cosmic history

Exercise 3. Contemplating: Seven Stages of Evolution Purpose: Recapitulate in your own life the evolution of consciousness in the Moral Universe.

First, study the list of the seven stages of the evolution of consciousness in the moral universe on p. 240. Take seven pages in your notebook and on the top of each page write down one each of the stages. Think of each of these stages as corresponding to one of the seven stages of your own life. (You might recall Shakespeare’s famous description of the seven stages of life, as well). By seeing these stages of consciousness as corresponding to stages of your own life, you might get a better comprehension of the nature of the evolution of cosmic consciousness.

1. Absolute Oceanic Consciousness.

Think of this stage as the time when you were in the womb, the time before you were born.

Go into that period of your life - pre-birth - and even preconception, if you will. Feel and try to imagine how that might be like “Absolute Oceanic Consciousness. Write down whatever comes to you about this time and how it is like absolute oceanic consciousness.

2. Birth of ego (which gives rise to unconscious and diminishing consciousness).

When does this occur? Why does ego create the unconscious? What is ego – differentiation of self from the world identified with your body. Think of how that would create an unconscious realm. And then think, why does consciousness diminish with the birth and maintenance of the ego? Can you remember when you first thought of yourself as an “individual” attached to the name you were given at birth? Think how much a given name establishes or solidifies the ego.

What if you had no name? Write down your reflections.

3. Moral awakening consciousness.

You can think of this kind of awakening as coupled with a sense of the limitations of the ego.

Can you define moments when your ego came up against its limits? How did you respond? What did you learn? Can you say if you ever had a moral awakening? Think about it. Describe this experience or experiences. Describe how such a moral awakening changed your life. Describe how you seek to become a morally better person.

4. Liberated consciousness.

This means consciousness liberated from ego, the ultimate object of pursuing moral consciousness. To be liberated from ego is to experience “non-ego.” Have you ever experienced non-ego? How so? Describe your experiences. Think of life without ego. Describe what that might be like. Think of everybody liberated from ego. What would that be like? Could there be such a thing as enlightened society?

5. Universal compassionate consciousness—noospheric.

How or why would liberated consciousness lead to universal compassionate consciousness? Why do you think this is also referred to as “noospheric” consciousness? If the noosphere is the mind of Earth, does this mean that when the noosphere becomes consciously activated that we will live in a compassionate society? Think about it and describe your feelings about this, how could this come about and what that might be like?

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