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Stuck in Being (part 2)... Evolution of Consciousness

Our evolution has taken us from a period of separation to a point of unification, although we are far from the end of our journey.

The prehistoric people knew little difference between the real and the unreal. The dream state was as real for them as waking state, thus they acted upon the dreams as though they were real. Dreams are frequently examined for all sorts of reasons but their real value is as an analogy.

For modern people reality takes a places when they wake up from the dream state. The dream state is not real any more. We can say that we got enlightened to the point where we can tell apart the dream state from the real one, in our case it is the waking state.

We are aware of the dream state , because we have some memories of it, some thinking is happening in there, it is chaotic, nevertheless we are witnessing the brain activity.

Brain activity transmits consciousness! Brain is a physical manifestation of universal mind, a gate through which consciousness travels from absolute reality to a conditioned one, and back. 

Hence there is no end  as there is no beginning, just constant  pure field of consciousness that exists in any form, and in any shape one can imagine - evolution and involution , an infinite happening of consciousness. Brain is an ultimate tool of consciousness for stimulating an infinite number of states, and subtleties.

We don’t know anything about the deep sleep state, since there is no brain activity, as far as we remember. As if there is no witness at that state, or rather there is nothing to witness in the deep sleep state, there is only witness - consciousness knowing itself by itself, a timeless non-experience.

"The brain is not an organ that generates consciousness, but rather an instrument evolved to transmit and limit the processes of consciousness and of conscious attention so as to restrict them to those aspects of the material environment which at any moment are crucial for the terrestrial success of the individual. In that case such phenomena as telepathy and clairvoyance would be merely instances in which some of the limitations were removed." William James

We use and investigate all of these ideas in order to reach a position where we accept the conclusions intellectually - as far as they go. They can never go all the way because reality is forever beyond conceptualization and logic.

While we might be in a process of realization that the waking state is not real as well, nonetheless it is our permanent state of reality, given that we occupy it most of our "conscious presence."

To be awakened to absolute reality is to cease to exist in any other levels of reality.  Any brain activity, even if it is happening in here and now, creates duality, which is any reality, but absolute. And any brain activity is just another illusion created by mind.

Those, who are considered enlightened, simply are awakened to the illusion of the gross reality, and moved onto another level of reality -  level of being, which they must adapt as a permanent one, before they would be able to create, and to conquer the next level of reality , which is prompted by a further awakening of consciousness. 

The being level of reality is not the final state on the ladder of evolution of consciousness. There are more states of consciousness we have to be awaken to, consequently more realities we have to experience.

 The direct knowledge of absolute reality that has been  realized by a few is translated for the mass through comprehensible theories, such as self help tools, which takes many generations to get adapted to.

The illusion of each level of reality lasts as long as it is perceived as a real one by the majority of people. Even though the advanced humans,  who have  realized the illusion of a current level of reality, move on to the next state of consciousness,  they can’t occupy it permanently, in view of the fact that they are able to interact with the rest of the human beings in a current level (material-gross) only, so they go back and forth.

If we get enough people settled in the next  state of consciousness, enough for that state to become  a "reality", the permanent residence in that state is possible. (hm ..it is still an illusion, but we have to find out it directly through personal experiences).

Each state of consciousness is experienced as a real one, until the brain is evolved (transmits more consciousness) to realize the illusion of the current state, simply until the experience wears off, and we  clearly see  that it was just a creation of  mind.

It now seems increasingly likely that the self is not a holistic property of the entire brain; it arises from the activity of specific sets of interlinked brain circuits..

 "The great spiritual traditions believed that the Great Chain, with all its levels, was given all at once and exists in its entirety right now, even if parts of it aren't realized or awakened to. 

But when you acknowledge evolution, you are saying that the lower 4 or 5 levels of the Great Chain -- matter, sensation, perception, impulse, emotion, symbols, concepts -- evolved over 14 billion years! What this means is that the upper part of any "Great Chain" has not yet unfolded, has not yet evolved! 

This would mean that the only way to get Enlightened would be to wait until all of time has unfolded! Wilber's answer is to say you can realize Emptiness and attain absolute Freedom on any level, by mastering the gross, subtle, causal, and non-dual states, but the fullness of that Enlightenment increases over time as consciousness evolves. 

If some levels have evolved and more will evolve, then instead of thinking about them as levels of knowing and being, which is how they are viewed by the Great Chain, you have to look at them more as acquired natural habits of consciousness!!!! Wilber calls them "Kosmic habits" or "Kosmic memories."

So, after describing this historical process, Wilber defines enlightenment, in light of evolution: "Enlightenment is the realization of oneness with all states and all structures that are in existence at any given time." "...the same structure that 6000 years ago could be said to be fully Enlightened, is no longer so today.

He concludes by stating that levels of reality do not pre-exist but are created by the evolution of consciousness. This means that enlightenment, while always equally free and empty, becomes more "full" as habits of consciousness create higher stages".

If you are stuck in the being level of reality, thinking that you have arrived at final destination, therefore enlightened, clearly it is time to wake up again, this is not Absolute Reality yet, so you must be in a state that is created by mind, therefore still dreaming. Stuck in Being!

"All of the extraordinary states of consciousness that can be achieved or attained or practiced, all of them really only deal with the relative, dualistic world, however otherwise wonderful they might be." KW

I believe, that a very small percentage of humanity is at the stage of acquiring being level as a permanent one, even though many have already realized it conceptually. Being level of consciousness is on the border line of gross and subtle realms.

This level exemplifies  living in the moment, and engaging self utterly in "here and now", which means to be connected  to the present moment through entire array of senses . 

 As a result senses are sharpened,  and self  perceives  the world as an  alive, pulsating, and vibrant entity  - colors come out brighter, sounds grow to be crisper and  thoughts stream in and out of  mind smoothly. In short, it is a practice of  letting go of fear, and accepting what is.

Residing in being level, prepares self for the next level of reality - co-creation.  It is a reality of subtle realms, the state of consciousness of a psychic being, where all inhibitions are released, and  the deepest passions are uncovered.