This is a working model (v0.3) of how the Ascension Project thinks about civilizational transition.
The purpose of this framework is to establish a clear path towards the vision.
If you want the full, structured version of this thinking, you can view or download the current Model Spine here:
In order to set our direction, we must first establish where we are at.
Modern civilization is moving through a difficult and largely unplanned transition. Ecological limits, accelerating technology, chronic stress, and social fragmentation are all converging at once, creating pressure on individuals, communities, and systems.
Collapse is not inevitable.
But continuing unconsciously along current paths is incompatible with long-term human and planetary health. From this perspective, many of today’s crises trace back to a small set of underlying conditions.
Large numbers of people are living in chronic stress and nervous-system overload.
Trust, shared meaning, and social coherence have eroded.
Responsibility and community have fragmented.
Our systems tend to prioritize short-term extraction over long-term stewardship.
At the same time, many people have become disconnected from living systems and the feedback they provide.
Together, these patterns reinforce fear, reactivity, and disengagement, creating feedback loops that degrade both human well-being and the health of the planet.
The Ascension Project is not focused on salvation, ideology, or conversion. It focuses on building capacity, restoring alignment and cooperation, and creating conditions where healthier ways of living can actually emerge.
This project is grounded in three Pillars (Values): Nature, Community, and Reverence.
A thriving civilization emerges when enough individuals and communities develop the capacity to:
Regulate internal states and reduce fear-based thinking
Perceive reality with less distortion
Relate cooperatively without coercion
Act as stewards of land, community, and shared resources
Align daily life with long-term ecological and social health
This is primarily a capacity shift, not an ideological one.
Change does not occur in isolation. This framework works across eight interdependent domains, each influencing the others.
1. Earth Stewardship & Living Systems
Restoring the health of land, water, soil, forests, and biodiversity through regenerative participation.
2. Human Regulation & Perception
Increasing individual and collective capacity to act without fear-driven distortion.
3. Community, Governance & Coordination
Enabling cooperation, accountability, and decision-making without coercion or domination.
4. Shelter, Infrastructure & Settlement
Designing living environments that support health, connection, and stewardship.
5. Human–Earth Exchange
Making material, energy, food, and waste flows reciprocal, cyclical, and legible.
6. Economy, Work & Material Flows
Aligning work and value creation with real human and ecological needs.
7. Culture, Education & Narrative
Providing shared orientation, meaning, and future-positive sense-making without propaganda.
8. Technology & Information Systems
Using appropriate technology to support clarity and coordination without extraction or surveillance.
Each domain can be explored independently, but none function well alone.
On-Ramps are how we can engage and participate with people in order to effect change. Here are a few currently planned:
On-Ramp 1: Back to Ground
A short public orientation for uncertain times, focused on grounding, clarity, and restored agency.
→ Back to Ground
On-Ramp 2: Regenerative Sanctuary
A low-barrier, nature-embedded landing space offering safety, co-regulation, and basic needs support.
In development.
On-Ramp 3: Living Systems Village Node
A mid-scale, replicable settlement model integrating land, work, governance, and reverence.
In development.
Get Involved:
If this resonates, write to contact@ascensionproject.ca with "Interested" and why/what draws you.