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The critical role of consciousness in living a spiritual life to deal withthe challenges ahead
http://www.bobcalkin.co.nz 
It’s inconceivable to me that the universe of which the Earth is a tiny part all happened bychance. It makes more sense to accept there is a mystery which we probably won’t uncover,but that the universe‘s evolutionary thrust is driven by a sacred intelligent energy that isinherent in the way the universe functions. The role of human beings in this cosmic drama isto evolve in order that the universe will know itself. We are the universe becoming aware of itself.As it is there is reliable scientific theory that the universe has evolved to its present state andcontinues to evolve. The course of evolution is towards more and more complexity. Humanconsciousness also evolves being able to handle more and more complexity and to alsoincrease its span of care and concern.However, it is also clear that even though human consciousness has evolved towards greatercomplexity and care and concern there is something problematic about human consciousness.In the western developed world we have created a civilization that confers many benefits butat the same time the Earth’s ecology is under serious threat, so much so that our civilizationmight not survive this century, there is major social division within societies and within thewider global community and there is widespread psychological alienation. Moreover theeconomic model that emerged out of the 1930’s depression and after the Second World Warhas collapsed.All of these issues pose major challenges which the current dominant consciousness will notbe able to solve.What then do we make of the sacred intelligent energy that drives evolution of the universe?Evolution will continue no matter what and the Earth will continue (at least for the next fewbillion years) but our current human civilization may not unless we evolve beyond andtranscend the current dominant consciousness. This means that human beings mightn’t beable to fulfill their mission of helping the universe know itself to be replaced by some otherform of consciousness.The stakes are extremely high and they have probably never been higher for humancivilization. One of the critical issues is the creation of a new economy, but the danger is thatwe will create an economy that continues to defy the laws of nature and that will not repairthe damage caused to the ecology.It’s around this issue of economic reconstruction that questions of consciousness arises. Howdo we understand the consciousness that has given rise to the modern world and aconsciousness that will take us beyond our current challenges? Along with many others I callthe current dominant consciousness modernist consciousness.
Modernist consciousness is a term used by many to describe a whole range of culturalvalues, norms and practices. People whose consciousness is at this stage experiencethe self as a separate isolated individual. Modernism values wealth, status and the
 
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good life through material wealth and consumption. People are valued in terms of what they own and their income. Progress is achieved through science and technologyand seeking the best solution is equated with what advances wealth and status. Itvalues winning and striving for excellence and appreciates individual autonomy andindependence, all organized within a meritocracy.These are the things that people with this level of consciousness identify with. In thecurrent financial meltdown all of these ideas and values are under threat and stand atthe heart of the fears and anxieties that have arisen as people have seen their dreamsand hope shattered. The danger is that those with shattered dreams will try to recreatethe economic conditions that they have lost. The real solution involves building a newconsciousness based around what I call a spiritual life of everyday experience.Modernist consciousness is based on values of wealth, status and the good life basedaround conspicuous consumption which it is assumed are the core of human nature.Those with this consciousness fashion their lives around these values.Developmental psychology has taught us, however, that there is no such thing as auniversal human nature. Our nature as a human being evolves through different stagesand there is no such thing as a permanent human nature common to all people. Thishas to be a source of hope for the future. There is far more to being human than as aneconomic optimizer as the economists would have us believe.This consciousness created the modern world, but it cannot take us to a world that willwork in harmony with and value the Earth and allow the Earth to heal, as well asvaluing all living forms. It will not be possible to retain this form of consciousnessand create a post financial crash economy and a mode of consumption aimed atreversing global warming and repairing the ecosystem services.Einstein said that you cannot solve the problems created by one type of consciousnesswith the level of consciousness that created the problem in the first place.
What type of consciousness will be required to replace modernist consciousness? I call thisecological consciousness associated with a spiritual life based around the experience of everyday life.This new form of consciousness will need to have the potential to solve a series of bigquestions.
It will be needed to create a new economy that obeys the ecologicalboundaries of the Earth, protects the positive features of our civilization, addresses thesocial divisions that exist and heals widespread psychological alienation. How wouldwe describe such a consciousness?Ecological consciousness like all stages of consciousness has six themes:
 
Ecological consciousness perceives our reality as human beings participatingin universal life which is a conscious intelligent energy field, life has us wedon’t have a life, we are the dance, life is the dancer.
 
Ecological consciousness recognizes that we have needs in order to serveuniversal life. In the modern world needs extend to education, health care, safe
 
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communities, opportunities to develop our competencies and consciousnessand so on. Ecological consciousness sees these things as needs that it requiresin order to serve universal life but does not covet them, identify with them orbecome attached to them.
 
Ecological consciousness embraces a relationship between ourselves as humanbeings and the way we make a living in a way that promotes living inharmony with and valuing the Earth and all living forms, and that is anexpression of the purpose we fulfill on behalf of life, where service is theprime concern.
 
Ecological consciousness adopts a life style that makes as few demands on theEarth’s resources as possible and weighs up how all activities impact upon theEarth, other people and other living forms. Above all ecological consciousnessabandons the pursuit of wealth and status except as a means of supplying ourneeds in accordance with the Earth’s ecology. This is a revolutionary andradical idea.
 
Ecological consciousness adopts an attitude of abiding in all and everyoneabiding in it as a basis for its relationships with others.
 
Ecological consciousness engages in political, social and economic events. Itdoes so aware that people are at different stages of consciousness so as tomanage the spiral of development for the benefit of all, and in a way thatfacilitates the growth and development of all. It tries where possible topromote amplified ecologically conscious people into positions of leadership.Ecological consciousness looks to the possibility of converting itself into aworld wide movement pledged to influence the course of events.There are clearly huge gaps between modernist consciousness and ecologicalconsciousness. Is the gap so great that it’s unbridgeable?The answer to this profoundly important question needs to be considered in relation tothe severity of the challenges we face, the likely outcome if we don’t face them andthe fact that as human beings we are programmed to evolve and develop. It’simportant for as many people as possible to face up to the nature of the challenges andto accept that modernist consciousness will hinder our chances of preserving ourcivilization. Recognizing that we must face this challenge and lead a spiritual lifebased in everyday experience is one of the critical challenges that we face.We know enough about consciousness, about how it develops and how people canmake real and lasting change. There are also enough people whose consciousness isbordering on ecological consciousness, even though the present numbers who havereached this stage is relatively small.This suggests that it will be possible for enough people to take on board theevolutionary challenge of developing ecological consciousness to lead the way to anew economy that obeys the laws of the Earth’s ecology, that is able to respond to thegrievous social division and to healing psychological alienation to be hopeful that we just might have a chance.
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