Just what is pure consciousness?
Possible answers include: awareness, sentience, intelligence, and/or intention.
I believe consciousness is also a force – or field – that gives rise to all phenomenon in this reality. The very universe is conscious and the flow of this essence intelligence courses through our being, perhaps using the brain as a conductor through which to interact with our physical form.
Imagine a pure field of potential that underlies all forms and frequencies in existence. This field isn’t energy – it’s just the raw possibility of energy and matter.
In my view, such a sea of essence is consciousness.
This is pretty easy to conceptualize, but one major stumbling block bobs to the surface…
Such a view of consciousness suggests that awareness and intelligence can exist outside the realm of recognizable human thought patterns (GASP!). Most folks struggle with this notion.
After all, isn’t our stream of word-pictures and verbal fragments the pinnacle of nature’s brilliance?
Not really.
Beyond Thoughts And Speech
Calculated execution, or thought, is only one aspect of intelligence, and while it’s a useful and enjoyable tool it is far from the highest form of intelligent function.
The deepest expression of intelligence can be called inspiration, or even inspired action. Reflect on the times in your life when you acted immediately and appropriately, or when you expressed both beauty and truth, whether through music, mathematics, your favorite sport, or even a simple and instant, “gut-level” observation about life; such an event is an example of inspiration.
People often use the term “in the zone” to describe the experience of flowing into exactly the correct course of action without judgment or planning. You probably remember several occasions when you found yourself caught up in this flow; perhaps you answered a question instantly and accurately without even thinking, or maybe you scored a point/goal with effortless spontaneity. You may not have even realized what you were doing until the act was finished. This perfection embodied is the purest form of consciousness, and it demonstrates clearly that thought and intelligence need not always be synonymous.
When martial artists and teachers of meditation speak of the mind and body being one, they are referring to the inspired state when a person acts instantly and without pausing to consider their options. Many philosophers believe inspiration occurs when the mind is clear and one feels into his or her pure connection to universal consciousness; I agree. In these moments the experiencer is caught up in the same amazing current of power that creates all life and form. Traditional Japanese systems call this state of unthinking awareness Mushin, or “no mind”.
If human inspiration comes from a merging with cosmic intelligence, then it stands to reason that our universe is the very essence of inspired action.
Everything that is, has been, and will be is the outpouring of creative impulse through the field of pure potential from which energy, and then electrons and atoms emerge. This quantum ocean of latent existence gives birth to the particles that vibrate to form every specific manifestation encountered in the known universe.
Neither Religion Nor Science Fully Address This Matter
Nature stands to reason. The precise balance and sharp logic of the physical world is undeniable, from the symphonic arrangement of outer space to the lucidity of the human body.
Universal intelligence (or pure consciousness) is a most obvious reality in my opinion, yet many spokespeople of both science and religion routinely deny or dismiss the idea. Academia and clergy are diametrically opposed on virtually every issue, but elements from each institution are often united in their condemnation or denouncement of pure, cosmic consciousness.
Pure Consciousness Less Likely Than Meaningless Chaos
To the hardcore, somewhat close-minded scientist everything has emerged through a rolling of the universal dice. Scholars who insist this is the only plausible explanation typically support the most mundane conclusion available in any given discussion. These men and women who have purportedly dedicated their lives to advancing knowledge instead champion the easy way out and shrug off any ideas that challenge established norms. The suggestion that the very essence of all things is intelligent substance, no matter how stunningly obvious, is shot down in favor of blind chance.
The incorrigible champion of modern science likes to criticize the idea of an intelligent universe as a whimsical fantasy. Frankly the odds of life as we know it resulting from millions of lucky breaks over the course of eons sounds like the bigger fairy tale; this is just an absurd position and it’s difficult to understand why allegedly smart people stand so firmly upon it.
Indeed the suggestion that our species is just another marvelous accident, made possible by a vast string of prior flukes that were perfectly aligned with this outcome, is no more reasonable than the idea of a humanoid god named Yahweh molding Adam and Eve out of clay. It is far more sensible to say that human beings are an intention through which the universe is becoming more conscious of itself.
Intelligence That Can’t Be Worshiped Is A Sin
Creationists often point to the splendor of nature and the magnificent rhythm of the cosmos in an effort to support their religious convictions. However this is utter fallacy; that consciousness underlies and drives the processes of life as we know them in no way validates the existence of an angry, homophobic, male, Hebrew deity with a specific name and a complete doctrine of rules and rituals.
While the politically savvy advocate of Creationism would object to the above, reminding the author that no specific deities and religions are referenced in the Creationist texts, this is all smoke and mirrors. The inventors of the Creationist model were evangelical Christians. While the language and application of the idealism may have been softened for broader public appeal make no mistake: this set of observations was built with the intent of promoting the organized faith of Christianity.
Here is the critical point in understanding the difference between cosmic intelligence and theism: Consciousness, awareness, and intentional responsiveness are not necessarily synonymous with the nuance of ego or identity. It’s unrefined, self-absorbed thinking to assume that intelligence can only manifest in our image, yet such delusions fuel the ages-old practice of constructing deities who look and act like larger-than-life, all-powerful versions of us.
More Than Words
You’ve probably discovered your most profound moments of truth and clarity in the space between the words. Our greatest wisdom tends to be revealed in silence, and in the absence of internal dialog.
As the sage Lao Tzu noted (paraphrased from translation): That which is spoken is not the true way, for the true way cannot be spoken.
The ultimate intelligence is an experience or intuition, not a carefully worded story or set of instructions we can write down. As we grow and expand along our personal journey of enlightenment, we eventually find ourselves unable to tell our loved ones what we have learned; from this point forward we can “speak” of higher concepts only with our actions, and through the love we impart.
