A.H. Almaas Diamond Approach
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y

 

Autopoiesis

As a self-organizing (autopoietic) system, the soul has the following intrinsic properties:

  • She is a dynamic continuous system, a field.
  • She is an open system in interaction with an environment, not a closed or isolated system.
  • She renews herself through the interplay of what she receives from the environment with her inner potentials, which results in output into the environment.
  • She is not a static structure, but a dynamic and evolving consciousness. In other words, it is inherent to the soul that she is both presence and process, inseparable as presence in dynamic self-renewal.
  • She is an evolving system of consciousness.
  • She evolves through the dissolving of older structures as new ones develop. In other words, her development involves constant restructuring.
  • She is self-organizing, developing through the evolution of more complex higher-order organization. This means that new structures do not simply replace old ones, but include them in a higher order of organization. This inclusion involves temporary dissolution of structures preceding the emergence of higher structures that include in their constituents the developments of the early structures.
  • She is a non-equilibrium open system, which allows her to maintain a coherent order with openness, through fluctuation or change.

 

The soul is actually the prototype of self-organizing systems, which can be experienced directly as a self-organizing Riemannian manifold. Appreciating the characteristics of self-organization and autopoiesis can help us understand some of the difficulties we encounter in our inner journey of development. It shows that the flexibility and malleability of the soul are necessary for her self-renewal, for her to continue to function as an autopoietic system, rather than a machine. (Inner Journey Home, pg 557)