Ken Wilber's Four Quadrants model, a cornerstone of Integral Theory, divides reality into four dimensions: interior-individual (I), exterior-individual (It), interior-collective (We), and exterior-collective (Its), providing a framework for understanding human experience and knowledge.
The iConscious takes the Wilber Four Quadrants and renames them as Views.
iConscious = Integral
Subjective = Interior-Individual
Observable = Exterior Individual
Relational = Interior Collective
Systemic = Exterior Collective
The Four Views
Subjective / Interior-Individual ("I")
This View / Quadrant focuses on the subjective, inner experience of an individual: thoughts, emotions, beliefs, memories, intentions, and states of consciousness. It explores what it's like from the inside to be a person, focusing on personal awareness and the development of interior capacities such as emotional intelligence, self-reflection, and spiritual insight. Methods like introspection, meditation, psychotherapy, and phenomenology are used to explore this dimension. The "I" quadrant is essential for understanding human life in a balanced, holistic way, as it captures the depth and richness of individual interior experience that cannot be reduced to brain chemistry or social context alone.
Practice accessing the Subjective View by tracking your inner reality. Go into your day paying attention to what you think, what you feel emotionally, and what you sense in your body. Also practice looking for your inner response system. Most people are designed to feel how to respond in a situation because something inside says “this feels good,” “this feels bad,” or “this doesn’t evoke much response from me”. The more in touch you are with these feelings, the more you can respond to life’s endless choices in ways that are truly aligned with who you are.
Observable / Exterior-Individual ("It")
This View / Quadrant deals focuses on the objective, observable aspects of an individual. This includes the physical body, brain activity, behaviors, and anything that can be seen, measured, or studied from a third-person perspective. It encompasses biological functions, neurological patterns, and actions, as well as the scientific methods used to study them, such as neuroscience, medicine, and behavioral psychology. While the “I” quadrant focuses on subjective experience, the “It” quadrant complements it by looking at the individual as an object in the world. This perspective is crucial for understanding how our inner experiences manifest physically and how our biology and behavior interact with the larger world and how we are seen by others.
Practice accessing the Observable View by paying attention to what others can perceive or detect about you. This includes how you look, dress, and behave. How open are you to hearing about how others see you? Also, practice by asking others you trust what they observe about you. Notice how you feel when receiving this feedback.
Relational / Interior-Collective ("We")
This View / Quadrant focuses on the shared inner world of culture, values, worldviews, language, and meaning-making. It encompasses the intersubjective space that arises between individuals, shaping how groups understand reality, form relationships, and create shared identities. This quadrant includes everything from cultural narratives and moral frameworks to unspoken social norms and collective spiritual understandings. Disciplines like cultural studies, anthropology, and hermeneutics explore this domain, focusing on how meaning is co-created and passed on within communities. The “We” View/ Quadrant reminds us that our interior lives are not formed in isolation but are deeply influenced by the cultural and relational contexts we inhabit.
Practice accessing the Relational View by paying attention to what happens between you and others. Pay more attention than usual to the feelings that move between you and those you are relating with. These feelings are often much more important than what’s being said. You could also journal about how you protect yourself from relating with others and why.
Systemic / Exterior-Collective ("Its")
This View / Quadrant focuses on the objective, systemic, and structural dimensions of collective life. It includes social systems, institutions, technologies, ecosystems, economies, and the interrelated networks that shape how groups function and interact. This quadrant views societies from a third-person perspective, analyzing how external structures influence and are influenced by both individuals and cultures. Fields like sociology, systems theory, ecology, and political science operate within this domain, studying the measurable and observable dynamics of collective organization. The “Its” quadrant highlights that to fully understand human life and evolution, we must also consider the broader systems we’re embedded in, how they shape our behavior, constrain or enable cultural development, and evolve over time.
Practice gaining access to the Systemic View by paying attention to the structures and behaviors of naturally occurring and human systems in the world around you. Do these seem less important than what’s happening inside yourself? • What’s more important to you: Your experience of your health, or research and understandings about health? If you’re more focused on your subjective experience of health, see if you have any objections to exploring understandings that others have developed about health. • Join meetings (at work if applicable) with colleagues who are thinking and planning at a higher strategic level, even just to observe and absorb. This will expose you to ways of seeing how systems of people function and are connected with each other.