Why am I concerned with consciousness? When I understand consciousness, I can change it. Albert Einstein said, "The consciousness that has created a problem is unsuitable to solve it." Great to know that Einstein brought science entirely on the verge of understanding the quantum physics universe, without even fully understanding his own findings. Another consciousness was needed to understand what Einstein revealed but did not fully understand. He lived his own quote!
Einstein found the gate, opened it and almost went into the subatomic universe. Today, a hundred years later, we are still in debt to Einstein, while we have come a long way in our understanding of the universe and therefore in our understanding of consciousness.
The western world I'm born into and staying in is strongly influenced by the distinction between spirit and matter. The idea that matter is animated and intelligent was abandoned in the early Middle Ages and our mechanical humanity grew through centuries and found its great explanation with philosophers and mathematicians such as Isaac Newton. Our Western awareness of the universe as a mechanical system has evolved into a sophisticated scientific concept that has almost taken control of our consciousness and become a form of religion in itself.
Here Einstein's words come true - our analytical and explanatory consciousness, can not explain itself. We need another consciousness to explain consciousness. Sic!
The ruling Western theory of consciousness is that consciousness is produced by and in the brain. In this explanation, spirituality has no place. Therefore, I am so excited when Western science goes new ways to seek a greater understanding, as the system theorist Ervin Laszlo does. His major and important contribution is to bring the natural science and our phenomenological and philosophical notions of consciousness closer together.
My Quotes and Captions through Week 41 (starting on Monday in my timing) are based on the notions of awareness I extract from the world of phenomena and thoughts. A world where everything lives is besieged and is part of the great consciousness we call The Cosmos.
Here I give you a little taste:
"I feel, then I am?". Perception is the process in which consciousness is given the opportunity to act in a human world. Our sensory experiences are sorted and given meaning. This makes you a giant.Â
Jon