Return to Home:
The Origin and
Nature of
Human Consciousness
A Comparative
Analysis of
Scientific and Mystical Views
by Christopher P. Holmes Ph.D. (Psych)
Zero Point: Institute for Mystical
&
Spiritual Science
Kars, Ontario K0A 2E0, (613) 558-2966,
489-3187
christopherholmes@rogers.com
2004
__________________________________________
Table of Contents:
1. The Science and Pseudo-Science of Psychology
2. The Head Doctrine of Modern Psychology and Science
3. The Diagnosis of Modern Psychology
4. The Heart Doctrine of Mystical and Spiritual Psychology and
Science
5. Applications and Implications of Mystical and Spiritual Science
Bibliography
___________________________________________
1. The Science and Pseudo-Science
of Psychology
Whereas the original Greek meaning of
the
term psychology suggested a science of the soul, with the advent of
modern
psychology, this definition effectively disappeared. At the turn of the
last century, Darwin’s theory of natural selection offered an
explanation
for the evolution of humankind in terms of natural laws, rather than by
invoking supernatural agencies or forces. As a result, psychologists,
who
wished to establish their fledgling discipline as a legitimate science,
were freed from religious dogma and sought to develop natural
scientific
explanations of human nature. They did away with the concept of soul
and the term psyche was reinterpreted to mean ‘mind’ –assumed
to exist within the brain. Human beings came to be regarded as
essentially
material biological organisms with a mind and a body. Psychology today
is most frequently defined in this dualistic way as the science of
behaviour
and the mind. Psychologists reject consideration of the human soul
or spirit, and regarded such concepts as unscientific, superstitious,
and
simply religious dogmas.
Psychologists assume a purely
materialist
approach to the nature of the brain, the mind and the self. There is no
“I” or self apart from the sum of the person’s psychological functions
(of thinking, feeling, sensation, and so on)–all of which are the end
products of processes within the physical body and brain. Isaac Asimov,
a materialist scientist and philosopher, explains the implications of
this
view:
“The molecules of my body,
after
my conception, added other molecules and
arranged
the whole into more and more complex form, and in a unique fashion, not
quite like the arrangement in any other living thing that ever
lived.
In the process, I developed, little by little, into a conscious
something I
call “I”
that exists only as the arrangement. When the arrangement is lost
forever,
as it will be when I die, the 'I' will be lost forever, too.” - Isaac
Asimov, 1981 -
The vast majority of psychologists,
philosophers
and scientists accept such a viewpoint, at least as a working
assumption.
There is no ghost in the machine, and no one seems to understand the
importance
of deeper ideas and teachings. A strict behaviorist influence, which
banished
even mind and consciousness from psychology for sixty years, has
finally
waned to some extent, and more modern theoretical approaches have come
to emphasize the significance of mental and cognitive processes.
However,
mainstream psychology has yet to reconsider the possibility of a
science
of the soul. Accordingly, human beings are essentially nothing but
biological
organisms–higher primates–pursuing pleasure and avoiding pain, trying
to reproduce their genes, searching for meaning and selfhood within
complex
material and social environments, all between the poles of
existence–birth
and death. When the arrangement of molecules is lost, the “I” is
believed
to disappear.
Of course, psychological theorists
and
modern thinkers do explore the significance of such distinctly human
attributes
as the capacities for abstract thought and cognition, the use of
language,
altruism and subtle emotions, intuitions and inspirations.
Nevertheless,
the mainstream of modern, so-called exact psychology and science
rejects
humans’ spiritual nature, psychic possibilities, and existence beyond
death. Further, modern psychologists ignore the spiritual psychologies
of the yogic and Vedic tradition, Tibetan Buddhism, Sufism, Theosophy,
the Fourth Way, esoteric Christianity, Kabbalah, and the teachings of
innumerable
other mystics, saints and seers through the ages–who have supposedly
gained insights into the further reaches of human consciousness, and
into
the deep grounds of being. All religions have a basis in mystical
psychology,
although these teachings are not known or are misunderstood by most
religious
believers. Even more shocking perhaps is the manner in which scientists
manage to ignore, or close their eyes to, the innumerable data,
scientific
and anecdotal, which establish the reality of paranormal phenomena and
experiences. Although the study of such psychical phenomena is quite
distinct
from mystical/spiritual teachings, they do provide concrete evidences
which
clearly demonstrate that materialist conceptions of the human psyche
are
grossly inadequate.
2. The Head Doctrine
of Modern Psychology and Science
What is the origin and nature of human
consciousness? Psychologists,
neuro-scientists and philosophers use this term in a hundred and one
ways–with
a thousand and one meanings and interpretations. Within the scientific
and popular literature, as well as in common discussion, there is
widespread
confusion and misunderstanding regarding the issues of consciousness.
Further, people do not generally question the nature of consciousness
within
themselves, or even have a language in which to talk about such things.
The phrase
“the head doctrine”
is
the label that I use to refer to the most prominent and commonly
accepted
western scientific and psychological model of consciousness. The
central
belief of this perspective is that neurological processes within the
material
brain generate consciousness. “The head doctrine” is illustrated in
a
Scientific American article on
“The quest to find
consciousness”
(Roth)–published
in a special issue on
MIND (2004) This picture is an
artist’s
depiction of
“the mysterious brain activity involved in
consciousness.”
The basic concept is that somehow the brain in the head produces
consciousness.
However, when one goes into the article, it seems that the phenomena
of consciousness is not so easily solved at all. In fact, the most
certain
comments offered by author G. Roth regarding consciousness are that “a
true understanding of the phenomenon remains elusive,” and
further,
that “For now, no definitive explanations exist ....” In
a small table in Roth’s article appears the title “FAST FACTS: The
Rise of Awareness,” wherein Roth makes three points:
1. How does consciousness, with
its private
and subjective qualities, emerge from the physical information
processing
conducted by the brain? ...
2. Recently neuroscientists have
focused
on the neural correlates–the activities in the brain that are most
closely
associated with consciousness.
3. To date, no “center” for the
phenomenon
has revealed itself, but advances in imaging have helped in the study
of
the brain areas that are involved during consciousness. (p. 34)
Of course, there is not a ‘single
fact’
in the table, but only questions or assumptions. It is not proven that
consciousness emerges “from the physical information processing”
in
the brain, nor from “the neural correlates.” Nor is the term
consciousness even defined. Really Roth’s three points are only
questions
and assumptions–although they are presented as ‘fast facts.’
Under the title of “The Seat of
Consciousness.”
Roth offers a picture of the cerebral cortex showing its various lobes,
responsible for varied mental functions. Roth maintains that:
“Individuals
consciously perceive only that information processed in the associative
regions of the cerebral cortex. But many regions that operate on a
subconscious
level participate in the various states of consciousness.” (2004,
p. 35) Roth does admit that there is “no consensus” as to how
consciousness
arises, nor of what it consist, but all the while he assumes it is
simply
figuring out which of the brain’s interactive processes produce it.
Roth
ends on a promissory note:
“For
now, no definite explanations exist, but that is not likely to remain
true
forever. Consciousness has a rather unique character, but at least some
of the mysteries that surround it should nonetheless–eventually–fall
away in the face of persistent scientific inquiry.” (p.39)
This assumptive belief system of the
head
scientists is accepted in modern psychology and science, and almost
never
questioned. Unfortunately, the details have yet to be worked out.
When it comes to discussing ‘states
of consciousness,’ Roth offers a pretty limited scheme of consideration:“Any
effort to understand consciousness must begin by noting that it
comprises
various states. ... At one end of the spectrum is the so-called
alertness
(or vigilance) state. States of lower consciousness include drowsiness,
dozing, deep sleep and on down to coma.” (p. 34) A normal
state
of ‘alertness’ is put at one end of the continuum, as if this is the
highest possible state of consciousness a human being can experience.
All
the other levels are below it–down into coma and the extinction of
consciousness.
It is assumed that there are no states of consciousness beyond basic
vigilance–hence
no ‘Self consciousness,’ cosmic consciousness or God consciousness.
David Chalmers, of the philosophy
department
at the University of Arizona, is another prominent mainstream
consciousness
theorist. Chalmers suggests that the search for the neural correlates
of
consciousness (or NCCs) is “the cornerstone in the recent
resurgence
of the science of consciousness.” (2000, p.1) He defines a neural
correlate of consciousness as a neural state that directly correlates
with
a conscious state, or which directly generates consciousness. In a
paper
on NCC’s, Chalmers lists a number of proposal which have been forwarded
to explain the nature and location of consciousness. These include:
40-hertz
oscillations in the cerebral cortex
Intralaminar
nuclei in the thalamus
Re-entrant
loops in thalamocortical systems
40-hertz
rhythmic activity in thalamocortical systems
Extended
reticular-thalamic activation system
Neural
assemblies bound by NMDA
Certain
neurochemical levels of activation
Certain
neurons in inferior temporal cortex
Neurons
in extrastriate visual cortex projecting to prefrontal areas
Visual
processing within the ventral system (2000, p. 1)
All of these suggestions or
hypotheses
are variants of the head doctrine and localize consciousness within one
or more areas of the brain. Each is derived from research investigating
the neurological basis of particular mental processes, and none really
deal with the issue of the substance of consciousness, or with its
subjective
nature. Although many researchers recognize the enigmas and mysteries
of
consciousness, the possibility that consciousness might exist outside
of,
or apart from, the neurological activity of the head brain is never
given
consideration. The head doctrine is the basic assumption underlying
most
modern consciousness research and speculation.
A third contemporary theorist, John
Searle
(2003) writes about
“The Problem of Consciousness” at his
website,
www.ecs.soton.ac.uk;
and his comments again illustrate the
assumptive basis of the head
doctrine:
“The most important scientific
discovery
of the present era will come when someone–or some group–discover the
answer to the following question: How exactly do neurobiological
processes
in the brain cause consciousness? This is the most important question
facing
us in the biological sciences .... By ‘consciousness’ I simply mean
those subjective states of sentience or awareness .... Above all,
consciousness
is a biological phenomenon. .... the critical functional elements are
neurons
and synapses. ... we simply know as a matter of fact that brain
processes
cause conscious states. W don’t know the details about how it works
and it may well be a long time before we understand the details
involved.
... But, at present, from the fact that we do not know how it
occurs,
it does not follow that we do not know that it occurs. ... The
problem
is to figure out exactly how the system works to produce consciousness,
and since we know that in fact it does produce consciousness, we have
good
reason to suppose that there are specific neurological mechanisms by
way
of which it works.”
Searles’ comments illustrate the
assumptive
basis of the head doctrine; and how assumptions end up being taken as
‘facts.’
At one point, Searle admits that we have no idea how neurobiological
processes
produce consciousness, but a moment earlier, he has just stated: “...
we simply know as a matter of fact that brain processes cause conscious
states.” The facts seem to have disappeared from Searle’s account,
and it is instead plagued with assumptions. Searle has “promissory
science”
to offer us–promising in the future to fill in the gaps in the
mysteries
of consciousness–and he certainly has no need for any metaphysical
considerations.
A fourth perspective on the nature of
“the head doctrine,” is provided by science journalist John Horgan,
in
The Undiscovered Mind (1999). Horgan gives an honest
assessment
of what neuro-science really understands about consciousness. He
writes:
“Mind-scientists
and philosophers cannot even agree on what consciousness is, let alone
how it should be explained.” (p. 228) Another interesting
illustration
of “the head doctrine” can be drawn from Horgan’s more recent book,
Rational
Mysticism: Dispatches from the Border Between Science and Spirituality.
The book’s cover depicts the head brain from above as illuminated
through
modern imaging techniques, which monitor blood flow. John Horgan
carries
the basic assumption of‘the head doctrine even into his explorations
of mysticism and spirituality, assuming that such experiences must
occur
somewhere within the brain, in the head. This is a ‘rational’ or
intellectual
mysticism of some sort.
This assumption, that the brain produces consciousness, “the head
doctrine,” seems most reasonable and few scientists question it–despite
the fact that they are completely unable to establish how or where the
brain produces consciousness, or what exactly this consciousness is.
Nevertheless,
putting aside these uncertainties, most researchers and theorists share
the views of Roger Sperry, a prominent neurologist, who remarked: “I
don’t see any way for consciousness to emerge or be generated apart
from
a functioning brain.” The theorists then give us “a promissory
note” that they are on the verge of solving these elusive mysteries.
Current scientific thinking also
tends
to regard consciousness as being non-substantive–that is, as
being
nothing
in itself. According to this conception, there is no way for
consciousness
to exist separately from or beyond the mind and the body, because
consciousness
has literally no substance in itself–it is no thing. It is only
produced by biological and neurological activity in the brain.
To end on a cryptic note: Horgan
quotes
Harvard psychologist, Howard Gardner, who suggests that someone may
find
“deep
and fruitful commonalities between Western views of the mind and those
incorporated into the philosophy and religion of the Far East.”
Gardner
suggests that a fundamentally new insight is necessary, although
unfortunately,
“we
can’t anticipate the extraordinary mind because it comes from a funny
place that puts things together in a funny kind of way.” (p. 260)
These comments are somewhat ironic, as indeed, there is a fundamental
difference
between western views of the mind and the head doctrine, and the
Eastern
spiritual traditions with its emphasis upon the heart as the true
centre
of Self. . Understanding this difference between the head doctrine
and the heart doctrine will certainly provide a novel
perspective
on the issues of consciousness–and put things together in a “funny
kind of way.”
3. The Diagnosis of
Modern
Psychology
<>
<>
<>In a Psychology Today interview (1976), Guru Bawa, an eastern
wise man, made these rather startling comments about western psychology
and the common misunderstanding of Self. According to the guru,
psychologists
are quite deluded about the origin of the mind (or consciousness):
“I studied psychology once, and I
became
crazy,” Bawa responded in a playful tone. “I lost all my powers. ...
Psychologists don’t know where the mind is. Some think it is in the
brain.
Others think it is in the genitals. Others think it is in the ass. But
the mind is in the heart, and that is what psychologists do not know.
Unless
the heart opens, you will be driven crazy by the monkeys of the mind.”
(April, 1976)
This is a telling diagnosis of modern
psychology and science. Certainly scientists are in a sad predicament
if
they do not know where the mind is, or where consciousness originates!
Yet, from a mystical and spiritual perspective, this is precisely the
case:
There are fundamental errors in modern scientific approaches to
understanding
of the origin and nature of human consciousness.
Guru Bawa describes some
psychologists
as thinking that the mind is in the brain–as in the modern head
doctrine.
Others relate it to the genitals–in reference to Freudian psychology,
with its focus on human sexuality; or, in the ass–in reference to
kundalini
energy, a primordial instinctual energy described by yogis as locked
within
the root chakra. However, Bawa insists: “The mind is in the heart.”
This is the deepest, most essential Self and Mind--beyond what the
yogis
refer to as the “monkeys of the mind” of the material brain.
In this viewpoint, mainstream psychology, philosophy and science alike,
are fundamentally mistaken about the nature of consciousness, mind and
self. They have grounded their approach to these essential questions on
a set of erroneous assumptions and illusory ideas. They are not ‘Knowers
of Self,’ as described in the mystical literature.
Sri Chinmoy, another contemporary
spiritual
teacher, stresses the heart doctrine and also diagnoses human beings’
common
ignorance as to the true nature of self:
He does not know himself
precisely because
he identifies himself with the ego and not with his real ‘I.’ What
compels him to identify himself with this pseudo ‘I’? It is Ignorance.
And what tells him that the real ‘I’ is not and can never be the ego?
It is his self-search. What he sees in the inmost recesses of his heart
is his real ‘I,’ his God. (1970, p.16)
<>Human beings lack true self-knowledge
and are asleep to their deep nature as spiritual beings. According to
the
mystics, we live in ignorance–identifying the Self with the thoughts,
feelings, desires and sensations which make up the contents of the mind
and the personal daily life dramas. All the while, we do not know Self,
or the “real I”–related to the subtle mystical dimensions of the
heart.
Ramana Maharshi, an Indian sage and mystic,
similarly described the Self as being related to the mysterious Heart
Centre–deeper
than the personal or ego level of the mind centred in the head:
"... the final goal (of yoga, or
life)
may be described as the resolution of the mind in its source which is
God,
the Self; in that of technical yoga, it may be described as the
dissolution
of the mind in the Heart lotus. ... The mind and the breath spring from
the same source. They arise in the heart which is the centre of the
self-luminous
Self. ... Where the ‘I’ thought has vanished, there the true Self
shines
as ‘I.’ ‘I’ in the heart. ... The ‘I,’ the Self, alone is real.
As there is no other consciousness to know it, it is consciousness."
(1977,
pp. 90-1)
Ramana Maharshi makes a number of
important
points concerning consciousness and self. Firstly, real “I” or “Self”
is identified most intimately with the spiritual and soul dimensions of
the heart, and is connected therein to God. Secondly, the goal of yoga
is the dissolution of the mind into its source–within the heart lotus
or centre. Thirdly, the Self is “self-luminous” and “shining”–having
a inherent light nature. Fourthly, the self-luminous Self is
“consciousness
itself.” Consciousness is the light of Self. “‘I’ is within the
heart.”
If scientists and psychologists are
unable
to locate consciousness, the soul and spirit in the material realm,
perhaps
they are looking for it in the wrong place: firstly, in the head,
rather
than in the heart, and secondly, in the materiality of the physical
world
rather than in the subtle matters of the metaphysical dimensions which
underlie and sustain the physical dimensions.
In The Heart’s Code,
psychologist
Paul Pearsall (1998) maintains that, energetically speaking, the
heart–rather
than the brain–is clearly the centre of the psychological universe.
Indeed:
The heart’s EMF (electro-magnetic
field)
is five thousand times more powerful than the electromagnetic field
created
by the brain and, in addition to its immense power, has subtle,
non-local
effects that travel within these forms of energy. ... the heart
generates
over fifty thousand femtoteslas (a measure of EMF) compared to less
than
ten femtoteslas recorded from the brain. (p. 55)
The profound significance of these
facts
leads Gary Schwartz and Linda Russe, in the forward of Pearsall’s book,
to comment:
The
Heart’s Code points the way to a new revolution in our thinking.
Metaphorically, the heart is the sun, the pulsing, energetic center of
our biophysical “solar” system, and the brain is the earth, one of
the most important planets in our biophysical system. One implication
of
the energy cardiology/cardio-energetic revolution is the radical
(meaning
“root”) idea that energetically, the brain revolves around the heart,
not the other way around. (1998, p. xii)
The
heart is the largest source of biophysical energy in the body and
within
our psychological life. In Pearsall’s view, the heart involves energy
and information that comprises the essence or soul of who we are.
The
idea, that the heart is the centre of the psychology of the individual,
instead of the brain, would indeed revolutionize our understanding of
normal
and supernormal psychology. Adopting this view would be analogous to
the
Copernican revolution, wherein scientists realized that the Earth,
rather
than being the centre of the universe, travelled around the sun within
the solar system. The egocentric attitude of humans was shattered.
Likewise,
the acceptance of a deeper conceptualization of the heart,
consciousness
and the nature of Self would constitute a revolutionary development in
modern psychology, philosophy and the life sciences.
“If
the 20th century has been, so to speak, the Century of the
Brain,
then the 21st century should be the Century of the Heart.”
(Schwartz and Russe, in Pearsall, 1998 p. xiii)
Modern psychology has had no heart or
soul! There are no courses offered on the psychology of the heart,
because
the head scientists think that the heart is only an organ having no
inner
sentience or consciousness. Modern psychologists instead think that the
primary emotional centres are mid-brain structures, and the limbic
system.
When psychologists go home, do they seriously tell their sweet hearts,
I love you with all my limbic system? Although references to the heart
abound in literature, culture, music, and life, psychologists do not
consider
that there could be a ‘psychology to the heart,’ as they imagine
instead,
that everything occurs somewhere up in the brain, although they haven’t
quite yet figured out where.
I have personally used a teaching
exercise
to demonstrate how we intuitively experience our centre within the
heart
region, and not within the head. In this exercise, the audience is
asked
to first point to two or three objects in the environment, then to
their
left foot, or their right ear, and then finally, to your self. Having
conducted
this experiment with thousands of subjects, I have found very few who
point
to their heads, as if their self was in their brain. Instead, the huge
majority of people point towards their hearts. In the language of the
deaf,
the word ‘I’ is similarly indicated by pointing towards the heart
centre.
To begin, the term consciousness can
be
taken generally to refer to the
inner awareness of being, which
each of us has or
is within our lives. Although we might see
another
persons’ physical being, we cannot examine their
inner world of
consciousness
or their
experience of being. Yet, in a very real sense, it is
within
this inner world that each of us has our existence. Hence, in order to
understand consciousness, we must make an effort to understand it
within
ourselves–through direct inner awareness and experience. This
approach
is necessary to
supplement other scientific approaches as
external
observers, and it is the method of the mystics, yogis and masters of
the
esoteric traditions who study consciousness within themselves.
Unfortunately,
modern psychologists do not consider self-study and efforts to develop
consciousness as part of their approach to understanding it. If we
think
a lot about consciousness, we end up thinking that its in the head.
Mystical teachings elaborate a far different model of consciousness
dynamics than considered in western psychology. Although the Self, and
the origin of consciousness, are related to the Heart, consciousness is
also described as distributed through the whole organism in complex
ways,
from this centre. This involves distribution through subtle channels
and
centres, and it is related to ‘blood flow’ and the oxygenation of the
body. Consciousness is not simply limited to the brain, and the head
scientists
have confused consciousness with other cognitive and mental functions,
and made many other mistakes in their approaches to the mysteries of
consciousness.
The Dali Lama describes consciousness as emerging from an
‘indestructible
drop’ within the heart. Do the head scientists really know more than
the Dali Lama?
4. The Heart
Doctrine of
Mystical and Spiritual
I am the Self, O conqueror of
sleep,
seated in the hearts of all
creatures.
I am the beginning, the middle
and the end of all beings. (10, 20)
Bhagavad Gita
This
Self, who understands all, who knows all, and whose glory
is
manifest in the universe, lives within the lotus of the heart,
the
bright throne of Brahman. Self-luminous is that Being, and formless.
He
dwells within all and without all. ... By the pure of heart is he known.
The
Self exists in man, within the lotus of the heart, and is the master of
his life
and
of his body. ... The knot of the heart, which is ignorance,
is
loosed, all doubts are dissolved .... Mundaka Upanishad
According
to the heart doctrine, a divine or spiritual spark, is the
essential
zero point source of individual light consciousness and of the life
force.
This is a “quantum Self,” or real “I,” established as the centre
within a human being. Rooted into hidden metaphysical dimensions, this
‘God spark’ or hidden Self manifests within the physical plane as the
life principle which animates the heart through electromagnetic forces,
and as the light principle of consciousness. The Self initiates the
heart
beat and diffuses the light of consciousness and life energies through
the blood and subtle matters to various levels of the body and psyche.
The presence of the Self, as a ‘self-illuminating element,’ the Sun
of the body, serves to illuminate the psychological and psychic
processes,
allowing awareness and life within the inner world.
The influences
from a spiritual
dimension
emerge through the electrodynamics of the material heart, and are
distributed
through the dynamics of the breath and the circulation of the blood
throughout
the body. In this view, there is an inner circulation of light,
vitality
and electromagnetic influences which emerge within-without from a point
source established within the higher dimensional Space of the Heart!
This
is an absolutely profound conceptualization of the origins of human
consciousness,
suggested by the wisdom teachings of eastern and western mystical
doctrines.
Mystical and esoteric teachings can enable an individual to overcome
the
illusions, conditioning and limitations of pseudo-I--the sense
of
I associated with the personality and mind centred within the head
brain,
and realize the deeper dimensions of “I” within the heart. The
realization
of Self within the Heart is the basis for the mystical declaration “I
AM.”
These themes are evident in an
aboriginal
tale about creation and the gods:
One
day ... the gods decided to create the universe. They created the
stars,
the sun and the moon. They created the seas, the mountains, the
flowers,
and the clouds. Then they created human beings. At the end, they
created
Truth.
At
this point, however, a problem arose: where should they hide Truth so
that
human beings would not find it right away? They wanted to prolong the
adventure
of the search.
“Let’s
put Truth on top of the highest mountain,” said one of the gods.
“Certainly
it will be hard to find it there.”
“Let’s
put it on the farthest star,” said another.
“Let’s
hide it in the darkest and deepest of abysses.”
“Let’s
conceal it on the secret side of the moon.”
At
the end, the wisest and most ancient god said, “No, we will hide Truth
inside the very heart of human beings. In this way they will look for
it
all over the Universe, without being aware of having it inside of
themselves
all the time.” (Mills, 1999)
This mysterious Self has inner
connections
to the universe, to spiritual realities and even to God. Such states
are
certainly on a broader “spectrum of states of consciousness” than
that defined by Roth (2004) as ranging from ‘vigilance’ to coma.
Certainly there are profound
possibilities
for higher states of awakened consciousness, enlightenment and
illumination,
which provide an alternative viewpoint to those offered by so-called
“exact
science” –with its denial of spirit, soul and any transcendental or
religious principle. If we speak off the tops of our heads, we can
simply
assume that consciousness and mind are produced by the head brain; but
if we penetrate to the heart of being, to the Heart of ourselves, we
may
indeed become “knowers of Self.”
The mystic poet Gibran, in The
Prophet,
responds to the question about the nature of “self knowledge,”
stating, “Your hearts know in silence the secrets of the days and
nights. But your ears thirst for the sound of your heart’s knowledge.”
Similarly, H. P. Blavatsky, a prominent occult scholar, notes,“Learn
above all to separate Head-learning from Soul-Wisdom.” (1877) and
quotes the ancient Stanzas of Dyzan: “The Sons expand and contract
through their own Selves and Hearts ... each a part of the web”
(the
web as woven between spirit and matter).
From a mystical and spiritual
perspective,
modern psychology and philosophy are filled with head knowledge but
lack
the secret wisdom of the Self within the Heart. Further, consciousness
and Self are substantive and should not simply be used as generic terms
to identify the flow of thoughts, feelings and sensations that occur
within
subjective experience generated by the brain. There is something far
deeper
happening within a human being–as concerns the origins of consciousness.
Consciousness has an inherent light
nature
and is rooted into hyper-space dimensions and the mystical void/plenum.
The Self emerges as an element or quantum of consciousness, at a zero
point
centre. The luminous Self originates from within the subtle and
mystical
dimensions of the heart, and manifests through the dynamics of the
spiritual
heart and the material heart, as well as through the blood. The zero
point
Self is the origin of the life, light and awareness within a human
being,
as this descends through higher dimensions from within/without.. “I AM”
within the mystical Heart Space, and this is what the head scientists
do
not know.
Ramana Maharshi elaborates upon the
mysteries
of the heart. He explains how the Self emerges as a point source of
light
and consciousness, associated with the true Heart centre, and its
influences
circulate as light throughout the interior dimensions of a human being.
The Self seemingly becomes tied up in the knots of the heart,
and
so, humans forget their true nature:
The effulgent light of
active-consciousness
starts at a point and gives light to the entire body even as the sun
does
to the world. When that light spreads out in the body one gets the
experiences
in the body. The sages call the original point ‘Hridayam’ (the
Heart). ... The Individual permeates the entire body, with that light,
becomes ego-centric and thinks that he is the body and that the world
is
different from himself. ... The association of the Self with the body
is
called the Granthi (knot). ... When Atma (the Self) alone
shines,
within and without, and everywhere ... one is said to have severed the
knot ... . (Bhikshu, 1966, pp. 39-42)
Consciousness and self have
metaphysical
origins–but have influences within the physical realm. The Self is
connected
to the physical body of human beings through the life of the heart, the
blood and the breath, and through seven life centres, or chakras, in
the
subtle anatomy. The Self exists in relationship to a hierarchy of
interpenetrating
world orders, spiritual, divine and metaphysical dimensions of being,
which
underlie and sustain the realms of gross matter. These dynamics allow
for
afterlife existence and for complex relationships of the individual to
the Sun, to the larger Universe, and most importantly to spiritual and
divine realities.
These seemingly preposterous claims
about
humans’ miraculous possibilities simply can not be weighed properly
without
a detailed examination of exactly what mystical and spiritual teachings
say about these invisible worlds and hidden realities. These teachings
present a complex physics and metaphysics of consciousness, the heart
and
the universe. Unfortunately, modern science lacks the wisdom of the
heart
and soul, and fails to acknowledge the inner light and divine life.
Further,
we do not realize the Creator manifesting in all things, and assume
blindly
that the world is simply what it appears to be to us in our conditioned
states of vigilance or awareness–dominated by ten thousand and one
worries,
anxieties, life interests and habits.
The nature and origin of human
consciousness
are very deep mysteries, which can only be understood through the
awakening
of consciousness within one self, and a psycho-spiritual and alchemical
transformation of the heart. There are many useful ideas and practices
within the mystical and spiritual literature that guide us in this
inner
approach to consciousness, and to direct experiences of inner
realities.
Mystical and spiritual teachings provide systematic theoretical models
of consciousness, as well as methods and disciplines to develop
self-awareness
and to experience states of deeper and more expansive awareness. In
fact,
mystical sources of teachings also provide detailed metaphysical
expositions
of the subtle dimensions that underlie existence–which are congruent
with ideas and evidences emerging within science itself.
5. Applications
and Implications
of Mystical and
Spiritual
Science
It is impossible to convey in a
simple
manner the complexity of the esoteric mystical and spiritual
psychologies,
and how these could be considered within every department of the social
and natural sciences. I have attempted to portray an alternative view
of
the origin and nature of human consciousness, contrasting the head
doctrine
of modern science, within the Heart doctrine of spiritual and mystical
teachings. Especially when it comes to issues of consciousness, spirit
and soul, psychic and paranormal experiences, we need a new model of
reality
in order to assimilate the innumerable evidences for such phenomena.
Consciousness has deep roots in higher dimensions, and is not simply
a product of the material brain at all. This is what the head
scientists
do not know, and this is what the sages, swamis, mystics and Sufis
claim.
Esoteric psychologies elaborate profoundly valuable and alternative
perspectives
on this fundamental enigma in modern science. (Book I of the
Within-Without
from Zero Point
series, entitled The Heart Doctrine, deals extensively
with these questions.)
Www.zeropoint.ca
In Scientific American, Roth
(2004)
describes ‘vigilance’ as at one end of his consciousness continuum,
and death at the other, but there is nothing suggested beyond this
state
of vigilance, or death. By contrast, mystical and spiritual
psychologies
suggest that of course there are further states of consciousness
possible
to experience or attain. Self-realization itself is the
dissolution
of the false mind into the lotus of the Heart. Beyond this are other
possible
states of objective or cosmic awareness, states of samadhi and of
formless
realms, of Divine and God consciousness. Further, there is a
continuation
of consciousness into afterlife worlds, as the evolution of the
individual
continues in other forms and lives. Consciousness was never produced by
the brain, and it never will be. Instead, it emerges within-without
from
higher dimensional space, pervades the body as the light and life
principle,
and it eventually withdraws, without-within back to the heart centre.
Mystical and spiritual psychologies
are
also immensely practical, in a manner that modern psychology is not, as
the latter lacks any effort towards ‘self-study.’ Scientists think
that they can study consciousness by thinking about it, or by observing
evidence of it in the outer world, as in the monitoring of brain
activity.
However, the mystic includes him or herself in the equation, and
approaches
the study of consciousness within themselves, aiming to ‘awaken’ from
the semi-sleep state of the masses of humankind, and to actually be
more
consciousness. There can be more consciousness, or less consciousness,
and we might experience more or less of this light of consciousness.
The
mystic studies consciousness and gains understanding through self study
and inner work, and spiritual practices, which approaches are
completely
lacking in cognitive and behavioural philosophies–what I would call
‘mickey
mouse psychology,’
Mystical and spiritual science and
ideas
have applications in innumerable applied areas, such as in my own
approach
to “The Awakening of Consciousness and the Heart in Criminal
Offenders,”
an alternative approach to correctional psychology, Whereas the
cognitive-behavioural
programs now used conceive of inmates as having a dual mind and body,
they
fail to consider the psychology of the heart and soul. Healing, change
and transformation, all involve dynamics of the heart, and other
centres.
Psychology as a discipline has lacked a spiritual perspective for
almost
a century, while ignoring the deep teachings of the esoteric traditions.
Mystical and spiritual perspectives
can
also be applied within other areas of science, and higher education.
The
mystical teachings bear profound relationships to emerging ideas and
theories
in physics and cosmology, and provide an alternative interpretation of
many of the facts and theories of science itself. (Book II of the
Within-Without
from Zero Point series, is entitled: Microcosm-Macrocosm:
Scientific
and Mystical Views of the Origin of the Universe, the Nature of Matter
& Human Consciousness, and it elaborates extensively upon such
a comparative study.) They also represent a whole deeper dimension to
the
studies of religion, philosophy, history and evolutionary theory. It is
remarkable that the secret teachings of all ages, have remained so
secret,
while the sorry head scientists puzzle over the deep mysteries of human
consciousness.
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