Psychedelics, Spiral Dynamics, and the Evolution of Consciousness

I first learned about Spiral Dynamics while living in community with some of my dearest friends, thanks to stumbling across Leo from Actualize.org and his deep dives into the model. We would gather together, set up the big screen projector, and spend hours watching, discussing, and philosophising about the evolution of consciousness. Those conversations sparked an understanding of how human paradigms unfold in response to life’s conditions.

Now, as I work on my book, The Wisdom Path, I can see how the ideas in Spiral Dynamics overlap with the concepts taking shape in my writing. Themes of personal transformation, collective healing, and planetary evolution are threaded through both frameworks — and psychedelics, as powerful tools for expanding consciousness, can accelerate our journey through these stages.

Spiral Dynamics, developed by Clare Graves and expanded by Don Beck and Christopher Cowan, is a powerful framework for understanding the evolution of human consciousness. This model reveals how we develop through different paradigms in response to the conditions of our lives. Each stage represents a unique way of understanding the world, and each worldview has its own wisdom and limitations.

The journey through these stages is not linear but spiral, revisiting themes at higher levels of complexity. By understanding these stages, we can chart a path for personal, collective, and planetary growth. Let’s explore the stages of Spiral Dynamics and how they shape human evolution.

First-Tier Stages: The Foundations of Consciousness

Beige (Survival-Driven)

The beige stage is rooted in basic survival needs. This is the realm of instincts, where consciousness is focused on food, shelter, and safety. There is no concept of ceremony or intentional transformation here — life is about immediate survival.

Purple (Tribal)

In the purple stage, the focus shifts to community, safety, and the mystical. Animistic beliefs and rituals emerge as a way to understand the world. Psychedelics are used within sacred rituals, fostering a sense of connection to nature, spirits, and ancestors. The power of ceremony begins to take shape as a way to honour the unseen.

Red (Egocentric)

Red consciousness is marked by power, dominance, and individual will. The emphasis is on asserting control and personal freedom. In this stage, the use of psychedelics and rituals is often deprioritised, as the focus is on immediate gratification and survival through strength.

Blue (Authoritarian)

Blue consciousness values order, structure, and morality. Religious and ethical systems create stability. Psychedelics are integrated into strict religious rituals or suppressed entirely if they challenge the established order. The power of ceremony is recognised but bound by rigid rules.

Orange (Achievement-Oriented)

Orange represents the rise of science, rationality, and material progress. Psychedelics are studied for their chemical properties, often divorced from their holistic or spiritual significance. The focus is on measurable outcomes, innovation, and personal success.

Green (Communitarian)

Green consciousness is driven by equality, social justice, and sustainability. Psychedelics are honoured within cultural traditions and used for healing and personal growth. However, the shadow of Green can manifest as rigid moral judgments and an aversion to structure. This stage values community and collective healing but can struggle to integrate complexity.

Second-Tier Stages: The Leap to Integrative and Holistic Thinking

Yellow (Integrative)

Yellow marks a profound shift towards systems thinking, adaptability, and personal transformation. All previous stages are seen as valuable, and psychedelics are used as tools for integrating knowledge, experience, and consciousness. Yellow embraces complexity and seeks to harmonise diverse perspectives, understanding that growth is an ongoing, dynamic process.

In Yellow, we embrace systems thinking, adaptability, and the integration of all previous stages. This stage invites us to see complexity not as a barrier but as an opportunity to weave together diverse perspectives. Truth becomes multifaceted, and growth is an ongoing, dynamic process. Psychedelics, ceremony, and intentional practices are tools that help us explore this complexity, combining the wisdom of science, spirituality, and direct experience. Yellow resonates with the principles of Taoism’s wu wei (non-resistance), Buddhism’s Middle Way, and shamanic traditions that access different realities through altered states of consciousness.

Turquoise (Holistic)

Turquoise consciousness transcends personal growth to focus on collective consciousness, planetary wellbeing, and unity. This stage honours the earth, the cosmos, and the evolving journey of humanity. Turquoise invites us to step into a role of collective stewardship and sacred service. Turquoise takes us beyond personal transformation to embrace collective consciousness and planetary wellbeing. At this stage, we recognise the interconnectedness of all life, experiencing unity that dissolves the illusion of separation. Psychedelics and ceremony become vehicles for understanding this deep interconnectedness, guiding us toward living in right relationship with ourselves, our communities, and the earth. This stage aligns with the Hindu concept of Brahman (universal reality), the mystical Christian vision of divine love and unity, and the Indigenous wisdom of All My Relations. Turquoise invites us to act as stewards of the earth, ensuring our actions ripple out in ways that nurture the whole web of life.

9. Coral (Speculative)

Coral is a speculative stage that envisions a future where individuality and unity are fully integrated. In Coral, personal uniqueness serves the collective good, and human growth aligns with the evolution of the cosmos. Psychedelics offer glimpses into this reality, dissolving boundaries and revealing a sense of cosmic purpose. These experiences show us that our existence is a thread in the greater fabric of life, where personal transformation contributes to collective and planetary evolution. Coral echoes the pursuit of divine knowledge found in Gnosticism, the mystical integration of self and cosmos in Kabbalah, and the conscious evolution of modern mysticism. The Wisdom Path leads us to embody this expansive consciousness, where ceremony becomes an act of cosmic co-creation, aligning us with the unfolding mystery of existence.

The Wisdom Path as a Spiral Journey

The Wisdom Path is a journey of gnosis — a deep, experiential understanding of oneself, the collective, and the cosmos. As we move up the spiral from Yellow to Turquoise and beyond, we integrate the wisdom of many spiritual paths and step into a future of:

Personal Transformation (Yellow)

The journey begins with individual transformation. Through ceremony, psychedelics, and intentional practice, we move beyond survival and ego, integrating the lessons of each stage. We cultivate self-awareness, resilience, and adaptability, stepping into the Yellow stage of integrative consciousness.

Collective Unity (Turquoise)

As we evolve, we bring this wisdom into our communities. We learn to hold space for collective healing, fostering unity, empathy, and systems thinking. The Green stage’s focus on community is integrated with Yellow’s adaptability, leading to holistic, Turquoise-level collaboration and collective growth.

Planetary Co-Creation (Coral)

The journey culminates in a deep reverence for the earth and all beings. In the Turquoise and speculative Coral stages, we embrace our role as children of the earth, recognising the sacred interconnection between individuality and collective unity. This is the path of planetary stewardship, where ceremony becomes a tool for global transformation and healing.

This is a path of becoming whole — as individuals, as communities, and as children of the earth. Each ceremony, each threshold, and each insight brings us closer to a world where personal evolution and planetary stewardship are inseparable.

Psychedelic Experiences as Portals to Coral Consciousness

Psychedelic experiences can serve as powerful gateways to Coral-level insights, offering direct encounters with cosmic unity, evolutionary purpose, and the interwoven nature of existence. Here’s how psychedelics parallel Coral’s core themes:

The Interwoven Nature of Reality

Psychedelic Insight: Under the influence of psychedelics, the boundaries between self and other often dissolve. You may experience reality as a vast web of interconnected energy, where each being is a unique yet inseparable expression of the whole.
Coral Vision: This reflects Coral’s understanding that individuality and unity are two sides of the same coin. You are both a distinct thread and part of the cosmic tapestry.

Cosmic Purpose and Evolutionary Role

Psychedelic Insight: Psychedelics can evoke a profound sense that your existence has a sacred purpose in the unfolding story of the cosmos. You may receive visions or insights about your unique gifts and how they serve the collective good.
Coral Vision: Coral consciousness invites us to align our personal growth with the evolution of the planet and the universe. Your transformation is not just for you — it contributes to a larger, cosmic evolution.

Transcendent Unity

Psychedelic Insight: High-dose psychedelic journeys often lead to ego dissolution, where you experience yourself as both the individual and the infinite. In this non-dual state, the separation between self, others, and the universe vanishes.
Coral Vision: This experience of uniqueness within unity embodies the core of Coral — where personal identity is fully expressed while remaining in harmony with the whole.

Future Visioning

Psychedelic Insight: Psychedelics often bring visions of potential futures where humanity lives in harmony with each other and the earth. These glimpses can inspire a deep commitment to co-creating a world of balance, beauty, and sustainability.
Coral Vision: Coral points toward a future where human actions are aligned with the wellbeing of all life. Each choice we make becomes an offering to the greater evolution of consciousness.

Stepping Into Turquoise and Beyond: A Journey of Collective and Planetary Consciousness

The evolution of consciousness, as mapped by Spiral Dynamics, reveals that we are on a profound journey — not just as individuals, but as a collective species, co-evolving with the earth and the cosmos. The stages of Turquoise and Coral invite us to move beyond separation, embrace our unique role, and step into a future where humanity lives in harmony with all of existence.

Here’s what we need to hear, feel, and experience to allow this message to land deeply within us and guide us forward on the Wisdom Path.

1. Remembering the Great Oneness

At the heart of Turquoise and Coral consciousness is the realisation that we are not separate — not from each other, not from the earth, and not from the vast web of existence. This is not just an intellectual idea; it is a felt reality that emerges when we transcend the illusion of separation.

What We Need to Hear:

“You are a strand in the great web of existence. When you breathe, the trees breathe with you. When you heal, the world heals with you.”
“There is no ‘other.’ There is only life expressing itself in infinite forms. You are both the wave and the ocean.”