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Integral Research
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Press Play to Grow!
How Could Video Games be Designed to Facilitate
Personal and Spiritual Growth?
A Mixed Methods and Integral Study |
The Integral Play Theory
How could personal and spiritual growth be related to the topic of play?
In the article titled Integral Play: An Exploration of the Playground and the Evolution of the Player (AQAL, 2007), Gwen Gordon, MA and Sean Esbjörn-Hargens, Ph.D, explore the role of play in the process of personal and spiritual growth.
Gwen Gordon is an educational designer, coach and pioneer researcher in the field of transpersonal and transformative play. Sean Esbjörn-Hargens is a leading scholar-practitioner in Integral Studies, writer and also my mentor in this research.
According to them, the experience of play can - from an integral perspective - not only embrace but strongly support the continuous growth of various “Play Selves.” These Play Selves correspond to holarchical† levels of development (Wilber, 2000; Maslow, 1973)from pre- personal, to personal, to post-personal, to transpersonal stages.
† Holarchical development (Wilber, 1996) occurs when a whole level of growth becomes a part of another consecutive whole level of growth, where the higher level transcends and includes the main properties (skills, psychological growth, worldviews, etc.) of the previous lower level(s).
Gordon & Esbjörn-Hargens suggest that “through the adult developmental model, we discover the forms of play that express different stages of consciousness and which contribute to their transformation” (2007, p. 37).
More details about the application of the Integral Play Theory for development, transformation and integration was discussed in the Systemic section of this research.
It is important to note that by providing this analysis and application of Integral Theory into the worlds of video games and personal growth, I am in agreement with Gordon & Esbjörn-Hargens (2007) about the issues of legitimacy of applying an Integral approach to the topic.
I present below their views, which I also endorse in my research:
We do not claim that the Integral Perspective has ultimate legitimacy. Every approach is inherently limited in light of the Infinite complexity and variability – dare we say – the play of reality itself. We do think, however that the Integral model currently provides the most comprehensive and nuanced framework
available with which to understand play and its transformative potential (p.62) |
From a more specific perspective, I am adding into this idea the powerful capacity that the Integral Theory could bring to provide a deeper and broader understanding of the experience of playing video games and their potential for catalyzing inner growth, integration and transformation, as related to the main topic of my research.
According to the authors :
If play is integral to the evolutionary [developmental] process, then its forms not only demonstrate a range of diversity (horizontal) but a range of complexity (vertical). Using both vertical and horizontal dimensions, we can better see if play forms are different form each other in kind (form) or degree (perspective) [of levels of inner growth and integration] (p.69). |
In their view, the exploration of the potential for play to facilitate growth and transformation (both for personal and spiritual growth) requires understanding the different perspectives and realities play may apply (Quadrants), the developmental related to different experiences and worldviews related to play (Levels or Stages), and “the forms of play that correlate with each stage” (p.69). The also suggest that:
We also need to understand the potential for forms to create a shift from one developmental level to another more complex level. This requires an understanding of the complexity reflected and the play forms preferred at each stage of development. (p.69) |
By saying that, they basically laid the basic foundation for understanding and exploring a true Integral approach for how video games could be designed to facilitate personal and spiritual growth, given the fact that it would be through the experience of play that development, integration and transformation would occur.
According to Gordon & Esbjörn-Hargens (2007), each of the five aspects of AQAL can be identified and applied to the reality of play, from different facets. Follow below a series of tables representing the main associations of play and AQAL based in their article (p.70-71):
(1) Quadrants
The four quadrants represent the interdependent, complementary and irreducible realities or dimensions of play. They co-arise and underlie any experience or form of play, although certain kinds of play tend to base on, support, highlight and/or be more related to one or more quadrant(s) in relation to the other(s).
(UL) Upper Left
Subjective dimensions of experience
How we experience play? |
(UR) Upper Right
Objective & behavioral dimensions
What actions and behaviors are part of the play?
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(LL) Lower Left
Inter-subjective & cultural dimensions
What is the meaning of the play? |
(LR) Lower Right
Inter-objective & systemic dimensions
What are the structures, rules and systems involved in play?
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Based on data from Gordon & Esbjörn-Hargens (2007) |
 Additional aspects of Play, Gordon & Esbjörn-Hargens (2007)
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Forms of Play within Quadrants
Gordon & Esbjörn-Hargens (2007) |
(2) Levels
Levels of personal growth (psychological development) tend to reflect different and specific forms of play, which could be obseved in the external behaviors and subjective experience of players. Click here to see more info about levels based on the AQAL model.
Play Self Level
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Play Rhetoric |
Developmental Stage
(Based on Sutton-Smith, 2003)
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Unitive Player |
Transpersonal |
Play as frivolous |
Dynamic Player |
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Complex Player |
Post-personal |
Play as Self |
Sensitive Player |
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Play as imagination |
Status Player |
Personal |
Play as self &
Play as progress |
Ordered Player |
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Play as identity |
Aggressive Player |
Pre-personal |
Play as power |
Magical Player |
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Play as fate |
Play Selves' levels of growth correspond to different altitudes (Wilber, 2007
Based on data from Gordon & Esbjörn-Hargens (2007) |
(3) Lines
There are various lines of intelligence, each one divided in many levels of personal growth that correspond to the way players engage in playing, as well as the different kinds and forms of play they are inclined (and more skillful) to play or not. Click here to see more info about lines based on the AQAL model
Cognitive line - "What is?" |
Emotional line - "How do I feel?" |
Interpersonal capacity line- "How should I?” |
Moral judgment line – “What is right?” |
Kinesthetic sense - "How do I move?" |
| Spiritual line - “What is of ultimate concern?” (Wilber, 2007) |
And others... |
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Based on data from Gordon & Esbjörn-Hargens (2007) |
(4) Types
Types correspond to the different characteristics and styles that correspond to the four different quadrants or dimensions of reality. The personaily types correspond to the way personality traits and structures influence player's inclinations, skills or bias for different kinds of experiences of play. It also informs how players can experience play from various different perspectives related to their personaily types, such as masculine or feminine, introspective vs. extroverted, social vs. solo, single player vs. multi-player, follower or leader, aggressive vs. passive, etc.
| Types categorized by Quadrant |
(LL) Particular sujective types (e.g.: emotions, cognitions, traits, talents, etc.)
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(UR) Particular behaviors (personality types) and body (physical) types
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(LL) Particular interpersonal and cultural (worldviews, beliefs, etc.) types
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(LL) Particular types of educational and play systems, video game themes, etc.
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Different categories of types:
Personality Types:
Astrological archetypes, Myers-Briggs personality test, Enneagram system, etc.
Genres:
Masculine & Feminine, Yin & Yang, Eros & Agape, etc.
Traits:
Aggressive and Passive, Creative and Receptive, Leader and Follower, etc.
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Based on data from Gordon & Esbjörn-Hargens (2007) |
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(5) States
The states of consciousness, which are transitory by nature, have a pivotal role in facilitating inner growth and transformation as related to the research topic, in terms of their potential to develop stable State-Stages (by intensity and lenght of practice) and facilitating growth and integration throughout consecutive levels of personal development. According to Gordon & Esbjörn-Hargens (2007):
States of consciousness are one of the central features and attractions of play. These can range from peak experiences and spiritual openings to cathartic discharges of energy and adrenaline rushes … It is important to note that states are distinct from levels in that the same state may be experienced but that state will be interpreted differently from different levels of development (p.71). |
As the quote above attests, players with different levels of personal and spiritula growth will interpret their play experiences including various shifts of states in terms of their own intrinsic set of beliefs, worldviews, maturity, etc., as well as in terms of their various cognitive, emotional and interpersonal skills.
“Positive States” |
“Negative” States |
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Excitation state |
Fear state |
Joy state |
Depression state |
Focus State |
Anger state |
Flow State |
Anxiety State |
Ecstasy state |
Frustration state |
Transpersonal state |
Confusion state |
And others... |
And others... |
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Also states related to different realms of perception or "bodies":
Gross body: physical sensations and movements
Subtle body: emotional states, philosophical insights, energy field sensibility
Causal body: meditative states, inner silence, inner void, "nirvana"
Non-dual body: ability to freely and skillfully navigate through different states or "bodies" without identification with any of them.
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As it is often the case with various applications of the Integral and AQAL model, these discriminations could be strategically used to lay down a “comprehensive framework for organizing the multidimensional nature of play in self [UL Quadrant], other [LL], and the world [UR, LR] (p.71), which could be applied to explore the experience of play as a catalyzer for inner growth.
Based on the main topic of my research, I extended this exploration and application of Integral Play Theory to explore the “video game play” as a vehicle of transformation to facilitate personal and spiritual growth, integration and transformation.
Click here to know more about Integral Theory and AQAL.
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