajordynamicofevolutionitself,whichistoholarchicallytranscendandinclude.)Butthismeansthatwhatartistsmightrenderexpressionistically(orsubjectively)atonestageoftheirdevelopment,theymightrendermorerealisticallyorimpressionistically(orobjectively)atthenextstagepreciselybecausetheirsubjectiveworldhasnowbecomemoreobjective:theyhavetranscendedtheearlierworldspacedisidentifiedwithit,detachedfromittosomedegreeandthustheycanseeitmoreclearly.Theyarenolongerexpressingalowersubject,butrealisticallylookingatitasanobject.Atthesametime,theyarenowidentifiedwiththenexthigherworldviewthenexthigherselforsubjectwhich,being"tooclose"toseeclearly,theywillmostlikelyhavetoexpressinsubjective,expressionistictones.Thisiswhythelinebetweenexpressionismandimpressionismisalwayssliding:thelinebetweensubjectiveandobjectiveislikewisesliding(thesubjectofonestageistheobjectofthenext).Still,itisausefuldistinction,andoneIwillretain.

Traditionally,anartistwishingtodepictthetranspersonaldomainfirstenterstheappropriatestateofconsciousnesspsychic,subtle,causal,ornondualandthensimplydepictswhatheorshesees(usingthechosenmediumpoetry,music,dance,narrative,painting,etc.andaccordingtoachosenstyle).Thisresultsintranspersonalrealism,transpersonalimpressionism,ortranspersonalexpressionisminpoetry,music,dance,narrative,painting,andsoonacrossthetranspersonalspectrum.Butinallcasesofgenuinetranspersonalart,theartistenterstheappropriatehigherstateandthenattemptstoconveythatstateartistically.

Themainpointofdoingsoisnotmerelyorevenespeciallyselfexpression,buttohelpelicitorevokethesehigherstatesintheviewersoftheart.Thisiswhyallmagnificentarthasamoraldepthtoit:ittalkstousfromourownhigherpossibilities,itpullsustoourowngreaterdestinies,itcallstousfromwhatwecanbecome.

7/5/2015 ToSeeaWordSomeTechnicalPoints,byKenWilber

http://www.integralworld.net/kiefer.html 4/6

Transpersonalrealism,impressionism,andexpressionismarethethreemainstylesofauthentictranspersonalart(whetherexpressedinpoetry,music,dance,narrative,painting,etc.).Whatrendersthemauthenticisnotthecontentperse,butthedepthoftheartistconveyingthem.Tobeauthentic,theartistmustbespeaking,inwhateverstyle,directlyfromthehigherstateitself(psychic,subtle,causal,ornondual).Andacriticcanjudgethisifandonlyifthecriticisalivetothesehigherdomainsaswell.

Thatgivesusagridofthreestylesacrossfourlevels,ortwelvedistinctivetypesofauthentictranspersonalart.ButbeforeIgiveexamplesofeach,thereisoneothermajorstyle,lessprofoundbutmuchmorecommon,thatneedstobediscussed,andthatistranspersonalsymbolism.

Atranspersonalsymbolisasymbolwhoseactualreferentisinanyofthetranspersonallevelsorrealms.Wordslike"spirit,""buddhanature,""deity,"and"emptiness"arewrittensymbols(orsignifiers)ofactualrealities(orreferents)thatcanbeknowndirectlyinthetranspersonalrealmsofdevelopment.Butuntilthoserealitiesareexperienced,thewordsremainsymbolsonly.

Itisoftensaidthatmysticalexperiencesareineffable.Absolutelynottrue.Orrather,nomoretruethanforanyotherexperience.Sexisineffable,thetasteofacakeisineffable,listeningtoBachmusicisineffable,watchingasunsetisineffable.Youknowtheactualmeaningofthosewords,notbylisteningtothewords,butbyhavingtheexperiencestowhichtheyrefer.IfIsay"orgasm,"andyou'vehadthatexperience,thenyouwillknowwhatthewordmeans.Ifnot,not.Likewisewith"spirit,""godhead,""cessation,""interiorluminosity"ifyouhavehadthoseexperiences,youwillknowwhatthosewordsmean.Ifnot,not.Wordsarejustasadequate,orinadequate,formysticismasforsexoranyotherexperienceit'sjustthatmysticalexperiencesarerarerthanorgasmsandsunsets,sopeoplesayyoucan't"talk"aboutthematall,whichissillyofcourseyoucan,ifyou'vehadtheexperience.ZenmasterstalkaboutEmptinessallthetime!,andtheyknowexactlywhattheymeanbythewords(andthewordsarequiteadequate),becausetheyhavehadtheexperience.

Sowecansay:allexperiencesareequallyineffable,inthesensethatwordswillneversubstitutefortheexperienceitself(insex,sunsets,orsatori)butifyou'vehadtheparticularexperience,wordsdojustfineinsymbolicallyrepresentingthem(insex,sunsets,andsatori).Thekeyis:youmusthavetheexperiencetoknowwhatthewordsactuallymean(technically,youneedthedevelopmentalsignifiedinordertoknowthecorrespondingreferentoftheparticularsignifier).Asymbolorsign,inallcases,simplyrepresentsanexperienceinsomedomain(gross,subtle,orcausal).

Thus,forexample,theword"sunset"representsanexperienceinthesensorimotorworldspace."Anger"representsanexperienceinthepranicoremotionalsexualworldspace."TheVirginMary"representsanexperienceinthemythicworldspace.Themathematicalsymbol"negativeone"representsanexperienceintherationalworldspace."Kundalini"isanexperienceinthepsychicworldspace.Thewords"completementalcessation"representanexperienceinthecausalworldspace.Andsoon.

Thus,"transpersonalsymbolism"meansanysymbolorsignwhosereferentisinthetranspersonaldomains(psychic,subtle,causal,ornondual).

Now,itisinthenatureofallsymbols(conventionalandtranspersonal)thattheydonotactuallylooklikethatwhichtheysymbolize.Thesymbol"dog"doesnotlooklikearealdog.Theword"Spirit"doesnotlooklikeSpirit.Symbols,remember,standfor(orrepresent)adirectexperience,andassuch,theythemselvesdonotlooklike,norcantheysubstitutefor,thatexperience.

Inart,thisleadstoseveralimportantdistinctions.Let'ssaythatIwishtopaintapicturethatprotestshumanaggression.IfIdothisrealistically,Imightactuallypaint,say,afiringsquadshootingaman(asGoyadid).Thepaintinglooksmoreorlessliketherealscene.Itisnotsymbolic,itisrealist(orimpressionist).ButIcanalsodoasymbolicpainting,whichwilluseotherimagesinasymbolicfashionperhapsdovesfallingtotheirdeath,orheartswithswordspushedthroughthem,andsoon.ThesesymbolsdonotlookliketherealsituationIamprotesting,buttheystandfor,orsymbolicallyrepresent,whatIhaveinmind,namely,thehorrorsofhumanaggression.

Thesameistruefortranspersonalrealismandtranspersonalsymbolism.Theformerlookslikewhatitdepicts,thelatterdoesnot.Thus,thepaintingofaluminoustunnelofvibrantlightextendingaboveandbeyondthecrownoftheheadisanexampleoftranspersonalrealism,becausethatisamoreorlessdirectdepictionofacommonexperienceinthesubtledomain.ButthehermeticdrawingsofRobertFludd,forexample,aremerelyatranspersonalsymbolismthedrawingslooklikenothingintheactualtranspersonaldomainstheyaremerely

7/5/2015 ToSeeaWordSomeTechnicalPoints,byKenWilber

http://www.integralworld.net/kiefer.html 5/6

mentalsymbolsrepresentingthefactthathigherdomainsexist,buttheydonotthemselvesnecessarilystemdirectlyorimmediatelyfromthosehigherdomains.

Thisdistinctionbetweenrealismandsymbolismisimportantintranspersonalart,because1)themeaningofasymbolistheexperienceitstandsfor,2)transpersonalsymbolsstandforexperiencesinthetranspersonaldomains,3)fewpeoplehavethoseexperiences.Thatmeansthatmosttranspersonalartremainsmerelysymbolicformostpeopletheyknowonlythesymbols,nottheexperiencesthatgivetheactualmeaning.

Sotranspersonalsymbolismis,asitwere,adiluted,weakerformoftranspersonalart.Itsymbolizeshigherrealms,butdoesnotitselfdirectlydepictthoserealms,becauseitlookslikenothinginthosehigherrealms.Itisamentalsymbolthatremindspeoplethattherearehigherrealms,butitgivesnoindicationwhatthosehigherrealmsareactuallylike.Forthisreason,transpersonalsymbolism(unlikerealism,impressionism,andexpressionism)doesnot,generallyspeaking,havethepowertoelicitthosehigherrealmsinviewers.Itisforgedinthementaldomainandremainsconfinedtothementaldomain,butatleastitpointstohigheranddeeperoccasions,andtothatextentisavalid,usefulformoftranspersonalart.

Eachofthosefourstyles(realism,impressionism,expressionism,symbolism)canbeappliedtoeachofthefourmajortranspersonalrealms(psychic,subtle,causal,nondual).Thisgivesusagridofsixteentypesoftranspersonal(TP)art.Hereareafewquickexamplesfromseveralofthem:

SymbolicMosttypicaltranspersonalart,myths,parables,andnarrativesaresymboliconlytheyarenotdirectdepictions(realistorimpressionist)ofthetranspersonaldomains,butmerelysymbolsthatsuggestorhintatthetranspersonaldomains.ThisisalsotrueformanyJungianarchetypesandcommonmythologicalmotifs.Ofcourse,notallmythsandarchetypesareevensymbolicofthetransrationalrealmsmost,infact,aresymbolicoftheprerationalrealms(aconfusionofwhichisstillrampantinspiritualcircles),andtheyexertnotatransgressivebutaregressivepullinconsciousness.Much"religioussymbolism"(MosespartingtheRedSea,theVirginbirth,theearthrestingonaHinduserpent,etc.)hasitsreferentinthemagicandmythicnotpsychicandsubtleworldviews.

Nonetheless,authentictranspersonalsymbolismcanbefoundinmanyoftheTantras(EastandWest),whereextensivesymbolismisusedtorepresenthigherstagesoftranspersonaldevelopment.Likewise,the"emptycircle"drawnbyZencalligraphersisTPsymbolicofthecausal(orpurecessationthecircledoesnotlooklikeEmptiness,itmerelyrepresentsit).Similarly,"OneStroke"inTibetancalligraphy(asingle,bold,downwardmarkonthepaper)isTPsymbolicofAtiorthenondual.

ImpressionistManymandalasareaTPimpressionismofthesubtledimension(incontemplation,theinwardeyeoftenperceivessymmetrical,billowing,luminouspatternsinotherwords,mandalasusuallytheseareimpressionistic,butinVajrayanatheyarerenderedinanextremelyrealistfashion,withminutelydetailedaspects,ascanbeseeninmostthangkapaintingsthesearenotsymbolic,theyarerealist,fortheydepictinnerrealitiesthatcanbedirectlyperceivedinmeditation).TheblueblackbackgroundofmanyTibetanthangkasisaTPimpressionismofthecausal(instatesofpurecessationorunmanifestabsorption,oneisdirectlyimmersedinavast,infiniteseaofunmanifestor"black"unbornreality,whichisoftenimpressionisticallyrenderedasablueblackcolorinthangkassimilarly,Samantabhadra,the"AtiBuddha,"isalwayspaintedblueblack,shornofallornamentsormanifestqualities,givingtheimpressionofnakedawareness).ThebestofZenlandscapesareaTPimpressionismofnondualSuchness(Suchnessisnotarealityapartfromotherrealitiesbutthe"isness"or"thusness"ofanyandalldomainsZenartistsoftendepictnatureinitssuchness,andtheydosoinimpressionistic,notharshrealist,terms,becausenatureitselfisnotSpiritbutamanifestationofSpiritspecifically,natureistheNirmanakaya,nottheDharmakaya,buttheformerisamanifestationofthelatterandthusafittingobjectofa"Suchnesspainting").

ExpressionistMondrian,Kandinsky,Malevich,Brancusi,andRothkoareoftenaTPexpressionismofthementaltopsychicdimension(astheseartiststhemselvesmadeclear,theywereattemptingtoexpressinternalmentalstatesorideas,particularlyastheyvergedontranspersonal,spiritual,oruniversalthemes).SomeofBach,Mozart,andlaterBeethovenareaTPexpressionismofthesubtle(the"musicofthespheres").ThereisadualemotionaltoneinmanyZenlandscapes(calledsabiandwabi)thatisaTPexpressionismofEmptiness(whichisvaguelyintuitedandgivenamorphousexpressioninthesedualtones).

RealistThechakrameridianmapsareaTPrealismofthepsychicdimension.Apaintingofthe"bluepearl"isaTPrealismofthesubtle(i.e.,thebluepearlisadirectandunmistakableperceptionincertainsubtlestagesofkundalinimeditation).AlexGrey,ErnstFuchs,andFantasticRealistsareTPrealistsinmanyinstances.Most

7/5/2015 ToSeeaWordSomeTechnicalPoints,byKenWilber

http://www.integralworld.net/kiefer.html 6/6

meditativetextsandsutrasareaTPrealism(descriptivephenomenology)ofthetranspersonalrealmstheyarenotsymbolic,theyarerealist!Andhere'sasuperbTPrealismofnondualSuchness(fromBasho):

Stillpond,Afrogjumpsin,

Plop!