​​A Supersaturated Theory of Change: 

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​Connections with Living Systems Theory and Spiral Dynamics

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​The post below is part of ​+OS Topic 11 A Supersaturated Theory of Change​
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​Connections with Living Systems Theory and Spiral Dynamics [Ben Levi, 1/21]

​​I wanted to add to the conversation a reference to "supersaturation" in living systems, which I found here:
​​Here's a snippet regarding characteristics of living systems:
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  • ​​1.  Living systems have evolved towards more complex and elaborated  patterns of organization at all three levels of analysis (i.e., the  microscopic, meta-scopic and macroscopic)
  • ​​2.  Living systems tend naturally as self-organizing systems to grow in  scale, size, and complexity of pattern until supercritical states are  reached. A supercritical state can be defined as a state of super-saturation of co-evolutionary living systems in its biotic  habitat, at whatever level or scale we wish to work on.
  • ​​3.  Systems that co-evolve in any dimensions toward greater size or complexity, often expressed in terms of trait-complex hypertropism, find it more difficult than average to evolve back to simpler and smaller  systems. Such systems reach what can be called and ecological cul-de-sac  and an evolutionary precipice.
  • ​​4.  In a system that has developed towards complex states of equilibrium,  individual organisms or populations can be lost and easily replaced  without disturbing greatly the overall functional stability of the  system.
  • ​​5.  The nature of the ecological relationship of such co-evolutionary  systems in the long run with their biotic-abiotic surroundings will  change fundamentally, such that with long-term over-saturation of such  systems there will arise increasing competition and this will lead to  destructive alterations of the system resulting in widespread negative  selection.
  • ​​6.  In a supersaturated system, density dependent relationships can create  resonance patterns of change between subsystems that may be extremely  fine-tuned and potentially catastrophic in terms of their butterfly  effects. They can result in what can be called "critical events" that  destructively return the entire system to a lower level of basic  integration. Such critical events in biological terms would entail mass  destruction of ecosystems and even mass extinction of multiple species.
  • ​​7.  Such systems therefore oscillate at many levels between an abiotic  state of a virtual ecological vacuum, on one hand, and a biotic state of  super-equilibrium or a supersaturated system. The pathway between a  general condition of ecological vacuum and a saturated biotic system is  usually gradual and lengthy, whereas the trajectory from an  over-saturated biotic system back to a state of relative abiotic  ecological vacuum may be rather sudden and precipitous. This makes for a  pattern effect noticeable in the natural history record referred to as  "punctuated equilibrium."
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​​The  notion of "resonance patterns of change" is a nice concept... it ties  in with the sense of interdependence... as does a sense of the entire  system returning to a lower level of basic integration. Looking back in  history at the rise and fall of civilizations, you can see how human  evolution has happened this way. I'm left with the (comforting?) feeling  that... "this, too, will evolve... but possibly not before it devolves  first." Coming to grips with that possibility (I do not think it is a  necessity though) is worthy of a dialogue, it seems to me. All this  calls us to evolve our consciousness to the place where unattachment to  outcome may "ease the pain of transition".
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​​I  wanted to bring in another chaos theory concept, which is  far-from-equilibrium conditions (which IMHO supersaturation is), and at  those FFE points, the least little perturbation can cause the system to  bifurcate. What I found powerful about this metaphor of supersaturation  is that the solution orients around the seed crystal and its impact on  the supersaturated solution (everything quickly crystallizes, as the  video above showed). A "seed crystal" could be like a superordinate goal  that the supersaturated solution coalesces around, leading the living  system to transform toward that goal (ref. the Change Model below from Spiral  Dynamics). 
​​Tying in to Living Systems Theory and Chaos Theory, a far-from-equilibrium, supersaturated, living system could be seen as being in a "Gamma Trap," characterized by too much complexity, competition, and potential sensitivity to interdependent relationships. The key concept about a Gamma Trap is that the "Barriers" are usually known (just like we have a very good idea by now of what our barriers are... e.g. debt-based financial system, have-havenot structures, addiction to fossil-fuel energy, military-industrial-congressional complex, etc.), but it isn't known what to do about them. Spiral Dynamics integral also has a whole theory about "conditions for change", but that's another conversation. Suffice to say that some part of the system will "Break through" the barriers and move into the "Delta Surge" of energy, and it is here that the newly emerging system really needs a New Alpha to orient towards... mainly because there is a big danger that the emerging system will turn around and take its surge of energy to destroy the old system that it perceived as keeping it trapped. This is always a bad idea, as there are many elements of the old system that can be utilized to aid in transforming to the New Alpha, and destroying the old system can cause the emerging system to revert to a "more basic state" rather than to a more complex one (just look at what happened to the USSR/Soviet Union as a current example).
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​​So the seed crystal idea is a very powerful one to assist the living system in evolving... and the sooner we start the change process, the better off we'll be... for there may still be an "Evolutionary" option, which is much much less painful.
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​Replies to Ben Levi's Post

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​Ben Roberts, 1/22
​​Thank you, Ben Levi, for this detailed and thoughtful response. So many juicy threads to pursue. Here's a quick take...
  • ​​The analysis of the supersaturation metaphor as it relates to living systems is wonderful. I had a concern about the analogy being too "abiotic" and this eases it. Of course, it also brings to mind MIchelle Holliday, my favorite thinker on living systems (and how their essential pattern maps onto the stages of human evolution--​+scroll down on this pad to find her TEDx​). 
  • ​​The notion that supersaturation is dangerous in a living system, and can lead to breakdown, is a fascinating twist. Things can get too complex, and thus extremely fragile.Yes, and... here's hoping that humanity finds a "high bottom!" And that that leads to a higher stage of evolution, a la Barbara Marx Hubbard's vision.
  • ​​Your "super-ordinate goal" concept can be analysed in light of this theory, in that not just any seed crystal will do, right? It HAS TO BE a crystal form of the same dissolved solids that are creating the super-saturation. On the other hand, there are apparently sometimes things besides seed crystals that can also cause the phase shift, such as whacking the side of the beaker.
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