Our age has all the hallmarks of the Kali Yuga, a dark age of materialism, alienation, injustice and moral decline. But there is hope.
In Hindu cosmology, the Kali Yuga (Age of Conflict) is the last of four epochs described in the Vedas. The next epoch will be the Satya Yuga (Age of Truth), the equivalent of the Second Coming in Christianity.
Remarkably, modern macrohistorical and stage theories provide a complementary framework for understanding humanity’s evolution and align closely with ancient religious prophecies, offering insights into navigating this transformative period.
The Vedic prophecy that humanity evolves in four distinct phases is one of the oldest stage theories in the world. Ancient Indian sages predicted a cycle whereby the worldviews of the four varnas—teacher, warrior, merchant, and worker—take turns “ruling the world.” This Varna cycle reflects the cyclical cosmology of the Vedas.
Once the cycle is completed, it starts anew.
The Bible presents history as a linear progression toward divine fulfillment, culminating in the return of Christ, the final judgment and the creation of a new heaven and earth. Other religions have comparable prophecies. While their metaphors differ, they all anticipate a world of peace, justice, unity and righteousness.
Secular stage theories have also emerged over time. For instance, Confucius described dynastic cycles, charting the rise, peak, decline and fall of dynasties. Similarly, Greek historian Polybius proposed the theory of anacyclosis, describing recurring political evolution from monarchy to aristocracy to democracy and their respective corrupt forms—tyranny, oligarchy and ochlocracy.
Modern Narratives
In the 19th century, European philosophy developed several stage theories and macrohistories, including Hegel’s dialectical model of historical progress (thesis, antithesis, synthesis), Comte’s Law of Three Stages (theological, metaphysical and positivist), and Marx’s modes of production (primitive collectivism, slave society, feudalism, capitalism and communism).
In the early 20th century, German historian Oswald Spengler presented his cyclical theory of civilizations, likening them to biological organisms with predictable cycles of birth, growth, maturity, decline and death. Toynbee’s macrohistory focused on the rise and fall of major civilizations throughout history.
By the mid-20th century, macrohistories and stage theories gained mainstream attention. Alvin Toffler, Samuel Huntington and Francis Fukuyama became influential voices.
Toffler identified humanity’s transition from hunter-gatherer and agricultural societies to industrial and post-industrial eras. Huntington argued that cultural and religious identities would shape future conflicts, while Fukuyama famously proclaimed the “end of history,” suggesting that Western liberal democracy marked the culmination of ideological evolution.
Evolution of consciousness
In the 1920s, Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget’s Stage Theory of Cognitive Development significantly influenced modern stage theories, describing how children’s thinking evolves in distinct stages as they grow. His theory was highly influential in the field of human cognitive development.
In the second half of the 20th century, philosophers Jean Gebser and Ken Wilber extended stage theories to human consciousness. Gebser described humanity’s progression through distinct “structures” of consciousness; archaic, magical, mythical, mental and integral stages.
Gebser, whose model relied heavily on art history, pointed at Cubism as a metaphor for expanding consciousness. Cubism replaced the one-point perspective of the Renaissance with “multiple perspectives.”
Gebser coined the term “aperspectival , a way of experiencing reality that transcends the limitations of singular and fixed perspectives by embracing the complexity, simultaneity and interconnectedness of existence.
Ken Wilber’s integral theory identifies three stages of development: pre-personal, personal and transpersonal.
The transpersonal highlights the potential for humans to evolve beyond their personal, ego-based concerns and embrace a deeper sense of interconnectedness with the world. Wilber sees this evolution as crucial for addressing global challenges and fostering a more integrated, compassionate, and spiritually awakened society.
Gebser and Wilber were both influenced by Indian cosmology and notions about spirituality and consciousness, and especially by modern Indian spiritual teacher Sri Aurobindo (1872-1950), developer of Integral Yoga and one of the first proponents of an integral approach to spirituality.
Gebser and especially Wilber used key concepts from Indian cosmology and consciousness, among them the Sanskrit terms Sat-Chit-Ananda (being-consciousness-bliss), Atman (true self), Maya (illusion) and Turiya, (pure awareness). Wilber used the word Turiya in his description of a transcendent state of consciousness, a milestone in spiritual practice and realization.
Reviving the Varna cycle
In the 1950s, Indian spiritual teacher Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar developed the socio-spiritual model PROUT (Progressive Utilization Theory) based on the original Varna model. The original concept had degenerated into the abusive, hereditary caste system and Sarkar restored the original meaning of the Varna concept.
In the Vedic prophecy, the four Varnas (teachers, warriors, merchants and workers), are psychological profiles. All humans have inclinations of one of the four Varna types. People may have features of two or three Varnas, but one of the four typically dominates in each individual.
Sarkar pointed out that all four Varnas are needed for a functioning society. As we have seen in recent history, when one or more of the four Varnas is sidelined, societies lose their balance and vitality. Communism failed because it sidelined the merchants, and capitalism is failing because it sidelines the worker.
Sarkar’s framework rejects notions of hierarchy, superiority and inferiority. He focuses instead on the notion of reciprocity. All Varnas must contribute as they are mutually dependent.
They must develop a reciprocal relationship. Australian scholars Peter Hayward and Joseph Voros used Sarkar’s model to develop an educational tool for organizations that stresses the importance of reciprocity and mutual empathy.
In the 1980s, the American macrohistorian Lawrence Taub, author of “The Spiritual Imperative”, made the remarkable claim that the Varna cycle can be mapped to actual human history.
As the diagrams below show, Taub associated the four castes with specific historical periods. (Taub used the original sequence of the four Varna ages mentioned in the Vedas: teacher, protector, merchant, worker.)
In Taub’s model, we have just emerged from the Merchant Age. The West was preeminent in the Merchant Age because its worldview most closely aligns with the Merchant type. We are currently nearing the peak of the Worker Age. Confucian Asia will be preeminent for the same reason: the Confucian worldview most closely aligns with the Worker type.
In the 1970s, China reintegrated the merchants into society and developed a hybrid system based on communism and capitalism. In barely a generation, it became the world’s largest producer and preeminent trading nation.
China has become the largest trading partner for nearly all countries in the world and plays a key role in improving the material well-being of people. (Spiritual development is difficult for people living in slums or facing a daily struggle for survival.)
Taub argued that Confucian Asia will lead us out of the Worker Age (and thus out of the Kali Yuga), and that India will guide us into the Satya Yuga, a renewed age of enlightenment. India will be preeminent in the new Spiritual Age because it has the deepest reservoir of spiritual knowledge and insight into the nature of human consciousness.
Integrating macrohistory and stage theory
Macrohistories and stage theories shed light on the development of humanity in different ways. Macrohistory looks for broad, overarching patterns and trends in history, often over centuries or millennia. Closely related to futurism, it tries to identify recurring themes, structures and dynamics across time and cultures to anticipate possible future scenarios.
Stage theory argues that history progresses through a series of distinct, sequential stages, often based on specific criteria like consciousness, economics or social organization. When combined, macrohistory and stage theory can shed light on seemingly contradictory developments in the world today. For example:
* What explains the rise of religious fundamentalism in recent decades, not only in Islam but also in Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism?
* Why do nationalist politicians like Donald Trump, Marine Le Pen and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi thrive in an increasingly interconnected world?
* Why does increasing material well-being in many developed nations lead to a growing number of people experiencing psychological issues?
Separately, macrohistories and stage theories can’t explain these seemingly counter-intuitive developments. However, integrated “macrohistorical stage theories” can offer a wider framework for understanding global human development across cultures.
First, macrohistorical stage theories would foster interdisciplinary dialogue and create a richer understanding of societal, cultural and developmental patterns. This would lead to a more nuanced view of how societies evolve through stages within broader historical cycles.
Second, macrohistories span disciplines like history, sociology and anthropology, while stage theories often incorporate psychology, philosophy and organizational studies. Integrating them fosters a holistic approach to complex questions.
Third, stage theories often emphasize moral, spiritual or cognitive growth, while macrohistories highlight the broader consequences of societal choices over time. Integrating these perspectives would encourage value-driven approaches to developments that align short-term actions with long-term goals.
Lastly, macrohistorical stage models should include post-colonial theory, an academic field developed by scholars from previously colonized countries. Post-colonial theory examines the power imbalances and exploitation that developed during and after colonialism.
Replacing global inequalities and systemic injustices with reciprocity and mutuality is a prerequisite for getting out of the Kali Yuga.
