A great deal has been written about the nature of mind and consciousness. Inevitably, discussion becomes polarised. Many proponents of the physical sciences assert that the phenomenon identified as consciousness is an emergent property of the organic matter, electrical and chemical impulses that make up the brain. How this emergence occurs is yet to be definitively explained.
Those of a spiritual inclination are likely to see consciousness as having a more autonomous existence and, whist inextricably linked to the brain and body, it will transcend this host vehicle upon death. The consciousness that transcends is not the coarse mind that each of us experience on a daily basis as our own. Rather, it is a far more subtle underlying consciousness known in Tibetan Buddhism as the “Mindstream” (Skt. citta-santana). It carries the karmic imprint of current and previous lifetimes and the habitual tendencies that have accumulated over our recurring journey. Some traditions maintain that our own individual consciousness in a part of a larger universal consciousness from which it originates and to which it will eventually return. We are all connected in the enormity of universal consciousness.
In the Dzogchen tradition each cycle of samsara begins with an unawareness of all phenomena (Skt. dharamadhatu); a blank, void state, empty of content (Skt. alaya). It is from this base that our individual awareness or consciousness begins to emerge – affective cognition and perception. Constructs such as mind, space, time, energy and matter appear as consciousness unfolds. They do not exist unless there is consciousness to bring them into being.
““The origin of consciousness is the absentminded sequence of wandering thoughts shrouded in unawareness, as is the origin of consciousness in a non-lucid dream. According to Vajrayana Buddhism, the origin of ordinary human consciousness is also shrouded in unawareness. Just as primordial consciousness manifests as the clear light of death immediately during the dying process, so does it manifest as the clear light of birth at the time of conception. But for ordinary human beings this pristine awareness flashes by unrecognised, and it is immediately eclipsed by the unconscious emergence of the substrate (Skt: alayavijnana). Karmic energies then catalyse this immaterial vacuity, out of which the substrate unconsciousness emerges, and during the formation of the foetus the human mind forms in dependence upon the developing nervous system.””
In this website I explore the following themes:
The Building Blocks of Physics: Space, Time, Energy and Matter
The Quantum World and Consciousness
Neuroscience and the Mind
Consciousness from the Jungian Archetypal Perspective
The Advaita Vedanta view of Awareness
Consciousness in Dzogchen and Vajrayana Traditions
The fundamental building blocks of the universe; space, time, energy and matter are discussed from a non-technical perspective. As science and the contemplative traditions move closer together through various undertakings, such as the Pari Centre in Tuscany, Italy and the Centre for Contemplative Research in Crestone Colorado, USA, some scientists are coming to the conclusion that they need to know more about the instrument they use to analyse physical phenomena: The Mind.
I spend some time pursuing the perspective of quantum theory and consciousness. Quantum physicists have known for some time that the observer impacts on the observed at the sub-atomic level. How this impact occurs is the subject of debate. I will look at the rise of non-conscious intelligence and its potential impact on our view of the mind as well as some of the theories emerging from neuroscience and the study of the brain. Most neuroscientists readily admit they do not yet understand the process by which consciousness emerges.
The enigmatic student and contemporary of Freud, Carl Gustav Jung developed a unique theory of consciousness which he saw as emerging through the activation of specific archetypes as the infant develops. Eminent psychiatrist, Erich Neuman, further developed the pioneering theories of Jung. His work provides great insight into the symbolic representation of archetypes.
The ancient tradition of Advaita Vedanta traces its history back to the Vedas and Upanishads. I pursue this largely through the work of scholar and author, Rupert Spira, whose astounding understanding of origins of awareness takes us from the finite mind, which each of us experience on a daily basis, to the infinite mind of universal consciousness. The brilliance of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj adds to the discussion.
Rupert Spira
Scholar and Author
Dzogchen, the Great Perfection or Ever-Purity (Skt. ka-dag), has a lot to tell us about the nature of consciousness. The teachings which underpins this ultimate state of being are thought to originate with the primordial Buddha, Samantabhadra. Dzogchen may arise spontaneously when one is said to reside in a state of oneness (non-duality, Skt. vidya, Tib. rigpa) that is both luminous and transcendent. The Vajrayana, diamond weapon, and one of the three vehicles to enlightenment, teaches us how embracing the notion of the inherent “Emptiness” (Skt. sunyata) of all phenomena is central to achieving higher levels of awakening.
In writing the text for this website I became aware of the limitations to the hard problem of consciousness. How does consciousness emerge from matter, if indeed it does? The mind, consciousness and awareness are constructs. It is possible to know them deeply and subjectively as Eastern traditions have taught us. But our insight might be constrained by a similar set of limitations that preclude us from being able to apprehend a significant part of the universe. That is really what I wish to explore here; not just the mind knowing itself but understanding the ground that gives rise to consciousness. Here, the traditions of Advaita Vedanta, Dzogchen and the Vajrayana have much to offer.
This is a daunting task and one that scholars have pursued since a glimmer of awareness first found its way into our being. I propose six liminal spaces, or transitional states, of consciousness derived from my own experience, the frameworks pursued in this paper and the teachings of various inspirational thinkers. In summary these are (click key word to follow link):
1. Unmajana; where consciousness emerges from its primordial source.
2. Citta; where heart-mind consciousness develops and transforms.
3. Vigraha is about the transition of the host vehicle: the body.
4. Advaya considers the notion of our identity. Our mind-set.
5. Sahaja explores the possibility of spontaneous awakening.
6. Ananta; where consciousness returns to its origins – the infinite.
These concepts remain in the developmental stage. Their shape and form continues to shift.
At the Science and Nonduality (SAND) Conference in Umbria, Italy in July, 2019, quantum physicist, Chris Fields led a panel discussion; “What is a Theory of Consciousness For?” Various speakers including futurists, neuroscientists, physicists and spiritual practitioners explored the possibility that they might, one day, develop a unified theory of consciousness. I have not sought to pursue this here. Each of the viewpoints discussed in this site has something to offer and, in a way, are all linked by a common thread. They all seek to understand the phenomenon of consciousness from their own particular standpoint. Each is quite different, and this difference enriches our understanding.
