Ken Wilber: Theory, Levels, & Books

Learn how we move through the levels of growth from Ken Wilber’s theory and books on personal development.

*This page may include affiliate links; that means we earn from qualifying purchases of products.

Recently, I’ve been reading a bunch of Ken Wilber books, and I have to say, his research (and the research he refers to in his books) has really helped me understand personal growth a lot better. Wilber basically creates a “theory of everything” which is insightful but sometimes tough to follow. So, in this article, I’m going to review and explain the parts of Ken Wilber’s theory that are related to psychology and personal development, hopefully helping to provide a simplified summary that anyone can understand.

I will also provide examples from my own life to serve as a case study. This way, you can better see how moving through the levels may play out in life. Hopefully, this article helps you more easily think about how Ken Wilber’s theory applies to your own life.

Before reading on, if you're a therapist, coach, or wellness entrepreneur, be sure to grab our free Wellness Business Growth eBook to get expert tips and free resources that will help you grow your business exponentially.

Are You a Therapist, Coach, or Wellness Entrepreneur?

Grab Our Free eBook to Learn How to
Grow Your Wellness Business Exponentially!

✓ Save hundreds of hours of time ✓ Earn more $ faster
✓ Boost your credibility ✓ Deliver high-impact content

Who Is Ken Wilber?

Ken Wilber is the author of several books on integral spirituality and integral psychology. He basically aims to explain personal growth through many different overlapping lenses (e.g., internal versus external, and collective versus individual; Wilber, 2001). In this article, I’m going to focus on the “Interior-Collective” portion of Wilber’s theory, which basically describes the stages (or levels) that all humans have the potential to go through (Wilber, 2007).

Ken Wilber’s “Interior-Collective” Model
According to Ken Wilber’s model, we all have the potential to go through life stages—or levels—as we mature (Wilber, 2000). Once we transcend a given level, we adopt the perspective of the next level while still including the old perspective in our new worldview (we transcend and include; Wilber, 2007). In other words, we don’t move through life stages as if they were in a straight line; we expand. We are like trees, keeping the old rings, but adding more rings as we grow.

Ken Wilber’s Levels or Stages

Although I will talk about these levels as if they are discrete experiences, they are actually continuous, like a rainbow (or again, like the rings in a tree trunk). Given Ken Wilber’s theory is an integration of many other theories throughout history, he even uses a rainbow as the foundation, and he maps the other theories onto it. Past researchers have used many different names for the same level (or overlapping, nearby levels). So, the rainbow helps us better understand how past theories of human development relate to each other. In this article, I’ll refer to the levels by their color name rather than their level name, because I find it simpler to understand.

Continuous Versus Discrete Levels
Although the levels are continuous, we still tend to be mostly in one level at a time. For example, when people are tested to see what level they are at, about 50% of their answers will come from one level, and about 25% of their answers will come from the level immediately above or below that level (Wilber, 2000). So we can see that we all tend to have a dominating perspective and worldview—or a home base at a particular level at a particular time.

The 7 Levels & Their Perspectives

Level 1: I am my body (self-centric)
Level 2: I am my group (peer group-centric)
Level 3: I am my actions (skill-centric)
Level 4: I am my outcomes (achievement-centric)
Level 5: I am my perspectives (understanding-centric)
Level 6: I am my patterns (process-centric)
Level 7: I am my awareness (consciousness-centric)
Level 8: I am (oneness-centric)

All-Access Pass - Wellness PLR Content Collection

Where Do We Start In Ken Wilber’s Model?

Just like age, we all start at 0 when it comes to life stages. And we can't skip from 0 to 5 or 50. We have to go through every stage (because every stage builds on the previous one) to get to the higher stages (we build the rings in our tree trunk one ring at a time). In this model, we all start at red and move up through the colors of the rainbow.

How Fast Do We Grow?
The speed at which we move through the rainbow varies from person to person. Some ancient traditions have posed the 7x7 rule. Namely, they state that there are 7 main stages that take about 7 years each (but keep in mind that this is often a best-case scenario; Wilber, 2000). Life challenges likely have a huge impact on how fast and how far we grow.

According to the 7x7 rule, many of us move out of red and into orange around age 7; we move out of orange into yellow around age 14; this brings us to age 21, at which point our personal development often slows or stops (Wilber, 2000). High achievers who are very successful in their fields may reach green.

Where Will We End Up?
Research shows that approximately 75% of adults are in the orange-green range. Only about 15% of adults are beyond green stage (Cook-Greuter, 2014). Wilber suggests this may be because society has reached the green stage (Wilber, 2000). Thus, there are systems in place to help us get to green.

There is, however, little support to help us move beyond green. Also, the perspective of the next stage (teal), which involves increasing our understanding, often by actively questioning the status quo, may be opposed by those at lower stages who believe in the status quo. Thus, moving beyond green often requires personal effort, support from helpful others, and dedication to self-growth (Wilber, 2000).

How Does It Feel to Move Through Ken Wilber’s Levels?

Within each level, there are patterns to how it is experienced (O’Fallon, 2020). First, as we move from one stage to the next stage, we realize that aspects of the previous stage were an illusion (O’Fallon, 2010). This “transition” period between levels—or letting go of the perspective of the previous level—can be extremely difficult (Wilber, 2000) and may be marked by negative emotions and experiences. It can feel like a death, of sorts, because we are totally identified with the perspective of the entire level and we don’t yet fully experience the perspective if the next level.

My hunch is that the high-point of each stage is when we identify most strongly with it (and its perspective). Our world feels stable, and this leads us to feel good.

Patterns of Experience
With these insights, we can identify which phase of each stage we’re in by observing our direct experiences.

Within each stage, we experience the following phases:

Transition into the stage: We experience negative emotions and experiences as our old reality falls apart. (Low point or nadir)
Stabilize in the stage: We begin to play the hand we were given and work within the worldview of the stage. We may feel a little uneasy, but more neutral.
Mastery in the stage: We now fully understand the new perspective we’re working with and we use it to our advantage in ways that increase positive emotions and improve our well-being. (High point or zenith)
Realization that there is more beyond the stage: We realize the stage doesn't produce consistent happiness, we fall back into neutral, and we start to feel the pull of the next stage (we find ourselves seeking again).

We go through this repeating pattern for each stage, like a rainbow sound wave.

Examples of Ken Wilber’s Levels

For this section, I created a map of my own life to help us better understand the ups and downs of each level. In this section, I’ll be using my low points (e.g., temporary periods of negative emotions and experiences) to help me determine when I’m transitioning between stages. I’ll aim to also identify the high points (when I felt like I mastered my world).

You’ll see that my life does approximately follow the 7x7 rule (discussed earlier), and I do go shift perspectives in exactly the way Wilber (and others) predict.

Red Stage: Age 0-8
Red to orange transition (low point): I started transitioning to a peer-focus when, at age 7, I chose my first friend. Prior to age 8, my mother chose my friends, I was fine being alone, and I didn't care whether I had friends or not. Soon, being alone became unbearable, and I remember a depressing period when I realized that I could not keep being alone (my home situation was neglectful, so I was alone a lot). Luckily, I moved in with my dad, who provided support and stability, I made close friends, and I was able to move into the orange stage.

Orange Stage: Age 8-17
Solid orange perspective (high point): There was a period of time in my tween years when I was very joyful, felt strongly identified with my few close friends, and life was good. Of course, everyone has hiccups with friends, and moments of social rejection did happen and were very painful.

Orange to yellow transition (low point): I started transitioning from a peer-group perspective to a skills and abilities perspective (Cook-Greuter, 2014) when I started drifting away from my social group. My friends fell into hard drug use, and I pulled away. Even though I was the one who pulled away, I still felt rejected. This down period lasted for a couple of years.

Yellow Stage: Age 17-25
Solid yellow perspective (high point): There was a period of a few years during college when everything was good. I was no longer attached to my peer group because I now identified with my skills. I worked hard to get good grades and advance in my part-time job.

Yellow to green transition (low point): I transitioned from a skills perspective to an achievement perspective (Cook-Greuter, 2014) when I realized that whatever actions I took were meaningless unless they resulted in the outcomes I desired. I had graduated college with honors but was still working a minimum-wage job, and I felt super stuck and depressed. This down period lasted for a couple of years.

Green Stage: Age 25-30
Solid green perspective (high point): There was a period of a couple of years during graduate school when everything felt amazing. I felt so smart and successful (my ego inflated quite a bit) and I became really good at prioritizing the right actions to get the right results.

Green to teal transition (low point): I started transitioning from an achievement perspective to a pluralist perspective towards the end of graduate school. I was beginning to realize that there is more to life than achievement. First, the amount of stress and burnout when we are identified with achievement eventually becomes untenable. Second, I finished my PhD at UC Berkeley, one of the best universities in the world, and I couldn't get a job. Third, my marriage was falling apart. All these so-called achievements were falling away and I was miserable for a couple of years.

Teal Stage: Age 30-35
Solid teal perspective (high point): Eventually, I decided to be honest with myself about what I really needed and wanted. I started my own consulting business, and by being totally honest and understanding, I was able to work through issues in my marriage, making it better than ever. This was a year or two when I was quite happy.

Teal to blue transition (low point): I started transitioning from an understanding-focused perspective to a pattern-focused perspective when I suddenly got really sick with mold illness. I could barely work or leave my bed. This forced me to investigate every single one of my habits and patterns. I was forced to look at my behavior, adopt work-life balance, eat healthy, do calming meditations, and fully understand what patterns made me sick and how to get better. I was very sick for a few years.

Well-Being PLR Courses - Grow Your Business Fast

Blue Stage: Age 35-39
Solid blue perspective (high point): I decided to quit consulting and start a purpose-driven business and website (this one!). Growing my business was one of the most delightful experiences of my life. During this time, my limiting beliefs dissolved and I started to believe that I could do anything and really make a positive impact on the world. This lasted about a year.

Blue to indigo transition (low point): I started transitioning from a pattern-focused perspective to an awareness-focused perspective when I finally saw through some of my darkest shadows and deepest denials (e.g., about love, and abuse, and pain). Accepting the truth of these shadows was probably the most painful thing I’d experienced thus far, and I cried almost daily for 9 months. Despite the pain, I continued to do the shadow work, and very suddenly, this period ended. Overall, this period lasted about a year and a half.

Indigo Stage: Age 39-present
Solid indigo perspective (high point): I never previously had experienced as much happiness as when I moved into indigo and began to develop spiritual awareness. I had an awakening, like what is described by the Buddhists who study vipassana, and I had many pure moments of joy, acceptance, ecstasy, and rapture. It was unbelievable.

Indigo to violet transition (low point): I started transitioning from an awarness-focused perspective to an oneness-focused when I feel into what is known as The Dark Night of The Soul. This is when we realize that all of our former identifications were false and that the “self” that we thought we were is an illusion—a half-truth. Being aware of fundamental suffering can be very depressing. I have past the lowest point, but am still in this phase.

How To Transcend Stages

All we really need to transcend the stages is a good collection of psychological tools. Every stage has different challenges and different tools are needed to move forward. I’m hoping to put together a personal growth toolkit (or something lie that) to help people navigate this complex journey.

Well-Being PLR Article Packages - Grow Your Business Fast

Articles Related to Ken Wilber’s Theory

Want to learn more? Check out these articles:

Ken Wilber’s Books

If you’d like to keep learning more, here are a few books that you might be interested in.

Final Thoughts on Ken Wilber’s Model

Now you can see that there are common stages that all humans go through (although we all experience them somewhat differently). I hope that this short summary of Ken Wilber’s research gave you a new perspective on personal growth and piqued your interest in developing yourself and learning more from Ken Wilber. To learn more consider watching the following video.

Eastern vs. Western Approach To Ego | Ken Wilber

Don't Forget to Grab Our Free eBook to Learn How to
Grow Your Wellness Business Exponentially!

References

Cook-Greuter, S. (2014). Ego development: A full-spectrum theory of vertical growth and meaning making. mimeo, Wayland.
O’Fallon, T. J. (2010). The Collapse of the Wilber Combs Matrix: The Interpenetration of the State and Structure Stages Terri J. O’Fallon Developmental Research Institute May 1, 2010.
O’Fallon, T. (2020). States and STAGES: Waking up Developmentally. Integral Review: A Transdisciplinary & Transcultural Journal for New Thought, Research, & Praxis, 16(1).
Wilber, K. (2000). Integral psychology: Consciousness, spirit, psychology, therapy. Shambhala Publications.
Wilber, K. (2001). The eye of spirit: An integral vision for a world gone slightly mad. Shambhala Publications.
Wilber, K. (2007). Integral spirituality: A startling new role for religion in the modern and postmodern world. Shambhala Publications.

Are You a Therapist, Coach, or Wellness Entrepreneur?

Grab Our Free eBook to Learn How to Grow Your Wellness Business Fast!

Key Articles:

Content Packages: