What is Consciousness?
Consciousness is the display of intelligent intention. Consciousness is a creature’s ability to take in data from multiple sense, compare that data to previous experiences, then make a judgment based on the future predictions, and then to act intelligently. Look at any species in Nature and you will witness conscious intelligence, thoughtful intention and emotive Purpose at every level. Almost every mother, of every species on the planet, is protective, caring and loving to their offspring and companions. And, even animals of different species are compassionate towards each other in countless examples, just like humans and our pets show love to each other.
Consciousness is the conduit between the Spirit Realm of Consciousness and the material world, and it is Intention fuels the vehicle of the consciousness into action, throughout the eternity of time and space.
There are definitely different levels of Consciousness, and clearly humans have great understanding, intention and ability. But, what about the Animal Kingdom? Is their consciousness and Purpose in Life, any less important than ours? Or insects, plant, corals or crystals?
There are many traditions and scriptures which describe the soul as consciousness. As, explained in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishads, each creation has a soul within the exterior shell. A soul within the temporary confines of the body, the Sun, Moon, Lightning and every ‘thing’ else has a superseding consciousness, born into existence. It is this soul or consciousness which is appreciated, not the external shell. This is the illusion of modern science, that the Universe is mechanical without an spiritual essence, which so far can not be measured. It is this soul which seperates us from, and at the same time unites our soul with everything, inseparable.
In the Mandukya Upanishad, the Ancient Hindus analyzed what constitutes our human conscious experience is, and have a simple concept about it. It is said that humans can experience our consciousness in four states of awareness which cross between the material world and spirit realms.
The first realm of the conscious soul is the waking world of our daily lives. The waking world is the most material experience, with the spirit realm hidden by ignorance from rebirth. The waking world is called an Illusion, because of the conflicting individual realities, which hide absolute Truth. With too many unknown around us, the Truth can never be understood by the limited information of our senses. This is why the material world is considered the ‘first birth’ of the soul. The material world is a brief miracle for our conscious souls to experience physical challenges and rewards. In the expanse of infinity, the material world is too short to live it in ignorance. After Realization, the material world becomes like a slow motion and more controllable ‘conscious experience’ than the Dreaming World, as described by ‘The Matrix’.
The second conscious experience is in the dreaming world, which opens our experience to another level of consciousness including past lives and Universal Knowledge. Lucid dreaming is a ‘conscious experience’, which can be easily accessed, thru meditation and breathing techniques while falling asleep. Watching the consciousness slipping into the ‘dream’ world’.
The third realm of our conscious experience is referred to as ‘deep sleep’, which is a deeper, more pure level of just consciousness, void of all worldly experiences of the self. It is an experience which many esoteric traditions describe as the ‘Abyss’ before God’s ‘realization’ of Self. This level is experienced in very deep levels of meditation as total absence of existence and ‘self’. This level is said to be pure consciousness, pure Spirit, without the illusion or cognition of the material world.
The fourth state of experience, is that of the ‘witness’, or non-dualistic observer, and called Turyia. This state of consciousness is realized by One who can and does view these other three states as illusionary. Understanding that all perception is the unison of Self and God, but from a perspective as a conscious observer. It is described as existence, external from the cause or effect, sublime and perfect without condition. It is this last state which is the experience of connection to the Universe and all creation. This state of consciousness is ubiquitously described as non-doing, passive and benevolent, and as pure Peace.
And, what about traditional cultures and practices taking drugs and medicines to experience altered stated of Reality, where common experiences of spiritual revelation are consistently being revealed and testified? Many cultures incorporate song, dance, and trance as ways to stimulate the body into new states of consciousness. The controversial guru Ohso taught what he called ‘dynamic meditation’, where his students would dance, yell, cry, indulge in orgies and more to experience the body’s reactions to the extremes. Wim Hof and others are proof that the consciousness is more powerful than what science can explain. Clearly, the Ancient wisdom from the East is far more advanced about the internal world of the conscious soul, than the limited scope and experience of the West.
Vedic schools like Samkara and Vaisesika tell us that consciousness is fundamentally inseparable from Existence, as is Universal Knowledge, as we can see by so called instinct in nature, or described by religions. Most all esoteric tradition and indigenous cultures believe in an Akashic or Ethereal Knowledge that perpetuates throughout all creation in the Universe. From birth till death, most species follow certain unconscious habits, instincts, knowledge and understanding. Theories like evolution or the ‘100th monkey effect’ each testify that there is not only an instinctual communication for all species to live and thrive together, but it essential for a species to thrive. The theory of Involution describes that, within the Purpose of existence, there is a certain ‘end goal’ that all life is evolving towards, a goal described by some religion as Heaven, and by others as Sainthood, Nirvana, and more.
Testimonials throughout the ages have agreed that the soul’s memories remain conscious and eternal regardless of the body. Life after death experiences, remembering past lives, and other subconscious techniques are timeless evidence that the unknown ‘Spirit Realm’ has certain properties. The ancient wisdom of Mandukya tells us that our conscious spirit being, our soul, is an eternal and continuous energy, and holds all of the knowledge of the Universe in every electron of our ‘being’, and that we are all part of the same original Source Spirit.
This Knowledge is the Wisdom which few souls have experienced in the worldly dimension. But, a Revolution of Consciousness is happening on this planet, and the Universe is turning its course. Humanity, along with every individual on this planet, is ready for an evolution of the soul.
Matter and consciousness cannot be separated from the other, but are different dimension which can be experienced. Everything is truly connected. As most of the world’s esoteric religions know, there is no consciousness if there is nothing to experience, and the material world would not exist if there was nothing to experience it.
How about the consciousness of electrons? Science explains their motion as ‘chance’, but that’s only because science doesn’t understand the consciousness of an electron, or an animal, or plant… The mentality of western science seems to believe that Nature was made for the egos of mankind to profit and entertainment. Or is that just what Western authority has taught us to accept?
The Western view of the Universe has always been that we are only fractional parts of the big Universe. What if your consciousness was the center of the Universe of your cosmic conscious journey in evolution/involution. And it was from your consciousness that filled the material world with spirit energy, and that all things manifested into existence, because of YOU? That it is from your consciousness that is the spark of existence for all matters and possibilities, is created, for your Universe to exist? Each and every conscious spirit is the center of their own Journey, as we are a part of other conscious universes.
What if… just like in the ‘dream world’, your consciousness has created your body for you to experience this Earthly domain? And, it is your conscious actions and re-actions which create this life experiences throughout your soul’s journey? Ancient traditions of Fate and Destiny tell us that there are predestined forces and events that our souls are meant to experience. But, each of us has the free-will to choose which direction Fate will direct our journey. Every moment of our lives is being influenced by thousands of circumstances, and every moment we interact with the world around us, we are acting as agents of Fate. This is part of the matrix which divides the physical world from the metaphysical.
Western authority has systematically pushed science and humanity’s mentality away from any spiritual belief, by insisting that there are further and further divisions of a mechanical world. But, at every resolution, from electrons, to cells, to organs, individuals, and species… each is a part of a bigger collective of similar souls, striving for life and growth.
Whether you believe in a dualistic or non-dualistic Universe, our conscious experience seems to be in the center and part of the bigger picture. Everyone has a different perspective of the Universe, but there are some common questions. Just like the tails of ancient religions, there are certain and predictable experiences that are common to most people whom are awake to the cycles of the soul. It is by observation, practiced by meditation, that these higher callings and experiences can be found and understood.
