14 Whose Consciousness?

Whose Consciousness?  14

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     We humans, and perhaps animals, have an individual consciousness. Because consciousness is an individual experience, which human literature has raged about for centuries as to just what it is.
      In this fable of Hummy and BillyG we are going to sail past that rocky shoreline and into the blue of a more navigable ocean called the consciousness of Mother Nature. 
       For our story we are going to assume that awareness and consciousness are inseparable. We are also going to hear what some of the first readers of our fable offer about animal vs human consciousness.

    I, here, offer a theory which may only serve to complicate the matter but is stuck in my craw. I believe that we carry the consciousness of all our past generations within our genes. Yes, we do feel the guilt and shame of Adam and Eve, our grandparents, and thousands of preceding generations as well.  
     Here, the advantage goes to the animals and our small band of Dominican animals who have survived Irma and then Maria. They, fortunately for us humans, are not saddled with guilt and shame of the past.   We should not forget that the human race has sustained triumphs while suffering horrendous losses.

     Three of our readers offer astute intelligence about animals in relation to people.  

     (from Joe R) I am not sure why animals are more in tune with nature and physics than humans. My squirrels knew the storm (Maria) was coming, so 7 days before it got here they started stock and feathering winter nest above the back porch. I knew immediately what they were doing…. they looked to be fed but preferred not to take food from my hand. They called when a cat was in the yard or hawks are in the area. I threw rocks at the cats and they left, then the squirrels sounded the all clear……………So, somehow, we must breakaway and follow our inmost being, calling us to the inner room as well as to nature and animals.

     (from Martina S) I like your blog about consciousness and the topics you address; the importance of being connected to nature, our pace, the animals communicating using humor to shed light on very serious and important messages. Consciousness, to me, is very different from person to person. Some very successful people, who function well in the world, are not conscious. I believe some people have a natural awareness and others do fine without it. I think consciousness can be trained, like a muscle, and gets stronger when used. I think also, there is a great collective consciousness we can all tap into; that which is useful and nurturing for humanity, nature; and life evolves and survives in order to give us a wakefulness and mindful experience.

     (from Mike S) Consciousness is, by definition, exclusively a human trait because we say it is, i.e. because of language. But one thing I have noticed over the years is that we keep having to narrow the gap between human consciousness and animal instinct. A lot of this human perceived differentiation expressed in language is hokum and leads to all sorts of mischief as well as self-realization. I agree with Joe R that animals are more in tune with nature and physics than are humans.  I think it is because homo sapiens, having language, writing, and technology to transfer or share knowledge dulls our innate awareness of natural phenomena.  The dog whisperer, Milan, has shown that dogs, in addition to having a superior awareness of smell, have a superior sense of their “pack leader’s emotional state as compared with the average educated human. My point is that the idea of human “consciousness” is a human invention that is exclusively relevant only to humans who have been conditioned to understand the concept of “consciousness” as a human trait. 
     My big question is: What is it in human (homo sapiens) consciousness that results in our universal compulsion to invent or embrace superstition/tribalism/myth/religion which arise in every civilization of homo sapiens that we know of so far? Is this another way to express the theory (idea) that “we carry the consciousness of all our past generations within our genes?” Is this what Dean Hamer postulated as the God gene?  If so, I am very skeptical of this theory.

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     "We have a full plate to consider, " hummed Hummy. "Let’s get on with it."   

suggested reading;  Why Dogs Hump and Bees Get Depressed,  by Marc Bekoff, New World 2013

13 Consciousness

Consciousness 13

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       What am I conscious of?  Is it a moment-to-moment awareness?  It can move systematically or subtly but it is always changing.   But do I have an underlying unconsciousness that guides me?   For that I must totally immerse myself; but the range moves frighteningly from dog in heat to an image of Jesus.  

      At this moment, I am trying to focus on what my resting consciousness is. 
      Do I have a resting consciousness or restless consciousness?  There is some research which indicates that men cycle through a sexual waxing and waning every 90 minutes.  I have not kept count.  

      The human consciousness is far more troublesome than animal consciousness. So, listen now, as our small Dominican animal group wades into the swamp of human consciousness out of being swamped by Hurricane Maria. 

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      "Myrtle, I don't know how you found this cave but you saved the whole group from Hurricane Maria," Coqui sang out echoing through the vast cave on the devastated island of Dominica.

     "Turtles know about holes in the ground including caves,"replied Myrtle. 

      Just then Fran the cat appeared out of nowhere, " I wanted to join this group because I overheard something about consciousness."  

       "Bringing you up to date, Fran, we have been coaxed here by Mom Nature to help humans, who are about to destroy the planet, get a clear idea of the danger that faces us all," Hooie hooted.   

     " The problem got past us at least 100 years ago, by all of us animals, except the 1918 virus which killed 1/3 of the population. We thought that humans were so intelligent that they would not lead us into the swamp of stupidity, where we find ourselves in now. The 1918 virus tried to wipe out the human race hoping to start over with something better, but failed, " chirped Andi, the osprey. "Most virus species and a few bacteria can think their way around an antibiotic in a flash. They are faster thinkers than humans,"  

     " Now you bring us back to the main issue. Is it consciousness, greed, speed or the waning of natural intelligence in humans that we are to tackle?" cracked Cackle. 

     " Don't go so fast. Slow down and we can see one problem at a time," crooned Mira the sloth.

     " So be it," flapped Mary the facilitator.  "But you raise a totally new issue in what you call the waning of natural intelligence."

     “Humans are not just greedy or speedy, but have wandered away from natural law.  In doing so they have become fragmented into liberals vs. conservatives, workers(slaves) vs. entrepreneurs or conflict driven vs. peace mongers, and worst of all God fearing vs. God damning,” purred Fran, the cat from out of nowhere.

     “This Group needs to find a level playing field,” hummed Hummy," we have got to find solid ground. So, let us assume for a moment that there is a speed at which living things begin to fragment and lose the natural order of the Universe. This puts all living things in jeopardy and eventual death.”

     “I am all for it,” barked Jake, the Basset hound,” I have always envied those Greyhound legs.”  

      “I don’t know about your legs,” bleated BillyG, "But we have too many balls in the air. I, for instance, think we are leaving out a most crucial problem of humankind and that is DENIAL. Humans deny the essential forest just to cut down a few trees."

12 Believing

Believing 12

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     As I watched the videos of people and dogs being rescued from the flooding of Hurricane Harvey, I found myself focused on the dogs more than the people. The dogs were obedient to a fault, sad but resolute, and appeared to know what was going on. How did they know? The simple explanation is that there are no words to be said during a disaster in progress.

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     “How do we know that the planet is threatened because of simple disarray?” clucked Bertie, the peregrine falcon, “We have seen world wars, famine, genocides, plagues and hellacious storms. Some of us are descendants of those creatures who survived major meteor strikes; So, what’s the big deal about this time?”

     “Something in my consciousness believes that this time it is truly different,” Shazam clucked back, “and I say believe rather than know with good reason.”

     “That’s scary,” Myrtle blurted, “but believing and knowing are the same for me. I both believe and know that the Great Turtle in the Sky is watching over me.”

     Hummy chirped, “I hope that we can agree that Mom Nature does not look like any of us.”

      “As your facilitator, I trust that we can agree on Mom Nature’s appearance rather than a creator that looks like us. This way we can arrive at a common ground. It is sad that many humans peel themselves off from other living creatures to make a god in their convenient likeness,” clucked Mary the White Pelican. “Hooie brought up something that we should understand. Mom Nature is compassion for all creatures.”

     And suddenly, Free, the butterfly fluttered, “Blunt your sharpness, untie your knots, soften your glare, and settle your dust.”

     Buddy, the Agouti, mumbled, “God is a verb and not a word. But, I don’t mind all this talk if we get to the right action. We have to hear many tones before we find middle C. Compassion is a tone and our tone must be true to our heart.”

     “So, we are reaching agreement that our tone says something about our compassion and we learn by active listening and we untie our knots too. That’s a tall order; and as we hear each other’s compassion we will come to believe.” bleated BillyG.

     “I realize that some of you know that parrots make jokes but this is no joke,” moaned Paula the Sissarou parrot, “I feel the power of the circle drawing us in.”

      “Don’t be scared,” crooned Mira, “you ‘all are finally slowing down and finding the comfort of Middle C.”

     Mary, the facilitator, chimed in, “When believing and knowing join hands there is a sound that can be only described as BEAUTIFUL.”

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     Thus, we come to a stepping-off place as the first 12 episodes are fleshed out. The author, Phil, cannot breathe life into the circle but the animals can supply the Kickapoo Joy Juice necessary for the élan vitale. The next 12 episodes could be heard if the animals find out how to create the sound of a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine from the sound of a batch of hand held can-openers.

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