Evolution of Consciousness

6th/7th July 2006

When Bridget used to host our local philosophy & conscious creation discussion evenings, one characteristic of them was my habit of asking three-hour long 'big' questions five minutes before the end. In this section we reform the five to eleven question tradition here online.

Hi Bridget,

I've just been viewing the latest Andrew Cohen presentation on the evolution of consciousness, and, from the quote below, wondered what your thoughts were about the suggestion at the end of this quote that the evolution of consciousness 'is something we cannot do alone'?

"Consciousness cannot and will not evolve merely of it's own accord. It is only through wholehearted commitment and intention from each individual to do so, that consciousness is able to evolve. It's important to understand that these higher structures or levels do not preexist, but only emerge with our ability to actually create them, and this ultimately creative endeavour is something we cannot do alone." - Andrew Cohen.com

Must be a five minutes to eleven question!

Regards and best wishes,

James

Hi James,

You're telling me it's a five to eleven question!

My first comment would be that, in my opinion, "these higher structures or levels" do already exist and that they emerge into our lives as and when we are ready/happy/want to accept/see them.

I also believe that it is something we can do entirely on our own, but this is that difficult to talk around area of what 'on our own' actually means once we believe in unity anyway.

I would expect that for me I would see it as a journey involving 'others', but I am happy with the idea that I will only see these 'others' in my journey when I have made that "wholehearted commitment and intention".

What do you reckon?

Love Bridget xx

PS. I guess what I'm getting at is that "we cannot do it alone" may be a reflection that we cannot do it alone while we still believe that we are a totally non-connected, separate individual to 'other' people ie - "we cannot do it alone" translates as 'we cannot do it while we believe we are separated from others'.

Hi, and thank you.

I go with your suggestion that we cannot do it while we believe we are separated from others.

On the main issue, I don't like the word 'cannot' generally, because I don't think there's anything we cannot do. I'm happy to go with it (by feel) in the 'cannot do it alone' though because I think it's somewhat of a non-statement, that . It doesn't have to consciously involve everyone, or perhaps even anyone else, but it is certainly proving to do so, so its difficult to get a feel of trying to do it any otherwise.

I'm not sure about the thing that they already exist. In my body I think I can feel the push/pull of the evolutionary drive to develop more/further, so I think, and incidentally, desire, that we do create them anew, but it being a 'notion' about time, I'm inclined to sense that it's a bit of both - or rather neither, that its a truth beyond the notion of time. But I do feel the driving force to grow and I do sense some creating anew. - brand new.

If its not creating anew does the human have the loophole to not take responsibility as things are already created? Hmmn. I wonder.

Will continue to question it, of course.

Next thoughts welcome...

James

'If its not creating anew does the human have the loophole to not take responsibility as things are already created?'

I believe we all always have the option as to whether we take responsibility for ourselves or not. If we have to be forced to take responsibility for ourselves, rather than actively choosing to do so, that would suggest to me that we're not taking responsibility anyway.

Is this not saying though that we AREN'T responsible rather than that we don't ACCEPT responsiblility if the matter is that it's all already in existence?

Looking at whether we ARE or AREN'T rather than whether we ACCEPT or not.

It's saying that we always have the choice to take responsibility for ourselves, or in your words, accept that responsibility for ourselves.

To me there is no question as to whether we are or aren't responsible for ourselves. We simply are.