Category: Text

Experiences

Have you had experiences you would call extraordinary or strange? Perceptions during which you maybe weren’t exactly sure what was happening? Which you found difficult to explain to yourself, but you still observed the experience and just went with the flow? Allowing yourself to remember these events is an achievement in itself. Many tend to block out any perceptions which might threaten their world-view and pose an imminent danger to their self-understanding. Obviously, everything we can’t quite grasp with our current understanding can put our internal concept of existence in disarray. Yet it also provides an opportunity to go beyond of what we thought of the world and ourselves until that moment. I would like to share some of the experiences I had in this regard with you.

One ordinary afternoon, I was pondering. I believe I was about 15 years old – so you might also call it a lazy afternoon. Unlike some of my classmates, I made sure to finish my homework quickly and never to have too many afternoon activities, since I thoroughly enjoyed playing computer games and doing the things teenagers do. Maybe distinct to a degree, I also enjoyed pondering about whatever came to my mind. I can’t remember what initially fuelled the engine of this train of thought, but I was concerned with the idea of willpower and achievement. Although I don’t talk to myself (that) often, I started to articulate my thoughts with my voice in order to help their development. I can’t recall the content of these thoughts anymore, but I believe I went on like this for about half an hour until I finally reached a satisfying conclusion: “In order to achieve anything, I must will it. If I will it, I can achieve it.” For me, this is a cornerstone of subsequent realizations, but this particular experience was most likely only the iceberg’s visible tip of a process already going on for much longer. In retrospect, I am also aware of the many so-called limiting beliefs I held back then which prevented an even fuller realization of effectiveness through willpower.

In autumn of 2007 I had the opportunity to visit Japan with a friend of mine. During the travel, I really enjoyed the contrast of modern technology and lush temple gardens. I also loved to sample the different flavours of green tea which are usually available free of charge in restaurants and hotels. [1] While staying in Kyoto, I had a room to myself in a centrally located ryokan. I had been walking around the city alone and was very relaxed when I came back to the hotel. After showering, I sat down on the tatami mat and served myself a cup of genmai-tea. I heard the quiet noise of the street-traffic and took a sip of my tea. Then – the world stopped. I felt an incredible sense of calm and security, a profound connection with everything. For the blink of an eye, the boundaries of my being became permeable. Since then, the smell of genmai-cha reminds me of this transcendental experience of tranquillity.

Who hasn’t come in contact with mind-altering substances before? While alcohol is socially venerated and marijuana publicly demonized, few consider the effects coffee, milk or hormone-laden meat can have on their state of consciousness and sense of well-being. [2] Funnily enough, the first time I really came into contact with marijuana was in the summer of 2011 in Santa Cruz, California. Over a year later, I had some more regular encounters with it. Having concluded that considered, conscious consumption wouldn’t do me much harm – and is certainly an alternative far superior to alcohol – I simply enjoyed it. So it happened that one evening I smoked with friends at a party without knowing that the following experience would drastically change my perception of the world for good. The temporary effects were even more intense. For the lack of a better term which could be understood, I went around and repeated to my friends something along the lines of “I see the matrix. It’s true!”. Of course, this experience was only the singular event which made years of research and conscious deliberation on topics such as perception, communication, world-views and self-understanding explicit. The realization literally flew in my face and there was no more way of denying it. I won’t elaborate on this experience and the complex issue of marijuana here, but it shall be known that my actions have been profoundly inspired by this shift in perception. Inspiring hours of talking to friends as well as strangers, directed research, meticulous note-taking and overcoming psychological barriers led me to more consequently access my creative potential, result of which you can see within these lines.

The Primal Assumption

We have all been conditioned to assume – to accept claims without independently verifiable proof and explanation. In such a condition, it comes naturally to suppose the medical doctor can restore your health, the policeman can keep order and the scientist can bring progress. Even if we find the prescribed drug to be detrimental to our well-being, we often continue taking it as we assume the doctor to have superior insight. The conditioning brings us to believe that what is best for us is unknown by oneself but known by others – and so we readily and willingly put ourselves under their authority. While this particular assumption can turn out to be misled and very dangerous – for it may bring about the demise of the body – it is still a far cry from the importance of what I consider to be the most basic assumption. Any and all thoughts and actions – any experience we may have – is profoundly influenced by this primal assumption: The nature of existence.

In most discussions about historical events, biology or even evolutionary theory, the originator of all inquiry is never made explicit: Who is it, discussing about Neanderthals over coffee? Who is asking the question? Who are you? What is your answer to this question? What is the nature of the being reading this line? Indeed, what are you? It is of utmost importance to understand that the answer you give yourself to this question forms the basis of all your experience! Just like your self-understanding itself is contained within this answer, your self-understanding contains all experience you may have in life, all possibilities you can fathom.

Imagine you, as a human, would have been growing up with a wolf pack. [3] You would think of yourself as a wolf and live the life of a wolf, hunting and howling. After all, your whole experience is framed through your self-understanding as a wolf. Anything contradicting it would have likely been blocked out in order to protect this very self-understanding. A severe crisis might call your world-view into question: Unable to run away from a mudflow, without consciously being aware of what you are doing, you might find yourself climbing up a tree. While this would be impossible for a wolf, it is easy for you given your body’s ability to stand and having hands to grab onto branches. Suddenly, sitting on top of the tree, you gain a new perspective on the world. Although maybe not yet knowing exactly how you ended up there, your self-perception drastically changes as you realize your ability to climb trees. Understanding your newly found powers, uncountable treetops and new vistas open themselves up to you. As you can now see the world from above, you gain a new way of making sense of your surroundings: You see your fellow pack members from a new angle, you can easily spot prey from far away and indeed have a vantage point formerly unbeknownst to your kind. After such an experience, you could return to the ground and pretend as if nothing had ever happened – living as man among wolves. However, after glimpsing your powers, could you ignore your true nature?

Of Flesh and Spirit

Growing up in a society worshipping materialism and mostly ignoring the existence of spiritual experience aside from dogma-ridden religion, it comes to no surprise that we are told to be no more than human flesh. Obvious issues and inconsistencies within evolutionary theory aside: What are the practical consequences of believing that one’s existence is limited to the physical human body? [4] First of all, this belief creates the primal fear: The fear of death. Although I know it to be impossible to logically explain, materialists claim that the phenomenon of consciousness emerges out of the nerve cells’ complex interactions within the human brain. [5] With the demise of the body as the generator of consciousness, your existence would be ended. Physicists would argue that the energy in the universe remains constant and your matter is being absorbed by micro-organisms and insects – but the tragic situation remains. In contrast, researchers of consciousness liken the physical body to a TV-set and consciousness to the signal. As you know – even if a TV is broken, the station keeps broadcasting to all those who may receive and process the signal. [6] A spiritual mindset would also consider the all-oneness which I will elaborate on below, so the question of whether the ego or individuated consciousness is lost becomes less dramatic.

Strange as it may sound, even more important than the question of what happens at the passing of the physical body – is the question of what you can do while it still functions. Within the materialist view, you are limited in your perceptions and effects to the direct physical influence you can exert with your body. This includes moving about the world (as far as you can travel), touching objects, caressing or hurting other living beings. Intellectually minded people would highlight the ability to share ideas as well as attain power over oneself or others through intelligence. Still, you would require to communicate by means of a physical representation such as voice or writing – potentially amplified through radio, printing press or the internet. From a spiritual perspective, these are very limited powers indeed. You are not your body, but you as consciousness merely concentrate yourself within this point in space and time so as to create the illusion of ego and material existence. Realizing yourself to be a fractal of consciousness, constantly co-creating the world through thought and observation, opens up a quite different vista of possibilities. [7] It makes you understand that your thoughts and observations matter, for they not only change your inner psychological state, but actually have profound consequences – both material and spiritual – far beyond the reach of your physical body. This represents the view from the tree-top I mentioned above. This realization of tremendous self-efficacy also dismantles any attempt to control you – for your infinite power as consciousness can only be contained if you choose to keep yourself distracted and bind yourself to beliefs which limit your own might. [8] I invite you to make the time – and ‘assume’ for just an instant – that you actually are creator-consciousness. No outside circumstance can stand in the slipstream of your directed willpower – turning from the feeble stroke of the blunt, splintering chopstick into the mighty blow of the greatsword’s hardened, cutting edge. You become a man among wolves. You realize your true nature as creator-consciousness among the unfortunate, ignorant pack of mankind who would rather think of themselves as victimized ape-men so they may continue to blame others for their misery. Having gained this insight – which I believe is intuitively known by us all for it is our nature – at least I find it impossible, indeed shameful and insulting, to pretend as if I had never climbed the tree to see myself in the world with new eyes. Just imagine Neo, after being freed by Morpheus, would simply log back into the Matrix and pretend as if nothing ever happened! The prospects are too great and the stakes too high as to not inform others of what I have come to understand and to invite them – invite you – to do the same. For you may live the life of your dreams – your life as a dream!

A Vision of the Paradox

In late 2012, I was introduced to achintya-bheda-abheda-tattva through a book by philosopher Armin Risi. This principle concerns itself with the nature of god and creation. It postulates the inconceivable, simultaneous oneness and distinctiveness of god (creator) and god’s energies (creation). This means that we, as beings of creation, are both united with and separated from the source of creation at any given moment. This is perfectly analogous to quantum theory’s wave-particle dualism, whereas light is both a concrete particle and a probability wave at the same time. [9] It means the human condition is both a concrete, individual experience but also an infinite possibility in unity with everything. On one hand, there is the individualised ego-consciousness with a distinct body, mind and soul. On the other hand, there is boundless potential in unity with the whole of creation. The idea of god as creator and (moral) consciousness is merely the externalization of our individualised power and responsibility as creator-consciousness. The realization of achintya-bheda-abheda-tattva is the birth of creator-consciousness within you, understanding yourself as transcendent consciousness and creator with limitless creativity.

Communicating about this reality with a dear friend of mine, we shared a vision of this paradox. The image is of a pulsating sun in an empty space surrounded by an invisible sphere. The sun represents the source of creation, the purest effigy of the creative agency. The sphere represents the most distant creation, the most dense vibrations of the material realm. The empty space in-between represents the many unseen layers of creation, the spiritual and astral realms. The sun is sending out myriad rays and flares against the sphere, simultaneously perceiving and creating throughout all the layers they pass through. Where several of these flares converge on the sphere, individuated consciousness and free will is born. The flares eternally continue their dance, as awareness is constantly being focused and shifted within the endless space of creation. Interestingly, this vision is quite similar to the Quabbalistic view on the genesis of the world. [10] Continually refining the understanding of this principle, it becomes possible to assume the same paradoxical state of simultaneous individuality and unity. Being the convergence point of individuated ego-consciousness as well as being both creator and all creation at the same time – or freely choosing between the different viewpoints.

The amount and profundity of philosophical conclusions which can be drawn from the achintya-bheda-abheda-tattva is quite astounding. It explains the recommendation of the oracle of delphi – know thyself. For you are one, yet everything – knowing yourself actually results in knowing the world which merely appears separated from your being. Furthermore, the saying that god sees everything can be logically explained – for god as consciousness is contained within the whole of creation, therefore experiencing and potentially recording everything which happens. The psychological idea that the people you spend the most time with are your most accurate reflections makes it easier to recognise yourself as always being intimately connected to your environment. It is said that god only helps those who help themselves. If you realise yourself as creator-consciousness, the connection to god as creator is being established, then the impossible can be achieved since you, as the universe, conspire in your favour. I believe this tattva also gives us reason to congratulate ourselves. The Christian church would have us think of ourselves as sinners for being expelled from garden Eden, having taken a bite from the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. [11] I propose another view: We, as individuated consciousness, are actually among the most brave fractals of unity-consciousness since we chose to enter the material realm of polarity. Within this potentially most dense of all spheres of creation, pain and suffering exist – unthinkable, probably indeed non-existent within the higher-up realms where ideas and spirits reside. [12] After all, we probably came here to learn about Good and Evil, an opposition which couldn’t exist within perfect unity of oneness. We might just be the front-line gladiators, exploring the outskirts of creation, bravely facing our fears and eternally continuing the struggle. Once we adopt this view every difficult task becomes an inspiring challenge.

Lucid within the Dream

The first experience of heightened self-reflexivity I can remember was looking at my hands and wondering about the nature of my existence – whether my body is the source of my consciousness. While I didn’t deny or forget about these instances, I didn’t really know how to go from there so they faded in the background of my consciousness. Now, after having much more profound and intense experiences, it is still my daily task to remember them. Thinking and especially feeling into these moments enables me to re-cognise what I see as spiritual truths and to further build my understanding. It helps me to surround myself with reminders in order to recall the state of serenity, connection and wholeness as often as possible. These memory points can take the form of written notes, songs and art dealing with the theme, as well as meditation and daily rituals. Due to the very nature of creator-consciousness, it can only be definitely manifested if the awareness is directed on its realisation. One needs to focus on being creator-consciousness, indeed on being oneself. Repetition isn’t redundant and boring, but rather essential and exalting in approaching a more permanent state of creator-consciousness through time and space. The often incessant babbling of the intellect can make it more difficult for it always develops defined thought forms which distract from the void of all-oneness. However, the intellect also helps us to strengthen the bridge from the spiritual down to the material if we are patient in taming and directing it. I perceive that after each successive step of moving closer to this realisation, indeed like approaching infinity, and being able to hold it in my every-day waking state, the perfect pattern of creation revealing this very truth becomes more and more obvious. I believe that every single experience, no matter how disconnected and removed it may seem, holds within it the key to realize the all-oneness of the achintya-bheda-abheda-tattva. [13] It is as if there always is an invisible door floating in front of you – and opening it is just a single push of your directed consciousness away. The more you become aware of it – the more you see it reflected in both the inner and the outer world. It is everywhere, for it is everything – for you are everything! The process is just like continually reminding yourself that you are actually living a dream. The more lucid you become of your nature, the more you see the immense creative potential you have to change yourself in the world. The blade of your will becomes ever sharper and easily cuts through obstacles previously impregnable – and everything is possible. [14]

Piercing through the Veil – The Realization of Unity

The realisation of simultaneously being united and different from the whole of creation also has very practical consequences in showing clear guidelines for behaviour. It seems natural that the more powerful you become, the more responsibility you should bear. If you realise the other to be you – how would you treat him? According to achintya-bheda-abheda-tattva you are a distinctive being, yet one with everything – every tree, every animal, every human, every drop of water and even every plastic cup. From this viewpoint, the Golden Rule “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” becomes more than just an ethical aspiration. [15] If we are all one single being constantly re-imagining itself, how nonsensical would it be to inflict pain upon ourself? Whatever we reflect upon in the world within the illusion of separation is actually part of ourselves. The acts towards healing and unity are thus (self-)acknowledgement, (self-)acceptance, (self-)forgiveness, (self-)compassion – essentially unconditional (self-)love, for we are contained within the other. Only through re-thinking ourselves, re-cognising ourself, can we bring about a new state.

The realization of achintya-bheda-abheda-tattva means piercing through the veil of material existence into the deeper spiritual background to the source of creation itself in order to become consciously aware of the eternal link within ourselves. However, I believe it is usually a gradual process in which the perfect understanding of the tattva can be approximated. The material and the spiritual can be conceptualised as having a one-way mirror in-between them. The spiritual recognises the material, but the material always only sees itself. Personally, I have held a materialist’s holistic viewpoint before, which also acknowledges the interconnection of everything but remains ignorant of the spiritual realm. Continually building on my knowledge through research and deliberation has allowed me to permanently revise my own world-view, approaching this realization without really knowing that it existed. I was only introduced to it in an intellectually concise sense after having had several first-hand experiences of its various aspects as mentioned above. I am certain that anyone truly willing to attain a higher understanding of himself in this world can realize even the greatest spiritual truths. At least one can continue to approximate his conception, which is what I strive to do – for this process may also very well not be finished within one lifetime.

The First Frame – A New Reference

The importance of the primal assumption of your nature cannot be underestimated. Every perception, every experience, every action flows from this understanding. You can see all possibilities of your life as a picture with all experiences being drawn within its frame. The primal assumption is this first frame, so it should be most wisely chosen and always be reflected upon. Indeed, it is necessary to step out of the frame you call your life in order to explicitly see and change this frame. From my perspective, the materialist frame is quite small and bleak. A self-understanding as creator-consciousness through the achintya-bheda-abheda-tattva represents a much larger frame, encompassing and embellishing the materialist’s view, while greatly extending the vista of the possible experiences and the confidence to be able to fulfil one’s innermost desires. We know about the requirement to see the big picture in order to create a vision of the world we want to live in. A truly great picture needs the appropriate frame to go by!

I contend that the seeming absurdity of existence within the modern world provides the imperative of critically reflecting upon one’s own nature. Existential questions must be answered – at the very least in parallel to the busy every-day life. The denial of the spiritual dimension comes with the loss of the internal moral compass. Where are we going if we don’t even know what direction we’re headed? If we don’t know the point of it all – how can we act properly? What we re-cognise ourselves to be determines the options we can choose from. Asking about the nature of our being is thus the most important, essential act. The answer might be absolute, for everything else flows from it. As it provides the most, potentially all options, I see the realisation of creator-consciousness to be the vantage point from which human experience should be seen and further research be conducted.

Within and Without – Practicalities

The more I understand the achntya-bheda-abheda-tattva – the inconceivable, simultaneous oneness and distinctiveness of creator and creation – the more opportunities I find for applying this very understanding. Appreciating another person, I wonder what aspect he represents which I like or find lacking in myself as individuated consciousness. In conflicts with the world, I wonder what I am opposing or disliking within myself. As the tattva is realised, peace and tranquillity is restored both within and without. There is no point in fighting with yourself. As the correspondence is found within, I also find a gradual cessation of material desire – which can eventually result in a dramatic shift of priorities in society as well. Instead of a life of suffering caused by wilful distraction from oneself in material illusion: A life of boundless creativity in exalted consciousness. Even if me and all those before who have reported similar experiences and espoused variations of this theory are wrong: Approximating such a condition can only bring about a more enjoyable life. Free will, as you will to believe in it, ensures that everyone can live in their very own constructions of what they regard as true. [16] I will to experience the nature of the absolute reality, the light which shines independently for itself. Awakening to creator-consciousness might just be both the first and last step on this timeless journey. In the words of Kula Shaker: „If this was never ending – what more can you say?“ [17]

Notes

I transformed this process into a musical blend: Waking Up to My Mental-Prison Break.

[1] I was positively surprised by Japanese hospitality and its effects on gastronomical culture. A warm, damp towel is served before ordering food. A type of green tea is often free of charge – a welcome change from common gastronomical practice in Europe.

[2] Graham Hancock talks explains in this War on Consciousness TEDxWhitechapel talk how modern society has a strong bias towards the high-alter, active state of consciousness. This goes at the expense of the relaxed, creative state of mind. This favours a “work hard, play hard” type of mentality rather than encouraging deeply reflective practice and free thinking. The officially condoned substances nicotine and alcohol further the “working bee” mentality. Interestingly, it seems there is conflict over whether this controversial talk will be censored by TED – further proving the point. The written version of his argument is available on his website.

[3] It appears there are many cases of feral children in both mythology and reality.

[4] The German researcher Hans-Joachim Zillmer deals with the issues of evolutionary theory on his website. The philosopher Armin Risi proposes his theory of involution, whereas biological evolution occurred as the result of transformations in consciousness.]

[5] Benjamin Libet’s Conscious Mental Field theory shows the practical impossibility of logically and consistently explaining consciousness through matter alone.

[6] I heard of this analogy from an interview with biochemist Rupert Sheldrake.

[7] I introduce this topic in my essay A Conscious Decision. For those who understand German I can highly recommend this intruiging interview with Roman Christian Hafner on Schöpfung und Schöpfer whose appearance interestingly co-incided with the creation of this text.

[8] I explain this process in the last section of my essay on The Hierarchical Principle.

[9] I read of achintya-bheda-abheda-tattva in Armin Risi’s book “Licht wirft keinen Schatten”. He explains the multi-dimensional nature of man in this presentation held in German. In the Krishna’s story, Yashoda finds that the entire universe is contained within him as he opens his mouth.

[10] The occultist Manly Palmer Hall gives a concise account on the Fundamentals of Quabbalistic Cosmogeny in his magnum opus The Secret Teachings of All Ages which luckily is available online in its entirety.

[11] This issue is also dealt with by Hall in the chapter Quabbalistic Keys to the Creation of Man: “Through ignorance man falls; through wisdom he redeems himself. […] He who is aware, IS! Behold!” Those who realize themselves to be creator-consciousness are ready to truly be conscious and create their world to their liking.

[12] There is the theory that free will actually only exists within the lowest spheres of creation. Beings of higher spheres such as cherubim and seraphim are supposed to always act in perfect unison with the will of the creator.

[13] This observation is made in Aldous Huxley’s first hand account The Doors of Perception: “The whole is disorganized. But each individual fragment is in order, is a representative of a Higher Order. The Highest Order prevails even in the disintegration. The totality is present even in the broken pieces. More clearly present, perhaps, than in a completely coherent work.”

[14] Richard Holton likens the development of willpower to the training of a muscle in his paper: How Is Stength of Will Possible?

[15] The golden rule can be found in many variations across cultures and religions.

[16] As put by cybernetician Vickers: „This world of represented context is effectively the world in which we live. It is our supreme mental achievement.“

[17] It is surprising how much art actually concerns itself with spiritual realities including the achintya-bheda-abheda-tattva. The truth shall be revealed to those who have eyes to see. Kula Shaker doesn’t leave much room for interpretation in Tattva: „At the moment that you wake from sleeping – and you know it’s all a dream!“

Frame Image by Marian Trinidad.

Image rights belong to their respective owners.

Decisions I made

There are quite some things I changed within the last year. For some time I had been searching for alternative cosmetic goods such as shampoo since, let’s face it, it’s not hard to recognise that your regular off-the-shelf shampoo (especially if it’s Head&Shoulders Lemongrass) is basically liquid poison. I consciously decided to switch to a local manufacturer of affordable organic soap and was delighted to learn that the appropriate types of soap can also be used as tooth paste, shampoo and shower gel. For me it eliminated the need for any other cosmetic goods as I also stopped using any moisturiser and perfume. I am amazed by how my skin felt more alive just as if it could breathe again after only a few applications. However miraculous, this article is not about soap.

I also started to become more conscious about the food I eat. Since most meat produced today is swamped with drugs and chemicals I’d rather not have in body, I consciously decided to mostly eat vegetarian. I think it really helps not to be dogmatic about it – if I should really crave some meat or it’s a special occasion, I will simply eat it. I recently discovered the taste and vitality provided by raw vegan food and currently plan to develop my eating habits in this direction. You don’t even have to miss out on the most delicious chocolate. [1] Looking at people who have been doing this for longer periods, the long-term viability seems to be given and health benefits appear tremendous. However delicious, this article is not about food.

As I had attended Yoga classes before, I finally took it upon myself and consciously decided to do Yoga regularly. Mind you, it’s not every day and it’s not especially consistent, but I manage to create time and space for it about 1-2 times a week. I find that the best time to do it is after refreshing sleep and before breakfast. The feeling of energization and calmness accompanies me the whole day. I try to become aware of my breathing more often and to ensure that I take deep breaths into my abdomen, as they are much more vitalizing and relaxing than the shallow stressed-out breaths many are used to. Taking five deep breaths can turn most situations around. I also decided to take the stairway instead of the elevator when coming home. However beneficial, the thoughts I want to share aren’t about physical exercise either…

What do all these little episodes of my life have in common? They are about the choices I made which enabled me to live as I desire. Therefore I strive to act in a way to increase the number of choices, both for me and other beings. Being able to consciously choose means having more freedom in your life. Having choices also means bearing self-responsibility – if you made a particular choice, you your-self are to be responsive for the consequences of your choice. This is why many people are afraid of responsibility – because it means they can be held accountable. Therefore mankind created a society where it is easy to lay off responsibility – to some superordinate in the various forms of hierarchy [2] or to our invention of objectivity exemplified by reductionist science. As von Förster points out: Objectivity wants to take the perception of the observer out of the description. If the observer’s perception is deemed invalid – then who is left to describe the phenomenon? The conundrum becomes obvious – without observer there can be no description. [3]

The Refusal to Believe and a Thinkable Alternative

What are the choices you made in your lifetime so far? Have they been your conscious choices or did you simply do as told? Making conscious choices requires the mental freedom to choose. Even before the act of choosing, a choice must become thinkable. No matter where you turn – TV-channels, political parties, supermarkets – you get a number of pre-assorted choices. By deliberately obscuring some possibilities and making you afraid about all kinds of things, your choices are further being limited. People in your social environment, conditioned by the dominant forces of society, often simply adopt such a limited world-view and becomes stuck in it. They regard those who see more possibilities as weird or even crazy. Has it not been the visionaries, who saw a world of possibilities, that have prepared the way for the most marvellous achievements? Isn’t everything you say or do a thought form first, whether conscious or conditioned, and only then born into the world as a word or an action? Therefore, if you want to increase the range of choices you have – which represents the degree of freedom you can claim within your life – you must first decide to think about all those things you would rather not be bothered with. This is an act of becoming aware, acknowledging all the inconvenient observations and thoughts crossing your mind. This means descending into your fears and everything you dislike in order to understand yourself better. Every bit of understanding evaporates the potential to paralyse, manipulate and control you – and transforms it into a vista of conscious choices. When faced with a new situation, a paralysed person can only remain petrified, but a person making a conscious choice may remain calm and move into any direction they desire.

I would argue that eschewing self-responsibility through the denial of free will is ultimately a way of avoiding ourselves. This has led to the construction of a world-view in which people see themselves as nothing but a “persona”, a social construct. They see themselves as merely adapting and responding to the environment, much like a calculator giving the expected solution to a mathematical problem. This is a materialistic world-view, proposing that everything comes out of matter. It assumes that if we would know all variables in this moment, we could calculate the future. At its core, it means that free will is an illusion – after all, where should it come from if we are merely biological machines? This ideology reveals itself in all forms of so-called inherent necessities. It is manifested every time you hear about something as “the only (viable) option” (like saving banks from bankruptcy), usually accompanied by collateral damage (like mass unemployment) justified through this supposed necessity. This tactic only serves to shield the perpetrator from responsibility. If there is only a single course of action, you can’t blame anyone – there was simply no choice! [4] Yet this rhetoric reveals the non-existent freedom such people have through believing in such a mechanistic world-view – it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy and they consider themselves to be victims, constantly violated by their environment. This lets them become very fearful and their response is most often to take control of their material surroundings and fellow men in order to protect themselves. This easily leads to controlling and tyrannical behaviour as they attempt to gain power over others.

I didn’t know what to do when I was first confronted with this world-view and reading publications by neurologists interpreting that there is no (material) basis for free will or consciousness. I remember watching the news as a teenager when the reporter spoke about subsidies for companies while social welfare was lacking – I neither knew what to do about that. However – and this is where it all starts – I refused to believe it. Having stared at my own hands often enough, wondering if I was my body, becoming aware of my thoughts, observing them, I intuitively felt that these explanations can’t be right. As I refused to blindly believe, I had opened my eyes to the gateway leading into another world. Every time you refuse to believe something, even if you are not sure what else to believe, you can choose to make an alternative thinkable.

It is a long and ongoing journey to discover an alternative and I am exhilarated to share my understanding with you. As I refused to believe to be a pre-determined machine, I chose to make an alternative thinkable. Researching related fields for several years and making small steps, as I had chosen to take life into my own hands, I am grateful for ever more amazing experiences and marvellous revelations. Personal experience tells me that making conscious choices and becoming self-responsible improves my quality of life and allows me to learn more and more each moment along the way.

I have recently learned about Tom Campbell’s Big Theory of Everything [5], which provides a scientific basis for a diametrically different world-view while upsetting notions about Newtonian science. Many so-called progressives, techno-utopianists and transhumanists believe reductionistic science to be the path of salvation. Campbell’s theory proposes a scientific, although radically different framework for understanding the world. It requires fewer assumptions and provides better predictability than the current mainstream understanding, yet it also integrates Newtonian science. It postulates the existence of consciousness and evolution. It provides the framework for a statistical reality and shows that conscious will can influence not only your inner mind, but the outer material world – consciousness manifesting itself in matter. The easily verifiable double-slit experiment [6] is the acknowledged example of this phenomenon. It shows that a wave (a probability distribution, a range of possibilities) collapses to a particle (a concrete manifestation) only if it is being observed. Given historical consistency, it explains how the application of conscious will can influence information over any distance and even across time within a statistically significant range.

An easy way to verify this concept for yourself is to attempt Masaru Emoto’s rice hado experiment, whereas thoughts determinate how a physically isolated sample of cooked rice degrades. [7] Being something so counter-intuitive to the materialist world-view, thoughts alone changing matter, this is something only you can prove to yourself. However, it is important that you carry out any related experiment with diligence and pure intent, since your thoughts change the outcome. Accepting this theory might be difficult, but your results would otherwise be skewed. [8] Through this experiment, an important reason for praying and being thankful before eating becomes apparent, while also potentially explaining many religious and paranormal experiences. My desire to understand this existence leads me to accept the theory which uses the fewest assumptions and axioms, explains the most phenomena and has the least exceptions. Which should thus be considered the prime source – matter or consciousness? I choose consciousness.

Accepting a different explanation is an act of transformation. As the world-view is transformed, so are you. Your view is your framing of existence and what you consider to be possible experiences in your life. For me, the refusal to accept a manufactured belief has become an ongoing systemic inquiry [9] into the nature of existence. I gladly share my current understanding, but only you can give yourself an answer to the questions of existence. What are you? Where do you come from and where do you go to? What is the purpose of all this? I am astounded by how many people are hardly bothered by these questions, yet they set the stage for the sense-making of every single experience! I believe it comes back to the basic question of whether you consider yourself to be consciousness bestowed with free will. This extends into whether you can choose to build an understanding of these profound mysteries. Those who say that it will never be solved, why do they have so little faith in the power of their own understanding?

The Power of the Mind

Learning about language, neurology, psychology, sociology, religion, occultism and systems theory has brought me to the study of consciousness itself. The more understanding I gain, the more I believe in the power of my mind. A self-understanding as co-creator puts one into a vastly different mind-set than a self-understanding of being the constant victim of circumstances. Understanding that I can greatly influence my interpretation of the world – and thus my experience – enables tremendous self-empowerment. [10] With great power comes great responsibility. [11] While there are great guidelines on how to act in a way to further love and unity, [12] making mistakes and failing allows us to pay attention to what we still need to learn as part of the process.

My current understanding as basis, I consider the mind to be tremendously powerful. All that can be conceived by our imagination can become reality. While it might take time until a concept, for example of a composition, is transferred into musical notes so it may be played: However fleeting the thought form, it already exists in front of the mind’s eye and is thus already being experienced! As proven by mathematics and imaginary numbers, the realm of imagination can help us to create results in the material world as well. [13] The story of Pema and ancient Buddhism suggest the possibility of creating thought forms which take on a life of their own and manifest in the material world as deities. The conclusion is that just like the deity is an illusion, so is the whole of what is believed to be real. [14] Hypnosis is able to re-create the same phenomenon for both pleasure and spiritual advancement. [15] Are these our children’s so-called imaginary friends? What about the myriad so-called paranormal phenomena (including ghosts, apparitions, UFOs and aliens) which could be simultaneously observed by more than a single person? What about any and all phenomena which cannot be properly explained by the materialistic scientific framework? Both ancient mystic knowledge and modern consciousness research suggest that it is conscious will and desire which bring about our reality, both individually and collectively. One of the reportedly most potent ways to mould reality is through the directed awareness of a group of people, focusing their intent in harmony. This allows to affect the results of random number generators, make plants heal, levitate tables and conjure ghosts with more intimate knowledge of Victorian history than the conjurers could collectively possess. [16]

Assuming conscious choices bring about self-responsibility and thus a more aware, considerate, kind and enjoyable existence within this life-time, the most important task becomes the creation of the freedom to think. As mentioned above, this may be accomplished by facing your own fears and being honest about your desires. After all, if there is a thought within your life you are not comfortable with, how to better do away with it once and for all than to carefully examine and subsequently change it. Thus facing your fears seems to be the best way to understand and thus transform them for good. [17] If your ability to positively influence your life depends on the power of your imagination and your scope of conscious choice, would you not want to make sure that your mind’s eye has a view unobstructed by fear, doubts and pre-conditioned concepts? The clearer the sky in front of your mind’s eye, the better you are able to conjure thought forms and manifest your dreams – from initial conception to eventual realisation – whether in the spiritual, mental or physical realm. We see only what we believe and we believe only what we see. The quantum leap in reflexivity is exemplified within systems theory. From believing that systems exist out there to be eventually understood in their entirety (ontological view), to believing that we actually create the systems as intellectual constructs through our very act of understanding (epistemological view). The more we understand, the more we create through our understanding, the more there is to understand. Thus our inquiry into both the inner world of our mind and the outer world of matter will both be unending. An eternal cycle.

Reality Frames – Mind Frames

As a way of both exploring and avoiding ourselves, we have created many common understandings – reality frames collectively agreed upon. So the world allows us to perceive an illusion of stability. People believe that the material world is real and identify with it. They even believe that their being depends on it. Within the theory of consciousness, our experience of the world and ourselves could be likened to the Matrix as depicted in the 1999 movie. [18] Basically, it is about an illusory experience we believe to be real and important. Previously, I had believed that the matrix was the idea of politics – that a society would necessarily need to be organised through a top-down divide-and-conquer system, along with man-made positive law used to oppress. Then, I thought it was about economy and the idea that demands and debt need to govern human relations. Later, I believed it was about understanding the world’s hidden structures and special interest groups along with their totalitarian ideologies and occult agenda. It is through this path that I came to the study of sociopathic behaviour. I was able to recognise that the issue relies within the individual psyche – yours, mine and society’s mind as the collective reflection. Considering all identification with the material world and our experience we believe to be so real as an illusion is a more radical step, yet one I am happily willing to take if it allows for a more enjoyable life. The process I personally went through, which might very well be far from finished, could be similar to the dream-levels shown in the movie Inception. [19] You wake up to a truth and believe that you are now experiencing the “real” reality, yet you are still dreaming. You wake up to another truth, yet you are just in another layer of your dream. Grand realisations aside, it helps to simply strive to be aware of all the reality frames and dream-layers we constructed: The media with its manufactured version of the world out there. Politics with its ideologies on how the world should work – along with its fake alternatives to stay in control of potential dissidents. Movies and popular culture creating scenarios and proposing specific possibilities – of course only those which ultimately serve the interest of extended control. [20] Video games as alternate realities so extensive some people practically live in the virtual world. The internet, the cyber-space as a representation of our consciousness, yet also heavily censored by the dominant powers. When was the last time you put on your go(o)g(g)les to search for something?

Who created all these realities and what interests do they serve? Can you extract the elements which further your personal freedom and reject those which try to artificially restrict you? Are you aware enough to make the conscious choice to use these reality frames – and not become trapped inside their conceptions so you remain controllable? Many politicians and economists pretend or even believe the world would end if the current system of economic governance collapses – some people even buy into this. Why shouldn’t so-called hallucinations, drug-induced perceptions, [21] altered states of consciousness, extensions of awareness, spiritual experiences and the power of imagination be real? Which reality frames do you allow to frame your mind and thus construct your world? Are they of your own making or did you just blindly accept them? How is your judgement based on your personal understanding of your existence and the fact that you are aware of it?

Consciousness as Eternal Creation

“I believe that every perception is an act of creation, every memory an act of imagination.” – Nobel Laureate Gerald Edelman

Isn’t everything we do, from the seemingly most irrelevant blinking of the eye to the greatest feats of art an act of conception? Isn’t every thought, every emotion, every move, every word, every perception an act of imagination brought about by our mind?

Can we be anything less than eternal co-creators, endlessly re-imagining the dream we call life? [22] Are we not consciousness embodied in mankind, soul fractals incarnated within the material world of time and space, yet always connected to the absolute unity of consciousness beyond polarity? As consciousness within this dense sphere, having forgotten our own nature in order to experience all aspects of existence, what could be more important at this critical juncture then to re-gain our awareness? Choosing to believe that everything is made of the same substance – the subtle, sentient energy we call consciousness. Consciousness is Awareness is Everything is Consciousness becoming aware of itself. Understanding the profound connection between us, which I describe as our common connection to the absolute unity of consciousness, means we are all the same entity experiencing itself from myriad perspectives. We are one yet many. [23] Both ancient Greek philosophy and modern systems theory show how the whole is greater than, or at least different from, the sum of its parts. [24] What could be the purpose of an all-powerful unity of consciousness – being pure love – to conjure these worlds and throw us in it as its parts? I imagine it to be the interaction between its constituent parts – it is thus life itself. The purpose is to learn and to love, as only love allows us to approximate the absolute unity of consciousness beyond polarity. Loving is the process by which the unity is being brought into and re-created within this material world. Thus I believe loving to be the most purposeful act of consciousness. Thus, given the right frame of understanding, I can rephrase: Consciousness is Awareness is Everything is Becoming Aware of Myself as Being Consciousness. I Am that I Am. [25]

“You are not just a drop in the ocean. You are the mighty ocean in the drop.” – Sufi mystic Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī

Is this the reason why both psychology and mysticism tell us to look within ourselves if something bothers us in the other? You see yourself reflected in your world, and often our human companions are our most perfect mirrors. Searching within yourself, acknowledging, accepting and understanding the issue, transforming it, brings resolution and furthers unity: Unity within your personal psyche, unity within your natural and social environment, unity within the whole of consciousness – for it is all you, and as such every manifestation is a fractal of the absolute consciousness. [26]

If you realise yourself to be eternal consciousness incarnated within a temporary body rather than a temporary body having developed consciousness – everything is changed and have new eyes to see. As consciousness, you have the great responsibility of conscious choice – deciding where to go – where to project yourself. As consciousness, everything you direct yourself to – everything you pay attention to – can be transformed or re-inforced by you, for it is (part of the same) consciousness itself. The modern so-called attention economy proves the point that your awareness, yourself as directed consciousness, is what is actually being fought for on the market. Within the control game, it is the only thing that matters and indeed, the only thing capable of creating matter. Only a consciousness which is not losing itself within identification with the material world will not be distracted by the irrelevant promises of power and fame. Such a consciousness can realise its full potential to love through its own creation. Therefore, it is wise to be conscious about yourself as consciousness – being truly self-aware means being yourself.

“Dont ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” – Howard Thurman [27]

With this great power and responsibility also comes great freedom – the freedom to decide. Whatever you do, you may choose to act out of fear or out of love. This is the only relevant choice. I have found that the realisation of being an eternal soul is certainly not necessary, but proves to be very supportive in choosing love over fear. As I realise my immortality since my source is the realm of spirit beyond – nothing in this existence can truly threaten me. Even the death of fear is accomplished as I realise that the fear of death is unfounded. The seriousness, severity, heaviness of existence within the material world is en-lightened. [28] Life ceases to be a struggle and starts to be an experience of learning and loving. It’s just a ride. [29]

This freedom enables us to do whatever we want – yet the truly en-lightened have always chosen the path of love over the path of fear, no matter what price they had to pay within the material world. There are interests among us – and thus still within ourselves – which want us to believe that it doesn’t matter what we do, since every decision supposedly serves the great plan. I contend that while even the worst atrocities need to be acknowledged, understood and thus ultimately transformed into goodness, it does not mean that they are at all necessary in the first place. Becoming aware is a choice in itself and being aware means you can consciously choose to do the right thing right away. Unfounded extensions of ethics in order to justify the unjustifiable should be abandoned for the most ethical, compassionate decision. Written and institutionalised rules and law are dead and can never bring about living ethics. Only conscious deliberation and compassionate intuition at every decision-making point is truly ethical living. [30] I consider the ideology of moral relativism, stating that every behaviour is acceptable, not only misleading but also very dangerous. It attempts to disable your individual moral compass, luring you away from trusting your own conscience (consciousness) in order to accept whatever the dominant culture considers to be the most respectable choice. [31] Listen to your inner guardian protecting you from committing spiritual hara-kiri [32] – you will intuitively know what the right decision is. My choice is to regard the mystery of experience as art-in-fact, realising myself to be an artist, co-creating and thus bringing about life.

“The most visible creators are those artists whose medium is life itself. The ones who express the inexpressible – without brush, hammer, clay, or guitar. They neither paint nor sculpt. Their medium is simply being. Whatever their presence touches has increased life. They see, but don’t have to draw, because they are the artists of being alive.” – Donna J. Stone

My desire remains – to fulfil my own potential and inspire others to do the same – all the while enjoying this marvellous experience. Creating freedom for thought permits me to see more possibilities. Making conscious choices enables me to stay on the right track to realise my potential. Constantly inquiring into the meaning of existence and the nature of consciousness, the nature of myself, is the process of becoming self-aware and allows me to take steps towards a different frame of mind: Loving comes easily and my dream manifests. As consciousness, it is your choice and yours alone. The world you create for yourself – the world I create for myself – the world we create for us. For we are everything experiencing and expressing ourself in infinite refractions. All it takes to realise the miracle of creation and awaken to your life’s purpose: A conscious decision.

Notes:

 [ 1] I recently tried this recipe for vegan chocolate. All it takes is cacao powder, liquid coconut oil and agave syrup. It is absolutely delicious.

[ 2] I wrote an extensive article on the Principle of Hierarchy as a reference.

[ 3] The famous cyberneticist Heinz von Förster talks about the issue of the observer, self-responsibility and his life in this interview. The concepts of embodiment and the validity of subjective accounts are also a recurring theme in phenomenology.

[ 4] The mystic scholar and philosopher Armin Risi writes about free will, world-views and the nature of consciousness in his book Licht wirft keinen Schatten (in German). I think I have never read a German book written in an accessible fashion while revealing such profound insight. If you are interested in understanding how our world-views determine our actions or the mysteries of life, please do read this book.

[ 5] Tom Campbell provides extensive documentation for his Big Theory of Everything in a trilogy of books, but the gist is contained within his lectures.

[ 6] The fundamentals of the double-slit experiment are documented on Wikipedia. This experiment has been widely reproduced and is generally accepted. It serves as the microcosmic example of Campbell’s theory. It is Max Planck, the founding father of quantum theory, who supports the assumption of consciousness as primal source: “I regard consciousness as fundamental. I regard matter as derivative from consciousness. We cannot get behind consciousness. Everything that we talk about, everything that we regard as existing, postulates consciousness.” As quoted in The Observer (25 January 1931)

[ 7] Masaru Emoto’s rice hado experiment is taken from the Russian documentary Water, which reveals many interesting properties of the element our bodies are mostly composed of. These findings are completely in line with Campbell’s theory and I was able to reproduce the results myself. The experimental set-up is very easy and many people have successfully done this experiment . If you are a scientifically minded person, I think this is one of the best ways you can convince yourself of the primacy of consciousness.

[ 8] The concept of second-order cybernetics, from the field of systems theory, explains how the experimenter is always part of the experiment himself and is unable to separate himself from it. The experiment influences and vice versa. Understanding the power of conscious intent elevates this consideration to another level.

[ 9] I consider systemic inquiry as a fancy description of never stopping to question everything. I encountered it during my academic study of systems theory. Taken from Ray Ison: “With awareness systemic inquiry invites a consistent way of being within an on-going inquiry process (e.g. living life as inquiry).” You can download the first chapter of this book here.

[ 10] Banal as it sounds, belief in self-efficacy is something which needs to be (re-)learned. Yes, you are infinite potential.

[ 11] This quote is prominently featured in the 2002 Spiderman movie and initially appeared in the first spiderman story by Stan Lee.

[ 12] Armin Risi provides most excellent explanations about the differences between “God’s law” and “God’s will” in Licht wirft keinen Schatten. It deserves its subtitle as a “spiritual-philosophical manual”.

[ 13] James Bechrakis wrote a paper on the concept of imaginary numbers as a modern from of astral magic: I, Squared.

[ 14] The story of Pema is featured as Chapter 3 of Magical Use of Thought Forms but can also be accessed here. I recommend reading this highly fascinating and inspiring story.

[ 15] If you are interested in creating thought forms, you might want to visit the website of hypnotist Talmadge Harper. He seems highly competent, his products are reasonably priced he is praised in many testimonials.

[ 16] These examples are taken from both Thomas Campbell’s work and the book Magical Use of Thought Forms by Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki and J.H. Brennan.

[ 17] While psychiatry and yoga/bodywork have different approaches, the both require the afflicted to re-live an experiment in order to change its definition. I think this process can be likened to accessing a specific part of the matrix (your mind), going into it and re-programming it. Therefore you must face your fears if you wish to defeat them. I won’t tire to recommend the Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear.

[ 18] Max Planck spoke about the mind as the matrix of all matter: “As a man who has devoted his whole life to the most clear headed science, to the study of matter, I can tell you as a result of my research about atoms this much: There is no matter as such. All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force which brings the particle of an atom to vibration and holds this most minute solar system of the atom together. We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent mind. This mind is the matrix of all matter.” Excerpt from Das Wesen der Materie [The Nature of Matter], speech at Florence, Italy (1944) (from Archiv zur Geschichte der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Abt. Va, Rep. 11 Planck, Nr. 1797)

[ 19] I recommend the movie Inception. It offers Hollywood’s interpretation of the power of our minds and the idea of both living in and creating dream-layers. Within the plot, as agents change the environment within the dream of their victim as they try to fool him, his unconscious, represented by the pedestrians in his dream, becomes increasingly suspicious of the intruders and eventually tries to stop and kill them. It is this kind of vigilance we require within our own minds as foreign thoughts, concepts and ideologies attempt to invade it. Make sure the general population within your mind is well-armed against potential intruders – it is mental defence that is most required these days.

[ 20] This review of The Political Economy of Culture by Sut Jhally neatly summarises this point.

[ 21] As probably most great philosophers, Aldous Huxley also actively sought out experiences which enabled him to perceive the world in a new way. He describes his experience with peyote/mescalin in the essay The Doors of Perception.

[ 22] I can recommend the book The Tree of Knowledge written by Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela, applying the science of neural systems to questions of perception and knowing, ultimately arriving at the concept of self-creation as Autopoiesis. The profundity of this consideration was also recognised by von Förster in Ethics and second-order cybernetics, as reported in the aforementioned book by Ray Ison: “Am I apart from the universe? Whenever I look, am I looking as through a peep-hole upon an unfolding universe? Am I part of the universe? Whenever I act, am I changing myself and the universe as well? He then went on to say: “Whenever I reflect on these two alternatives, I am surprised again and again by the depth of the abyss that separates the two fundamentally different worlds that can be created by such a choice. Either to see myself as a citizen of an independent universe, whose regularities, rules and customs I may eventually discover, or to see myself as the participant in a conspiracy [in the sense of collective action], whose customs, rules and regulations we are now inventing.””

[ 23] Derived from the teachings of Sri Chaitanya, Armin Risi descirbes this unimaginable state of God and God’s energies being simultaneously both different and not-different: “Mit anderen Worten, wenn man sagt: „Alles ist eins”, ist dies eine einseitige, nicht vollständige Betrachtungsweise des Absoluten. Denn alles ist eins und verschieden, und zwar gleichzeitig. Diese differenzierte Erkenntnis (tattva) lautet im Sanskrit: acintya bhedabheda-tattva, „das unvorstellbare (acintya) gleichzeitige Verschiedensein (bheda) und Nicht-verschiedensein (abheda) von Gott und Gottes Energien”.”

[ 24] See the principles of emergence and swarm intelligence, whereas complex and entirely unexpected behaviour can arise through the collaboration of seemingly simple agents. This notion was popularised in James Surowiecki’s The Wisdom of Crowds.

[ 25] I recommend this short but very inspiring lecture by Alan Watts on the Way of Waking Up. On a similar note, as he insightfully attested a crisis in consciousness and called for the real revolution, I would allow Jiddu Krishnamurti to ask “Who are you?” and “Why don’t you change?”.

[ 26] This is most likely what is called God by most religions, seen and interpreted from their different viewpoints. It is also strongly related to Carl Gustav Jung‘s idea of the collective unconscious, which is also being referred to in the aforementioned Magical Use of Thought Forms as the astral plane where thoughts can be transmitted. I am still highly impressed by the anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. The series has (at least) two alternate endings through its Human Instrumentality Project. One exemplifies the return to the absolute unity of consciousness, the other shows the continued material embodiment of soul fractals within the world of polarity. There is also an interesting analysis of the series’ characters according to the sephirotic tree of life.

[ 27] A modern embodiment of this principle of “doing what you love to do“ is Mitch Altman, a prominent member of the Hackerspace movement. Watch his TEDx Brussels talk and be inspired to do what you love to do and find the support you need.

[ 28] I stumbled across this short video entitled The Universe is an Illusion, But Consciousness Isn’t. Profoundly inspiring.

[ 29] The comedian Bill Hicks pointed this out as the conclusion to one of his programmes.

[ 30] Albert Schweitzer extends on this point and describes his view on ethics in Reverence for Life.

[ 31] Armin Risi de-constructs the fallacies of moral relativism in Licht wirft keinen Schatten.

[ 32] This useful piece of advice is taken from the aforementioned Magical use of Thought Forms.

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