List of integral thinkers and supporters

This list of contemporary scholars, writers, academics, politicians, and pop culture figures who are known to have contributed to or been influenced specifically by Integral Theory, the philosophy of Ken Wilber, or Integral spirituality more generally.

Academic faculty

Scholars with appointments at universities who have been influenced by or who use Integral Theory or Integral spirituality more generally defined:

• Don Beck — a management consultant and co-author of Spiral Dynamics (1996) who has collaborated with Wilber and contributed to the development of integral theory. Hs is currently a Fellow at the George Gallup Institute at Princeton University and has previously taught at the University of North Texas.
• Roland Benedikter — a Sociologist and Culturo-Political Scientist with academic duties at the University of Santa Barbara and Stanford University. He has written on postmodernism and integral thought.^[1]
• Allan Combs — the author of The Radiance of Being: Understanding the Grand Integral Vision, Living the Integral Life (2002). He holds appointments at the Saybrook Graduate School, the California Institute of Integral Studies, and is Professor Emeritus at the University of North Carolina-Asheville.
• Sean Esbjörn-Hargens — perhaps the most published integral theorist associated with Wilber's integral approach, and a professor of Integral Studies at John F. Kennedy University.
• Jorge Ferrer — the author of Revisioning Transpersonal Theory: A Participatory Vision of Human Spirituality (2002) and a core faculty member in the East-West Psychology Program at the California Institute of Integral Studies.
• Jennifer Gidley — a psychologist, educator and futures researcher who has also written on the evolution of consciousness^[2] and integral education.^[3][4] She is a Research Fellow in the Global Cities Research Institute, RMIT University, in Melbourne and the elected President of the World Futures Studies Federation (2009-2013).^[5]
• Stanislav Grof — transpersonal psychologist.
• Robert Kegan — a developmental psychologist and Professor in Adult Learning and Professional Development at Harvard University.He is a board member of the Integral Institute.^[6]
• Robert A. McDermott — a professor of philosophy and religion at the California Institute of Integral Studies, and has written books on the thought of Rudolph Steiner, Sri Aurobindo, William James.
• Michel Saloff Coste — artist and professor at the École des Hautes Études Commerciales, co-founder of the Club of Budapest France, whose ideas have paralleled those of Ervin Lazslo and Ken Wilber. His influences include Teilhard de Chardin and Sri Aurobindo. He has prosed the idea of a Université Intégrale^[7][8]
• Brian Swimme — a mathematical cosmologist and the director of the Center for the Story of the Universe at the California Institute of Integral Studies. He is author of four books on cosmology, including (with Thomas Berry) The Universe Story: From the Primordial Flaring Forth to the Ecozoic Era: A Celebration of the Unfolding of the Cosmos. (1994)
• Richard Tarnas — a cultural historian and professor of philosophy and psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies, and author of The Passion of the Western Mind (1991) and Cosmos and Psyche (2006)
• Michael E. Zimmerman — writer in various fields, including Martin Heidegger and Environmental philosophy, and faculty member at the University of Colorado at Boulder and Tulane University. He is a pioneer with Sean Esbjörn-Hargens of the field of Integral ecology.

Writers, spiritual teachers, and independent scholars

Writers, spiritual teachers, independent scholars, and others who are regarded as Integral thinkers:

• Andrew Cohen — an American guru, spiritual teacher, and proponent of Evolutionary Enlightenment. He is founder and editor in chief of the quarterly magazine EnlightenNext (formerly called What is Enlightenment?), devoted to spirituality, culture, and the integral movement.
• David Deida — a spiritual teacher and best-selling author of books such as The Way of the Superior Man.^[9]
• Yasuhiko Kimura — a transhumanist philosopher, ordained Zen Buddhist priest and scholar, spiritual teacher, and thinker in the field of integral philosophy. The author of numerous books, essays, and articles including a modern translation of Lao Tzu’s Tao Teh Ching.^[10]
• Ervin László — a philosopher of science, systems theorist, and integral theorist.^[11] His book, Science and the Akashic Field: An Integral Theory of Everything (2004) posits a field of information as the substance of the cosmos.
• Dan Millman — the best-selling author of The Way of the Peaceful Warrior (which also has a major motion-picture starring Nick Nolte, Scott Mechlowicz, and Amy Smart) and 12 other books, published in up to 29 languages.^[12]
• Michael Murphy — author of The Future of the Body, and with George Burr Leonard the co-founders of the Human Potential Movement and of Integral Transformative Practice, and co-authors of The Life We Are Given. Murphy also co-founded the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, with Richard Price.
• Steve McIntosh — an independent scholar and integral theorist. He is author of Integral Consciousness and the Future of Evolution (2007), and is a past member of the Integral Art branch and the Integral Business branch of Integral Institute.
• Caroline Myss — an American medical intuitive and mystic as well as the author of four New York Times Best Sellers: Anatomy of the Spirit (1996), Why People Don't Heal and How They Can (1998), Sacred Contracts (2002), Entering The Castle (2007), and Defy Gravity (20101).^[13]
• Joe Perez — a Seattle-based American writer in the field of spirituality. He is author of Soulfully Gay (2007), published by Integral Books/Shambhala, a memoir that traces the impact of integral philosophy in his spiritual development as a gay man.
• Rolf Sattler — a plant morphologist, holistic scientist, philosopher and meditator. He emphasizes perspectivism and complementarity, and has contributed to the development of theory in dialectics, holism, Yin-Yang, continuum and network views.^[14]
• Brother David Steindl-Rast — a founding member of the Spirituality branch of Integral Institute, personal friend of the Dalai Lama, author of books including Deeper Than Words: Living the Apostles' Creed (2010), winner of the Martin Buber Award and recognized leader in contemplative spirituality.^[15]
• Brother Wayne Teasdale — a consecrated layman for the Archdiocese of Chicago, one of the first Vatican-sanctioned participants in Buddhist-Christian dialogue, and author of books, including "A Monk in the World" (2002).^[16]
• Frank Visser — a Dutch author, Theosophist, psychologist of religion, and webmaster of Integral World, a Web site that hosts a large number of articles about Wilber and Integral Theory.
• Michael Crichton — an American best-selling author, and author of Jurassic Park (novel) and State of Fear (Crichton died in 2008 and no references of Ken from Crichton exist but Ken has mentioned^[17] being friends with Crichton).

Artists

Visual, musical, and other artists who have been influenced by Integral spirituality or have been associated with the Integral movement:

• Stuart Davis — an eclectic musician whose works include the concept album Bright Apocalypse. Mystical and integral themes feature prominently in his lyrics.
• Alex Grey — a psychedelic visual artist whose works have been admired by Wilber and others. He painted a famous illustration of Wilber as the bodhisattva Manjushri.
• Saul Williams — a hip-hop artist associated with the Integral Institute.
• Sebastian Siegel — a British-American film, television, and theatre actor as well as being a featured writer for The Huffington Post.

Pop culture figures

Well-known public figures and celebrities known to have been influenced by Integral thought:

• Darren Aronofsky — the writer/director of award-winning films such as The Fountain, Requiem For a Dream and Pi.^[18]
• Deepak Chopra — a spiritual teacher and best-selling author of books that have sold over 10 million copies in 30 languages, friend and advisor to numerous celebrities.^[19] He has called Wilber a "mentor".^[20]
• Alanis Morissette — the seven-time Grammy Award winning singer, has been influenced by integral principles to translate "jagged fragments" into a "playful entanglement with all of life".^[21]
• Sharon Stone — the Golden Globe and Emmy Award winner and Academy Award nominated actor, has cited an "integral impulse" that has shaped her life.^[22]
• Lana and Andy Wachowski — the writers and directors of The Matrix films, have cited the philosophy of Ken Wilber as an important influence in their own screenwriting, and asked Wilber (and philosopher Cornel West) to do the director's commentary on the DVD edition of the films.^[23]

World leaders and politicians

Leaders in government who have acknowledged an influence by Ken Wilber or other Integral theorists:

• Bill Clinton — the former US president, who cited Ken Wilber as an intellectual influence on his political philosophy in an interview with Foreign Policy magazine.^[24]
• Al Gore — the former US vice president and 2000 nominee of the Democratic party, twice described one of Ken Wilber's books as a favorite.^[25]

References

1. Roland Benedikter, "Postmodern spirituality, A dialogue in five parts", www.integralworld.net Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4,Part 5
2. The Evolution of Consciousness as a Planetary Imperative, Integral Review: A Transdisciplinary and Transcultural Journal for New Thought, Research and Praxis, 2007, Issue 5, p. 4-226
3. “Educational Imperatives of the Evolution of Consciousness: The Integral Visions of Rudolf Steiner and Ken Wilber”, The International Journal of Children’s Spirituality, 2007, Vol. 12, No. 2, pp. 170-135.
4. A transversal dialogue on integral education and planetary consciousness: Markus Molz speaks with Jennifer Gidley, Integral Review: A Transdisciplinary and Transcultural Journal for New Thought, Research and Praxis, 2008, Issue 6, pp. 47-70. (with Markus Molz)
5. WFSF
6. Editors. "Announcing the Formation of Integral Institute", Ken Wilber Online. Retrieved on 2010-1-8.
7. Michel Nguyen The, Integral University in Paris, Integral Leadership Review, vol 10, No. 1, January 2010
8. Université Intégrale
9. "David Deida", IntegralLife.com. Retrieved on 2010-1-14.
10. "Vision In Action: Leaders Profile", VisionInAction.org. Retrieved on 2010-1-8.
11. Ervin László, "Rationale for an Integral Theory of Everything", p.1, [integral-review.org/back_issues/backissue3/index.htm Integral Review, no.3]
12. "Dan Millman", IntegralLife.com. Retrieved on 2010-1-14.
13. Editors. "Caroline Myss", IntegralLife.com. Retrieved on 2010-1-14.
14. Sattler, R. 2008. Wilber’s AQAL Map and Beyond
15. "Brother David Steindl-Rast", IntegralLife.com. Retrieved on 2010-1-14.
16. "Brother Wayne Teasdale", IntegralLife.com. Retrieved on 2010-1-14.
17. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1v7GCXw_50s
18. Editors. "Darren Aronofsky", IntegralLife.com. Retrieved on 2010-1-14.
19. "Deepak Chopra", IntegralLife.com. Retrieved on 2010-1-14.
20. "Ken Wilber comes to Boulder Integral!", BoulderIntegral.com. Retrieved on 2010-1-14.
21. Editors. "Integral Naked Presents From Jagged Little Pill to Flavors of Entanglement", Integral Naked. Retrieved on 2010-1-8.
22. Editors. "Integral Naked Presents Sharon Stone: Like a Fine Diamond, This Stone Shines in All Dimensions", Integral Naked. Retrieved on 2010-1-8.
23. Editors. "Integral Naked Presents Larry Wachowski: The Many Meanings of the Matrix", Integral Naked, 2007. Retrieved on 2010-1-8.
24. Foreign Policy. Bill Clinton's World. Foreign Policy (online), December 2009, Accessed 2010-01-08.
25. Shambhala. On Critics, Integral Institute, My Recent Writing, and Other Matters of Little Consequence: A Shambhala Interview with Ken Wilber. Ken Wilber Online. Retrieved on 2010-01-08.