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Dr. R. Michael (The Fox) Fisher, critical integral theorist, fearologist, educator

In this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cTaMtO-45c  RM Fisher is searching for possibilities for a healthy Green v-Meme [1] politics and political leader(s)--no matter what country. Of course, in this video he is focusing on his well-researched topic [2], and now adds his expertise re: Marianne Williamson, who at the time was running for leader of the Democratic Party and for President of the USA. For more on Fisher's Post-Nov. 5th era philosophy and visioning for politics etc., go to his recent video talk. 

What is a healthy Green v-Meme politics is a healthy postmodern politics, by any other name [3]? What is an unhealthy Green politics? [4] What kind of political regimes and leaders and activism are required as the postmodern era opens up and the modern era is starting to fall apart and/or be less relevant to handle the postmodern problems and crises we face as a species. Again, in the North America case, at least, and especially in the USA as a case study, Marianne Williamson stands out for me as the perfect political leader--although, hardly perfectly Green v-Meme or postmodern. In fact, I find she fails on a lot of postmodern aspects, and is anti-postmodern too. But for argument sake, I would say she is at least 50% healthy Green (using Spiral Dynamics [5] and Integral Theory classifications). There are many other aspects and other authors [21 as a matter of fact] I could bring to the table, in order to argue for what a healthy Green meme politician/leader might look like in the near and distant future. I'll leave that for another blog at some point. I just wanted to start this thread on this topic. 

There was a comment on my comment about MW recently: 

  

End Note

1. v-Meme = value-meme, according to Spiral Dynamics. A "meme" is analogous to a "gene" but the former is applicable to the Cultural Sphere, the latter to the Natural Sphere. See the Internet for more information on meme theory. 

2. I have many articles and youtube videos published on Marianne Williamson as well as a book in 2020--see the Internet. 

3. There are many, not always consistently harmonious, definitions and meanings of "postmodern" (or "post-modern") amongst theorists and historians. You can do your own initial research on that if you wish. But, I have always thought Wilber's (1998) definition of the "truth in postmodernism" very helpful because he identified nicely the 3 core assumptions that operate (motivate) postmodernism: a) constructivism, b) contextualism, c) integral-aperspectival[ism]" (pp. 120-1). Wilber, K. (1998). The marriage of sense and soul: Integrating science and religion. Random House. 

4. To pursue any transformational political agenda as I am doing here, one has to ask how are we going to analyze and discern healthy from unhealthy? What tools assist this? And, suddenly the conversation and project of the search becomes complicated, complex and is an ever-searching of critical inquiry. Wilber and others have identified more so the pathological side of Green v-meme (i.e., postmodernism, pluralism, equalitarianism, Boomeritis, flatland ontologies)--and its ideologies, hidden or not so hidden. That's would require a longer analysis than a short blog like this. I am interested in applying to this critique of the unheatlhy Green, a further and unique fearanalysis (2nd-tier perspective, or critical integral view) which no one else seems to be doing. 

5. Spiral Dynamics (integral) Technology, originated with the psychologist-futurist Clare Graves some 50 years ago, and then was advanced by Don Beck and Cowan and then Ken Wilber, etc. I have trained in SDi Techology at Levels I-II, taught by Don Beck in 2002-03. 

The issue of children's mental health, and the impact of adult's mental health--is a long interest of mine. It comes down to spreading the 'fear' virus, by any other name. When will adults and institutions of our society begin to really see how immature they often are in how they spread anxiety, fear, terror--to children. I have made several youtube videos on this theme as well for several years, calling it "philosophical disability" and "political disability" that exists in the adult population--it exists because such adults are not willing to admit they spread 'fear' in contagion. And, now we have a president of the US who is doing just this--spreading the 'fear' virus to children, and not for a moment do they recognize they are doing so. We have a long way to go, don't we adults? Let's get started... watch what you say about the world and its crises, day-to-day, night-to-night, and all year long--there is no reason to over-scare children about anything; check yourself up. Deal with your own fear, anxiety, terror, dread. Children don't need you dumping and projecting 'fear' onto them. Own it and work with it, heal it and transform it. I know this requires adult responsibility and discipline. So what. 

READ, the following article for starters: Patrick, E. (2024). How does adult talk fuel our children's climate anxiety?" https://medium.com/@empatrick/how-does-adult-talk-fuel-our-childrens-climate-anxiety-7fc8e4351687

I find it more than a little disturbing at times how people will title (headline) their knowledge that they want to share, and market on the internet, or just about any other venue where they seek an audience. Videos on Youtube are no exception. The titles and types of videos people are thinking up are as diverse as you can imagine--at least, we see the ones that get through the vetting of Youtube corporation. 

This latest one I pulled up (above) is one of the weirdest, but then again, the world is getting weirder everyday so I take it all in stride. Yet, immediately, without watching the video itself (and, I'm sure I wont' actually watch it ever)--is that i had a spontaneous humorous reply to the video title: 

Dear Dave Asprey, I know what you learned (in three words): "Act your age!" and, you don't need to ask A.I. for an answer either. 

So, with that little bit of humor, IF you get it, I'll carry on my day, now and then thinking, boy, what good work could be done in a world of injustices and needs with 2,500,000 dollars. I then am going to send out a vibe to the planetary systems, to encourage humans to not go to this Youtube and rather follow their deeper wisdom on what is really worth spending their time on and spending their money on. 

Jordan B. Peterson, in a recent (Dec. 7/24) interview with his daughter said, "The world's a weird place...and it's going to get stranger." 

Okay, have a good-weird day out there my friends. And, act your age! And, likely things on the planet will improve a whole lot because of it. 

Dr. R. Michael Fisher, speaks out on his envisioning of a post-Nov. 5th

(US General Election) future... and, it ain't pretty! 

Go to his video talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agM4-5hn34k&t=1639s

Congratulations for the 2023 dissertation specializing in fearology, by the ethical philosopher Michael B. Eneyo of Nigeria. This is the first in the world fearology doctorate achieved formally in academia. It was accomplished at the University of Calabar, Nigeria. Entitled: ‘An Existentialist Explanation of Fearological Ethics.’ 

Although, I have yet accessed the dissertation itself nor have I read it, I am well familiar with Eneyo's thinking and writing for several years. To read the article on his doctoral work in a journalistic summary by Efio-Ita Nyok's (Sept. 10/23) article: https://www.negroidhaven.com/2023/09/pioneering-phd-in-fearology-defended-at-university-of-calabar/

[NOTE: I just found this in my unpublished blog written in late 2016, for some reason it never got published; I'll leave it unedited--as relevant to our times today or not--you can decide]

Indeed, it's a "crazy" time in America right now. Many here are completely dismayed at the killings of police and police killings of mainly black men and on and on... Black Lives Matters protests, and the list is long but "terrorism" is everywhere to put it bluntly. You sort of have to really live here embedded in American society, or more like "American culture of fear" to really get it! To really feel the anxiety, fear, panic and terror that "sits" there in everybody's gut!

I agree with anyone who says, "It's a crazy time in America."

And, of course many political pundits and talk show hosts and news broadcasters and neighbors down the street will be talking about this... or, they will be ignoring and denying and cover-up all this feeling. All this 'crazy' stuff going on and the American presidential election is just perfectly cast as the stage for a crazy battle with likely Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump going at it head to head, like a great world boxing championship fight for the fall... to see who is going to win the powerful position of President of the USA.

My point of this blog is not to be "political" and enter all that discourse and analysis, as if the world needs one more voice repeating pretty much the same mainstream discourse, not do I want to repeat the typical and predictable radical activist language and analysis. I'll go only so far as to say, I agree with anyone who says, "It's a crazy time in America."

What is going on, is a whole lot of fear-mongering amongst Americans in this election and beyond it. The American culture of fear is nothing new, and yet, as I and so many other critics have pointed out for years, is growing rapidly and 'peaking' in the crazy kinds of violence we are seeing here. It was bound to turn out like this. Just like 9/11 was bound to happen. People overly fear-full will 'blow' and continue to do so until there is a ... change, a transformation, a revolution... something. It is unsettling times.

My perspective, rather than all the political analysis that is common, is from that of a fearologist, and expert and leader of the Fearlessness Movement. So, I'll say a few things below that may help you keep this crazy times in perspective. I'll even make some 'prophetic' guesses. I'll even offer a little advice. I don't often say such things nor promote that as my task. I trust people, somewhere inside, will know the truth and the best way to go... yet, sometimes they need to hear it from someone else. In this case, a fearologist, who has studied the history and dynamics of the culture of fear phenomenon for over 27 years.

First, what we are seeing are not only crazy times but dangerous times. Historically, every civilization and culture goes through this when it is in its death-throws, dying, and desperately trying to cling on to an "old paradigm." I know this is simplistic, my point is to keep a historical perspective on change and big change that some civilizations, cultures have to go through to correct themselves, to die and be reborn again--as you may want to say it. American culture is dying. It has been well documented by historians, cultural critics, political critics... and sure, not the mainstream media or others of that old Order are going to admit this.

Second, fear (Fear) is the great catalyst for these crazy times and all the extremist reactions, and in American politics this last year and half especially, it is ripe with Donald Trump running as candidate. He's a great fear-mongering leader, pretending to be fearless to save everyone who is afraid of the way things are and he is going to rebuild the American Empire... blah, blah.. these kinds of crazy leaders appear all throughout history... we should at least thank him for showing us how afraid Americans are (including himself) of losing what they feel they are losing... the American Dream is dying and people are having to awaken to a globalized reality that cannot be shut out at the American borders by "walls" of ignore-ance, arrogance and "Walls"-- Fear will remain, not matter what Trump does, or Hilary for that matter. The culture of fear is a bigger 'Beast' than Trump or anyone, and yet Trump is the kind of archetypal leader to purvey Fear... and it is working. Most Americans are really terrified what will happen if this guy gets to be President. Don't worry about it... he won't.

Third, Trump and his fear-mongering followers are going to be a loud dramatic voice alright, and they won't go away... but they will get trounced when it comes to voting time this late fall... why? because a very powerful Democratic force--a threesome, of Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Hilary Clinton and all they stand for in this classic "Good" against "Evil" if you want to use dramatic terms. American society, in the Transformation that began heavily (albeit, still in the margins) in the 1960s in this country and many Western countries around the world (especially)--where the average consciousness of the people is sliding toward a just society and one they wish no longer to be built on fear and maintained on fear--and, especially they resent "leaders" who do so and resort to punishment and regimes of surveillance and exclusivity (i.e., racism, for one)... no, what I witness living here in the USA in 2008, with Obama's decisive win in that election was a "felt" change--a big change-- that there are large forces in cultural evolution going on in this country and around the world for a "better" way to go--even a new society, and I knew then that American's on the whole (at least over 50% or so) won't return to the old patriarchal ways. The fact that Bernie Sanders did so well in popularity, running on a rather 'far Left' social democracy agenda in this country and then Hilary (a women) coming to be the next president--these are signs of a country going through crisis at the cultural level and they show there will not be a going back to old style Republican governments. The same trend hit Canadians in this last election of Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister. These countries will not 'go back'... so, don't worry about it.

Fourth, the various extremist factions however, are worrisome and will cause major damages, and attempt to fragment the Fearlessness Movement and the society of the just and the Good... for sure, they are an awesome 'enemy' worthy of respect for their capabilities to "fight" for the Old patriarchal White ways... ways of Fear's Empire. I also know, that telling people not to worry, or be afraid in excesses... or being paranoid... is not always very helpful. You cannot just "tell" someone not to be afraid. Politicians and all kinds of leaders and our parents perhaps, have told us those kinds of things... they are minimally helpful. What is helpful is to be aware of how you are being put into a trance by spectacle and dramatic enactments and events in a crazy society undergoing crisis. I make sure I watch when I am being put into "shock." I watch how susceptible my wife for example is when she watches the "news" (the horror and spectacle) etc. Many Americans are so in this cultural hypnosis, they haven't a clue that they are -- but worse, as my colleague Four Arrows teaches, when in this 'shock n' awe' state of consciousness (often felt as dismay or despair)--there is the problem of them being hypnotized by "Authorities" (like political leaders, and candidates, among just a few)--and you will eventually be "following" them and the kind of fear-based way of thinking they emit and transmit... this, is the worse of "learning" one can get conditioned by. So, my advice, "turn off the media" for one, and listen very sparingly if you need to... but mostly, you don't need to. There are other ways to educate yourself without the "screen" of spectacle that operates on using "fear" to get viewer attention and votes.

I think this is enough, for now. Too much information isn't useful either. Be focused, and clear "who you are" and "what you stand for" and what you are aligned for. I make all those choices everyday when I feel the wide-world emotional anxiety and terror--trying to pull me off-center and into debates that basically are between two choices of which neither one of them is really the "best" choice. The best choice, and my vote, always goes to those less fear-based in their motivations and actions. Currently, there is no political party anywhere, I know of, in the world, and certainly not in America,

INTRODUCTION

I am not going to try to explain my Fear Management Theory (FMT) here in this short blog post. I more wanted to just make some noise in all the silence and/or hoopla in the post-Nov. 5 epoch of what in my mind is an event so grand as to "change everything"--and, I do not say this hyperbolically. I'm very serious. Nov. 5 will make 9/11 look like a pimple--but, that is what I envision in years to come [1]. History is being radically re-constructed on the North American continent. 

My counter-response (of non-conformity, and rebelliousness; smile) was to not go on social media sites (other than my emails for work-related issues)--now, I still have not done so since Nov. 4th. It's a media fasting. Really useful. I have had a tonne of flowing energy and creativity. Of course, I am impacted by the election and the results of who is now Pres. of the USA. I have followed intensely US politics via my research and writing on Marianne Williamson, who has run for 2 presidency campaigns (2020, 2024)--but she only got so far and then dissolved out of the races). I'm quite steeped in the changes and dynamics of a highly hot American culture and political scene. However, my media fast was intended to 'keep out' what I didn't want to be bombarded by, and to 'let in' what I generated in my own experience and knowledge. It has been fantastic in that sense. 

I don't mean to sound sado-masochistic and ignore-ant of what horrors are going on and will go on. I don't see any one leader or party to blame for the tragedy of the times. I am optimistic in my own unique way, and most people might think I'm cold-hearted or a foolish soul. I don't much give a damn what others think, at this point. I know the long hard scholarship and imaginative work I am meant to do--and, my goal is to enhance FMT--to evolve the theory and practices (i.e., praxis) to more refined levels. And in this post-Nov. 5 epoch, there are all the signs apparent this is a good time to name and grow this FMT. I am not doing it in isolation, and TMT (Terror Management Theory) is a close siamese twin of my work--both theories having been constructing for over three decades, independently for the most part, but my own work has tried to integrate them over the past several years. Not that that has been mutual. Yet, I persist that they ought to combine creatively--and join forces for these times of the 21st century. They have lots to learn from each other and lots of wisdom to offer the world--individually and collectively. 

FEAR MANAGEMENT THEORY (FMT)

TMT and FMT have deep insights into the social psychology of totalitarianism, fascism, totalism and general patterns of such forms of "social movements" and political organizations and the ways people conform, disconform and/or try to stay silent and out of the conflicts. Desmet's (2022) scholarly study of totalitarianism (e.g., Stalin's and Hitler's approaches to leadership) is worthy of a read about now. Unfortunately, as I am reading Desmet, initially I see several good points but also flaws or incompletenesses and I believe the shortcoming really limit the value of his analysis in practice and theorizing about the 21st century. I think he comes up short because FMT and TMT are not included for starters. But, that's another issue for another blog later on. I want to quote something, which is really a conclusion of Desmet's book and position (remembering that he is a professor of clinical psychology and a psychologist in practice in Belgium): He wrote, "what characterizes the leaders of masses [and totalitarian regimes] is not greed or sadism, but their morbid ideological drive: Reality must and will be adjusted to the ideological fiction. Such [a] drive leads to a mental and emotional blindness, which can assume truly astonishing proportions." (p. 107) All kinds of people, across the political stripes can get attached to and become believers--and, this leads to what he calls "mass formations" (or a "mass psychology" of the group/herd). 

I agree in part with Desmet's conclusion here, but it seems evident from my research into human behavior and societies, that "ideological drive" is only a surface symptom of much more powerful drives--e.g., the denial of death drive and self-esteem drive (see, for e.g., TMT). I would go much deeper into the ecologies of fear(lessness) in my own meta-motivational theory (and paradigm) of analysis, which even TMT misses. I won't outline this meta-motivational theory or FMT here in this short blogpost. I merely want to share some of my interests and share them in a poignant time in history--post-Nov. 5th--and share them with intention that both the "Right" and the "Left" and any others are welcome to engage with my fearwork and overall project. I'm moving quickly beyond seeing that any "one side" is the higher virtous ones over and beyond the other. This problem with ideological attachment and addictions is on both sides of the spectrum. I want to help out finding other ways to be 'good' humans on this earth and good citizens, etc. A much larger topic. 

Just to say, however, FMT is endlessly fascinating to me and I have now cataloged some 30+ theories (and many models) that are part of and adjacent to FMT and its combining offering of a synthesis for how to live better in the 21st century. I am not saying I have the only way to go. Diverse ways to go is good--however, I am vigilant in my study and critiques to point out that humanity as a whole is far behind Fear. Fear is leading. You can perhaps reflect on that for awhile. Let's talk more about FMT and keep evolving it. Don't hesitate to contact me: r.michaelfisher52 [at] gmail.com 

End Note: 

1. I could just as easily be referring to Nov. 5 and what could turn out to be another "Red Scare" phenomenon as historians in the past of Americianism at its worst have documented well as a happening in the early 1950s. During what is also called "The McCarthy Era" (Red Scare) the American people were turning against each other in suspect and mistrust and fear that someone could be a "communist" and thus "anti-American" (traitor, or whatever the language). Now, Red Scare can have a different twist to it with Red States (Republican) overtaking the majority of the United States (starting to look not so united). Red Scare in a post-Nov. 5 can easily twist from "communist" to "leftist" (or some other version of social justice warrior turned into "terrorists"). The scare will be more subtle now compared to the 1950s. History is important and Timothy Snyder (2017) On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century" is a good starter book of resistance (although not adequate) for understanding aspects of totalitarianism, fascism and totalism (on this latter notion see the work of Robert J. Lifton (2014) Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism and more recently see Mattias Desmet (2022) The Psychology of Totalitarianism).  

To listen to U.S. (independent) senator, Bernie's words just tonight, before the election voting: he speaks from a whole lot of experience. 

It's worth a listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8N4Sgk5HTE

Just to say hi to all here. 

Just to say, no matter who wins the US election tomorrow? 

Just to say, at some level, there is only one winner in that country

Just to say, that one winner is fear. 

That's why long ago, 

in Canada, 

I set up the In Search of Fearlessness Project. 

Just to say, at some level, there is only one winner 

Just to say, it is there awaiting

Just to say, it is Fearlessness. 

Social media platforms (of which I generally totally avoid) are becoming extremely effective in influencing people's views and behaviors. Levels of fear and uncertainty are manipulated regularly through such platforms and their members, individually and collectively--with a bias towards polarizing and hate= fearmongering. The current US 2024 election dynamics show, according to these researchers, that there are several problems of skewing information and even Russian interference in communications and spread of info. These are not conspiratorial researchers. I have posted here there intro. page of a larger document available free on the internet 

[PDF] Exposing Cross-Platform Coordinated Inauthentic Activity in the Run-Up to the 2024 US Election

Here's a book I have ordered. And/or watch the recent interview on UnHerd podcast, with this professor of psychology (and a psychoanalyst) in Belgium here.

As some of you may know, I have been also interested in collective psychological phenomenon (fear, anxiety, frustration, loneliness) as a social critic and as someone who does therapeuatic work--and, in fact, I have called myself a"cultural therapist" over the last few years. Desmet looks into research and theory explaining hyper-conformism and totalitarianism. 

Note: I have written on mass psychosis in an FM blogpost: go to: https://fearlessnessmovement.ning.com/blog/mass-psychosis-menticide-fear-as-primer

FEAR FACTOR. Yes, the Academy Award winning documentary filmmaker Michael Moore (a long-time Democrat) is out making his latest comments and predictions about the upcoming Nov. US Election for Pres. of America. He has a few interesting things to say, but what caught my ear was his comment about "Democrats" --and, he's saying this in a negative connotation, and even pointing towards the potential that their "fear" (a "frightened people") is going to cost them the election victory. 

Four Arrows                                                        and                          R. Michael Fisher 

This interview (FearTalk #27) has some interesting words of wisdom from the Indigenous scholar Four Arrows (Dr. D. T. Jacobs). 

Published 2019.

Stein makes it look like he has something so "new" and "miraculous" and he is going to inspire "hope" (an often repeated word in his lexicon and that of his book endorsers). Btw, I as a critical integralist philosopher of education gave up on hope long ago for a much better concept of "fearlessness" (for 21st century meta-theorizing and thinking)....In conclusion, "the book is radical but not radical enough."

Book Review (Commentary)  

As many reviewers here [on Amazon.com books] or those following Zak Stein's work comment--it is obvious his bright IQ and sincere passion shines through. This book is his first systematic compilation of those traits he has honed. He is the kind of progressive futurists polymath philosopher of education the world needs.

Dr. Michael Schwartz (book endorsement) is right on saying that planetary thinkers are required in all fields today but especially in Education so as to grow "the critical-integral imagination" for what Stein calls, "Human identities [that] will need to be world-centric" for a new and better humanity (p. 2). That’s a high-bar demand.

Stein from the beginning in his Preface: “Integral Paideia” tells us his book is going to be "radical" in approach, with a rarified vision for a sane future for Education. He says we will need "educational activism and innovation as a political instantiation of emancipatory philosophy" and a "meta-ethics" for "the global meta-crisis" (p. 7). So, by this time with all these big concepts you get the sense this is a pretty heady treatise by a heady guy, who got his Ph.D. at Harvard University. Nothing wrong with that, and he doesn't apologize for "a long and complex book" (p. 5). I found this Preface to the book made up of his several pre-published essays, 'big sounding' very clever and intriguing--but it is nothing new--nor all that radical, from my perspective as a radical educator for 50 years. Many have treaded the waters and shaken mountains in progressive and alternative and "integral" education philosophizing and activism before Zak Stein. Stein can offer all the "social miracles" he offers to the field of Education (and the world) in his Chapter 4, and those are wonderful aims for a futures thinking about education overall. Fine. They again, are not just all that new or radical. Stein makes out in the Preface of his book and often in his writing that he is the 'savior' foraging ahead down the path with his radical sword of words, concepts, and high level consciousness (integral-speak). Yes, he is a brilliant leader to watch for. I just find it more than annoying that his work in this book is compared to John Dewey, or William Irwin Thompson (as 2 book endorsers do)--that's just silly.

Stein is a newbie to the field of Education and yes, his gifts are welcome. However, let's be clear, beyond the fancy marketing title of the book "Education in a Time Between Worlds" and all his big meta-speak, that several critical (and integral) educators have forged before him and I wished he would have given them much more due in his Preface, or to even have written a respectful nod to his predecessors in an “Introduction” chapter to his essays therein would have satisfied me that he is a scholar who has done his homework on "Integral Education."

That's right, the real working through of this book is in the sub-field of alternative education and specifically "Integral Education" --which, I and Stein would likely rather call "Critical Integral Education"--which honours via the "critical" insertion that we are after an even more radical and (r)evolutionary integral thinking than most in the Integral Community. He wrote, "I use integral theory" (highly influenced by philosopher Ken Wilber) to critique existing systems and to explore the need for and possibility of a radically different social world" (p. 4). Long before Zak Stein, I was doing the same thing and were other educators but Stein mostly ignores citing our work or engaging the sub-field of Integral Education. His essays are not meant to do that, which is fine; yet, he could have written an Introduction to so give due to predecessors of his "new" approach to Education.

The book isn't radical enough from a critical integral philosopher's perspective, like mine, or other philosophers of education I work with--and, it ignores the Indigenous worldview critique of all Euro-centric thinking about education as Four Arrows does. And Stein ignores (for e.g.) the potent critiques of counter-education by the late Ilan Gur-Ze'ev, who's thinking in both these examples, is brilliant and original in terms of (r)evolutionary philosophy for education and societal transformation. But, no use getting picky here what Stein left out, I'm merely saying he ought to have seen Wilber's theory (at least) is a new branch of Critical Theory (a point made by Dr. Jack Crittenden (1997, p. x) in the Foreword to Wilber's book "Eye to Eye." Yes, Zak Stein is saying about integral theory what others have already said about its critical capacity for aligning (in part) with the Critical Theory schools of cultural-political criticism and particularly all those critical theorists and pedagogues who have worked so hard for a hundred years more or less to revolutionize the way Education ought to take a leading role in forging and shaping societies rather than the current backseat regime of education in N.A. today. Again, Stein offers in the book little to no connection with his predecessors here and the linking of integral (meta-theory) with critical theory and educational emancipatory traditions.

Stein makes it look like he has something so "new" and "miraculous" and he is going to inspire "hope" (an often repeated word in his lexicon and that of his book endorsers). Btw, I as a critical integralist philosopher of education gave up on hope long ago for a much better concept of "fearlessness" (for 21st century meta-theorizing and thinking) --but that’s another topic and one I wish "integralists" were more up-to-date on; but again, Stein hasn't read or cited my work to engage it and I have offered him many opportunities to do so. In that regard, also there is virtually nothing I can see in scanning the book about the "Affective Turn" in philosophy and education and its crucial role in any future (r)evolutionary movement (integral or otherwise). This is because Stein is so "cognitive" heavy, like many of his teachers he admires so much (e.g., Wilber, Marc Gafni). Oh, and btw, even if Stein says in the book "I am no Wilberian" (p. 3) to try to distance himself from any of the negative associations that might bring to his career and leadership in the future, sorry to say: Stein is indeed a Wilberian and Gafnian, by any standard. Though, I think he just needs to use a more discerning language that (and I agree) he is critical of such big thinkers, independent too in his thought and practices but being a Wilberian is not near as enclosing as being a Wilberite (acolyte of Ken Wilber). I myself am a Wilberian going back as far as 1982 and Stein only came to Wilber's work in the 21st century in grad school.

Finally, the book is a bit of a travesty on the level of quality of production, as I see it. It lacks some basic scholarly and just common sense components--re: design. If Stein wants more quality in the field and embrace of Education for a better world, he better ensure quality in his book productions. My copy of the book deteriorated in my hands with just a few hours of reading, pages falling out of binding which is of cheapest grade; as well when I used a yellow highlight on the paper the paper buckles because it is so thin and low grade. For a futurist book and guide in times of tumult ahead, you'd  think a quality book so brilliant (and published by Brilliant Alliance) would be consistent with the contexts it is produced in.

And, then, most annoying is the lack of attention and effort made by the author and publisher to create an Index for the book. Really! I find it astounding that was not included in a thick and complex scholarly book like this. Now, if the book was readily online to be searched in digital, I could forgive this error--but the book is not searchable on line that I could find. This really limits researchers like myself being able to access what is in the book and what is left out and where biases lie on the author's part. An Index allows one to assess much of that within minutes. So, now I have to read every page to find things I am searching for.

In conclusion, the book is radical but not radical enough, and that would take a long essay to argue but I have at least made a few indicators to point to where Stein is not really fully thoughtful enough about "schools" and their future, but also neglectful about Critical Integral Education. Fundamentally, his book is about this topic of Integral Education and he could have been really radical—really real—and, addressed those pioneer predecessors and contemporaries in the sub-field of Integral Education and all the hard work they are doing in philosophy, theory and on the ground in the experiments in education overall. I mean it doesn't speak well for me, on first blush, that Stein ignores (for e.g.) the higher education experiments going on around the globe in Integral Education (for e.g., at the University of Calgary, my old alma mater, where a Masters in Education program has existed for like 10+ years now as teachers or school administrators wanting an MEd degree can study Integral Theory as their specialist stream). And, all this is missed in Stein's integral education book--and vision(?)

 -R. Michael Fisher (Oct. 4/24)

Amazon.com book review [they did not publish and gave no reason why]

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 Note: for those interested in my further support and critique of Zak Stein's work go to my essay some years ago: 

https://prism.ucalgary.ca/items/75fdaa1c-d49b-48b2-a47e-13d88901f6e8

Curious what you all think of this meta-theory (aka integral meta-theory) of learning? 

Fisher and his "signs"(?). The video talk this image is from is called "Fear and Education"--click here. 

Throughout my 50 years of teaching, adults and children and teens, I am always thinking of ways to 'awaken' the habitual and passive mind that has got stuck in its grooves of what to expect in learning sites. I am interested in critical integal learning sites and practices that stir the jar of water and sediments--re-distributing the amnesia and its particles and fragments that have settled on the bottom and are virtually unaccessible without the 'shaking up' required. There are many ways the good teacher know of how to shake up things with their learners. 

The reason I'm sharing this particular video from a few years back is that it marks out my continual critique of how inadequately the education systems are when it comes to a good Fear Education (in the best sense of that term). There is no curriculum nor defined pedagogy for Fear Education at this point in humanity's evolution. And that's a trajedy beyond measure. Even the most progressive educators and futurists I read, they virtually ignore the vector of Fear in development and learning and teaching--and our future. 

Since I have been posting a little on the FM ning, and making a video on my interest in developing and teaching "Metapsychology," I thought I probably need to map out my own vision of where Psychology has come and gone, how it has developed historically and in terms of consciousness complexity and what the future of Psychology may or may not be. Of course, it would take a few lectures by me to explain all that is in and behind this diagram, as well as to cite the references and theories and meta-theory that helps me to articulate and draw this mapping. It is in progress and no way the final word on the topic. And, yes, it leaves off a hundred other psychologies that could have been named (e.g., somatic psychology, feminist psychology, personality psychology, pop psychology, Green psychology, Gestalt psychology, liberation psychology, trauma psychology, fearological psychology, post-humanist psychology, educational psychology, transformative psychology, developmental psychology, animist psychology, child psychology, psychotropic psychology, forensic psychology, mestiza psychology, moral psychology, religiousl psychology, cult psychology, Indigenous psychology, East-West psychology, trans-sexual psychology, mass psychology, maternal-matrixial psychology, conspiracy psychology, phallic psychology, computational psychology, quantum psychology, depth psychology, social psychology, peace psychology, political psychology, victim psychology, Millennials psychology, archetypal psychology, fearlessness psychology, neurotic psychology, Buddhist psychology, apocalyptic psychology, Trumpian psychology, transdisciplinary psychology, Black psychology, etc. etc.). It creates a good place for conversation on the "psychological" or what I call "psychologia-q" notion. I share it here for feedback. 

Note: W. Perspective is controversial for good reasons--it is Eurocentric (primarily); and, it's where I was born and educated and mostly lived and studied (Canada)

Welcome Introduction

Hello...fellow journeyors. If you are reading this you either know me somewhat and/or someone has shared this link for your curiosity to see what kind of teaching (and therapia [1]) I am bringing to the world. The notion of "trifecta" means three points, vectors, angles or perspectives, which when they converge and unite a great force occurs (trinity becomes unity)--in the case of my life, now at age 72, it turns out the trifecta is all about truth that I know is true via (personall and collective) empirical evidence of practicing this truth which is undeniable and sacred.

What I will share in this resource page about my leadership and teaching is the three practices (and some theory): (1) LIBERATION PEER COUNSELING, (2) SPONTANEOUS CREATION-MAKING, (3) FEARLESSNESS(izing) KNOWLEDGE. These may interest you in whole or in part; there is no one and only proper formula to working with them to improve your life and the world. I can only testify, and a lot of other people who have worked with me also have shown these to be powerful "soft technologies" of healing and liberation--although, I never see this kind of work as an end, rather a process always evolving, with great surprises and unknowns. Yes, Mystery still remains alive and well in this liberation work. You are welcome to keep practicing the traditions (e.g., religion) or other means as you already do--the trifecta is a complementary process not a replacement for anything you find is already positively helpful to your life. 

I list them in this order because that is how they emerged, as 'fear' vaccines, in my own awakening and path of fearlessness [2]. To be clear at the start, the trifecta is not personal development psychology alone--it is a deep truth trifecta that changes and transforms one's life purpose, if the conditions are right and the disciplined learner-practitioner works with them for some length of time. Working these in support ally groups is most effective. The trifecta, is more about psyche, soul and culture, nature, politics, history, evolution, worldviews, spirituality--all in a holistic-integral interrelationship. Note: to see where my focus is on repair and vision of healthy Green-meme politics go to my recent blog. I started the peer counseling study in 1983 to learn how humans are hurt and how they heal; the spontaneous creation-making in 1988 in groups but my art practice (CVArt RMF.DOC) worked with art-therapeutic modes since the late 1970s; and since 1989 I developed the systematic study of fear and fearlessness knowledge.   

R. Michael Fisher (1952-) [3], Ph.D. in Education Curriculum & Philosophy, MA in Adult Education, Grad. Dipl. Counseling-Rehabilitation 

For my full background of experience and education, CV (resume) cvRMF2024.doc.  

A few Endorsements over the years: 

“A developmental fearologist...only one out there...if we had a thousand of you out there, maybe we might get somewhere.”  -Layman Pascal, Integral Stage Podcast, Sept. 10, 2024

“I love what you are doing. Your work is so special Michael.”  -Dr. Don (Four Arrows) Jacobs, Prof. Leadership, Fielding Graduate University, San Francisco, CA

"I'm a big fan of your work, which, as you know, I find very important in this "fearful" world." -Dr. Clifford Mayes, Prof. Educational Psychology (Jungian therapist),

Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah

 “Michael Fisher is an expert on fear, one of the world’s few ‘fearologists.’” -Rex Wyler, Eco-activist, Reporter (co-founder of Green Peace) Shared Vision, June, 2004

A Liberational Life

To grow one's spirit, a life-long adventure, turns out to be more complex than I first thought [4]. Recently, I have located my vocation as a spiritual educator.

I embrace the secular and spiritual paths of development, each serve their purpose. I have no attachment to any religious tradition but I identify as a spiritual person which arose naturally with my long love of Nature, and later I cut my teeth on the Human Potential Movement. I BEGAN officially a liberational life, leadership, and teaching because of a powerful mystical experience that transformed my soul, identity and life-purpose in late 1989. From this co-loving visionary awakening of being, things began to manifest rapidly into a spiritual-philosophical mission to bring healing and education through what I called In Search of Fearlessness Project. For more info. on that radical mission-project in adult education click here. The Project was named that way because part of my vision was to counter as an activist-educator the vast harm and toxicity, insanity, suffering and unsustainability that the 'Fear' Project has brought to this planet for millennia. 

The Trifecta of Truth is not fully covered here on this webpage, and I will focus mostly on LIBERATION PEER COUNSELING (LPC). IF you want more info. in depth on my Fearlessness(izing) Knowledge stream (and philosophy of fearism) search this Fearlessness Movement ning and click here for an interview on my views about fear(ism) OR see my Youtube Channel (190 teaching videos) OR search my name on Google Scholar for many free publications in peer-reviewed journals, books and other published sources. I have published a lot of work under a joint Canadian publishing house In Search of Fearlessness Research Institute (1991-) (with Barbara Bickel). For more in depth information on Spontaneous Creation-Making (and art-care theory and practice) see the co-authored book by Bickel & Fisher (2023) and/or go to our Studio M* website. So, now let me turn to the feature subject of this website resource page: 

Liberation Peer Counseling (LPC) 

I am returning to teach LPC as a fundamental 8 wk course (theory and practice) in late 2024 and into 2025 [5] to see how much interest there is online, and potential local groups in my area who can meet face-to-face. Contact me if you are curious and want to know more or want to sign-up on waiting list: r.michaelfisher52 [at] gmail.com [I live in Nanaimo, BC, Canada, with my life-partner Barbara Bickel who has also been studying LPC with me for 34 yrs] 

I have taught LPC  [6] (my version of Re-evaluation Counseling or RC for short) since the 1980s, so it is very natural for me and I still practice it with a co-counselor once a week for a 1 hr exchange--it is my most reliable 'medicine' of staying in recovery above the troubled waters of my distress and 'fear' patterns (i.e., oppression of all kinds) that assault us everyday in many forms. For a recent demo example of a technique called "Think and Listen" peer counseling I did with my co-counselor click here. I gave an LPC talk on a technique of "Counseling Outside of Distress" click here and I created a few years ago the LET program (Life Enhancement Training video) on similar principles as LPC. 

The quickest summary information about LPC can be found in the following brief documents (produced in 2014; somewhat dated but still the same basic info. is really useful): 

The LPC Intro LPC brochure 2014.pdf (2014)

TheLPC History.pdf

LPC: LPC HURTING.pdf (defined) 

LPC: LPC HEALING c.pdf (defined/methods) 

LPC:LPC Theory.pdf

LPC:LPC Philos.pdf

LPC: LPC Politics.pdf

LPC: LPC Practice Cautions.pdf

LPC:LPC Wide worldpptx.pdf

9 Natural Healers of LPC 

End Notes

1. I am a "cultural therapist" and have done all kinds of therapeutic work since the 1980s, both recovering and healing from my own life, and offering therapeutic services to others--but ultimately, my work is a cultural therapia (similar to Erich Fromm) and a kosmotherapia (similar to Ken Wilber). Yet, I have my own spins as to what emancipation and liberation mean and the requirement to do our healing work in such processes--towards true Love and Freedom and Justice. 

2. This ethical-spiritual path can come with many other names like "liberation" or "enlightenment" (or "endarkenments") depending, but the important thing to note here is that I have otherwise been both rational and transrational in my fantasizing or imagining of possibilities. The Fearlessness Project (Paradigm) is based on the fascinating hypothesis: That humans do not have to be saddled or satisfied with a fear-based civilization; they can live and design a fearlessness civilization. See my initiative to re-vision the very nature of Psychology as we know it, via "Fearlessness Psychology 2019.pdf" and "Metapsychology." 

3. My name is The Fox (shortened: call me Fox), as of Oct. 25/24. 

4. The simplicity and complexity of life and evolution (development as "radical wholeness") is a wonderful spiral web as I see it. The path of fearlessness is not straight forward. I think "Growing Up" is one of at least four other types of work that are important practices--using critical Integral Theory--the other four defined by the developmental philosopher Ken Wilber are: "Waking Up," "Opening Up," "Showing Up," and "Cleaning Up"--the last one is also called Shadow work which is my forte'. 

5.Note: this is a radical departure from other peer-counseling models I have seen; we also charge a very affordable fee, with subsidies, so that it is not an elite practice for people with lots of expendable income. Fundamentals course (8 wks) may cost from 40-250 Can. $ sliding scale, depending on costs of teaching it etc. Fee mainly pays the instructor. Once you finish the fundamentals class, or even an Introductory talk or short workshop on LPC, you are able to work with others who have also done so and there is no fee exchanged for peer sessions. You build a support network of co-counselors for yourself--literally at your finger tips.    

6. Barbara Bickel and I decided to develop our own version of Re-evaluation Counseling (RC), based on Harvey Jackins et al. (now 80 years of history around the world of RC practitioners and leaders/teachers experiences)--we included some of John Heron's ideas (Co-Counseling International) and our own unique ideas into the practice. I have taken two RC Fundamentals courses from certified RC teachers (1983, 2022). Thus, my teaching of LPC is inspired by RC and what I have gleaned as its best knowledge and practices and added my own approaches over the decades. When I teach I represent no co-counseling organizations nor do I promote such organizations. You can find these organizations on the Internet if you wish. Also, thanks to my intrepid co-counselor Linda Roan for inspiring me to teach LPC again.      

Dr. Sheldon Solomon, one of the co-founders of Terror Management Theory, recently sent me this info. on this book out last year (he also wrote a book endorsement), in which it looks quite interesting as a synthesis of several streams of thought and practices--ultimately, it puts "fear" in a pretty important category in terms of fear management and social change. I'm ordering it and look forward to see also what it has to say about fearlessness(?) 

Update: (Sept. 20/24) I bought and scanned the book (author is professor J. K. Rowe, Univ. of Victoria, BC) as I usually do, and within a few hours I could see the biases of the book's constructions. I wrote the following informal brief review and it is now posted up on amazon.ca (here is a copy of it): 

Reviewed in Canada on September 21, 2024

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Contemplative educator, Dr. Parker J. Palmer (1939-  ) internationally famous and award-winning author/teacher/mentor of alternative and authentic education, has never impressed me with his understanding and teaching(s) on fear management/education. If anyone ought to be interested in "fearlessness" and the emancipation of teachers and school systems and parenting, it would be this guide. But, I find his work often brilliant and wise, and then quite dull and ignore-ant or reductionistic when it comes to the topic of "fear." I have long been one to embrace his work (like, "The Courage to Teach" in 1998, when he critically named the "culture of fear" in Education, especially in higher education at that time when no one else had done so from within the education system)--see his Chapter 2 in that book. But, then I tried reaching out to him several times to explore fear more deeply and to analyze what "culture of fear" means to education as a meta-context, and I did also challenge a graduate adult ed. student who loved PJP as well, and I have challenged other educators who idolize this man and his work. Yes, he has a large following of acolytes. But none of them are interested, or they are intimidated by my critiques and offerings. This has been so disappointing and tells me a lot about what kind of consciousness and values these educators have, of which I sense are quite fear-based themselves. But that is another topic for another blog. [note: Some yrs. ago, I have written about Palmer & Wilber in another blogpost here]

My larger contextual critique of Parker, characteristic of people who are generally contemplatives, meditators, 'spiritual-types' and 'mindfulness' advocates is: their thinking is boring and unoriginal--and, that won't do sufficiently for a very complex/novel world of change and adaptation that our primate species is going through. 

In this blog I merely want to point to a recent quote I found from PJ Parker (2004) where again, I am so disappointed in where his discourse goes with fear--it is so incomplete and quite distortive because it has no real theory to it. He wrote,

"I follow the thread of true self faithfully for a while. Then I lose it and find myself back in the dark, where fear drives me to search for the thread once again. That pattern, as far as I can tell, is inherent in the human condition. Yet its grip on my life has weakened as I have explored it in circles of trust. Today, I lose the thread less often" (p. 90). 

Okay, fine, this sounds like basic recovery practice, name it, claim it, deal with it face-to-face, kind of fear management (or just like one does this kind of work when working with an addiction). But you can read his entire 2004 book, for example, and there is no further insights he has into fear. He doesn't explore it but prefers trust, love and courage and soul and concepts like that. He has no notion of the praxis of fearlessness or fear praxis, as I have articulated. And he never cites my work on this all. He is off on his own tangent and is in the above quote telling people (a lot of people) that basically fear is his motivator to get back on trust/faith/love path, etc. He doesn't define fear for us or theorize it in complicated ways, or speak about the "culture of fear" and politics of fear and how getting back on track/trust isn't just an individualized therapia from his circles of (psychological) trust-making and sharing. I find this all too pithy and under-theorized and not up on the latest knowledges or holistic approach to the study of fear (e.g., like critical developmental fearology as I offer). It also is not a good sign that fear is the best motivator either. That's pretty much what he concludes on this page after all his life experience and work. Hmmm... something missing there! 

Of course, PJ Parker has lots of guidance to offer those interested in transformation, but I am merely saying, it lacks in some critical areas--and, thus we have to think carefully about what transformation even means in the meta-context of a culture of fear today. Parker admited that context but I find he never kept up the research into the implications of it--and, it's the latter that has been my speciality. [Note: added later Sept. 21/24-- after reading some of Palmer (2004) "A Hidden Wholeness" there was quite a breakthrough in my configuration and analysis. It occurred that Palmer was not doing transformative learning (transformation was not his focus ever)--rather, he was doing restorative learning, within and through an eccleasiatical (Quaker-Christian) lens of wholeness and healing. His focus is thus such of an important type of learning, "in solitude together" in addressing the "pathology of the divided life" (i.e., "role" vs. "soul") and so on... my earlier comment above in bold therefore was me looking for something good in a transformative context but now I see that's not really Palmer's gift. His gift is restorative learning (processes, like the "circle of trust"). We need both restorative and transformative learning as Elizabeth Lange has argued in her good research and article: Restorative & Transformative Lange.pdf. ]