Spiritual Article 23rd May 2015
What is consciousness?
Consciousness is something abstract. To many of us, it has remain a mystical component and difficult to define because it is formless. Even today, the scientific field of quantum mechanics is still exploring to understand consciousness because its nature is subjective whereas science is objective.
I will try to share what I understand about consciousness from the spiritual perspectives. These are especially from the ancient Vedic scriptures tradition, Buddhism and enlightened masters who all along have been teaching consciousness as something fundamental in human beings.
According to Vedanta, the father of philosophies, we are consciousness and the whole Universe arises from the vibration of consciousness. The ultimate goal or higher purpose of humanity is to connect to the universal consciousness for liberation and enlightenment.
One of the most influential spiritual masters of the world today, Paramahamsa Nithyananda, explains that the Upanishads declares pure consciousness as all pervasive, all knowing, powerful and eternal. (the Upanishads is the ancient Vedic texts that hold the essence of Vedas and Vedanta)
You are consciousness whether you realise now or not. It is only by experience that you can fully understand consciousness. It is ever pure space and is a state of highest possibilities, beyond body and mind.
From Deepak Chopra, “Consciousness is subjectivity awareness” that has the ability to intelligently monitor brain, body, actions, thoughts, feelings and intentions and coordinate all functions.
From Eckhart Tolle, “The consciousness that you are beyond form (which is the soul), and that is who you are in essence”
In short, Consciousness is fundamentally an awareness of existence for all experience of possibilities. It is the deeper and formless dimension within us that is stable, a powerful quality and eternal. Consciousness works within itself.
Consciousness is a springboard for thoughts, decisions and actions; the soul or consciousness reacts to external circumstances according to what it feels itself to be at that particular moment.
Why is consciousness important and how to access it.
In modern times, most people focus all their energies towards worldly things. The wrong ideas, beliefs and cognitions we are carrying is preventing us from believing or forget that we are consciousness. The pleasures derived from our five senses make us attach and believe we are body and mind. When this leads to our ego, greed, fear– this dependency will make us powerless and depressed.
Consciousness is important. This is because consciousness leads to solutions by its own nature since it wants to express itself. Deepak Chopra says “Think of consciousness like an ocean. It is self sufficient and has everything to support life. That is, the solution you are seeking already exists in potential.” You need to get connected to universal consciousness to find the answer.
To access your consciousness, meditation has been known to increase consciousness by looking in at your true self. This is traditionally known as the soul level or spirit that drives your motivation. The consciousness will send messages through intuition, insight, and creativity. It arranges the best possible outcome for you.
Paramahamsa Nithyananda says that meditation is the only way to manifest and increase consciousness. He explains the need to intensely and constantly remember who you are – you that carry the cognition as ” I am consciousness” to every experience, thought and feeling; and to authentically realign all thoughts, words and actions.. Go on contemplating this awareness to develop your subtle part of your brain. Your brain will automatically catch it and all decisions will be based on consciousness- alive, active and able to reflect the highest consciousness that will radiate the joy and creativity.
When you continue to contemplate consciousness again and again, the qualities of consciousness will permeate more and more into your inner space. That inner space is the stillness, the subtle peace, deep within where pure consciousness (unmanifested) flows into your expanded awareness. You will ultimately experience pure consciousness when it established Oneness with the universal intelligence. Oneness is defined here as collective consciousness.
Conclusion
First, we ARE the source- the source of metaphysical energy known as consciousness. We are consciousness, beyond body and mind with the potential to create an inner space of highest possibilities. We are human beings with a soul- the spirit
But we are too identified with the form and when we are in body- conscious state, it creates the ego which is only a belief. The self identity affects the way consciousness works.
The only way to access consciousness is through meditation and self awareness to increase consciousness. In a soul -conscious state, the awareness changes the patterns of the thought-decision-action chain from negative to positive
Ooi Chin Wah
