30 Kehoe on Consciousness

Tom Kehoe

 

        The guest blog today is offered by Tom Kehoe. This is a very personal reflection on consciousness. I hope you enjoyed as much as I.    

       

        Lately, a friend has been posting many photos sent back to Earth from various space probes launched from just down the street at the Kennedy Space Center. Beautiful photos! UNBELIEVABLE! Yet I choose to believe that they are actual photos generated by some type of camera designed specifically to capture images in outer space. These images have set me to thinking more about the universe than I have in quite some time. The vastness! Infinity! What's beyond the universe? What will we learn that will prove to be of utmost importance? Anything? In contemplating these and other questions one can begin to feel very minute, so tiny, almost inconsequential.
         But I know that I am not!
         I am certainly not inconsequential to me!
         After all, I am at the very center of that massive, infinite, mind blowing universe. Now, just knowing that I am at the center of the universe might lead me to believe that I am the Most Important Occupant or MIO (some prefer GOD) but I know that I am not. I am aware that at least a billion other of us humans believe they are the center of the universe. Not important. That's ok. Close enough. I am conscious of these things mainly by interacting with some of these other beings and sharing our experiences.
        I believe that the entire universe is pulling for me. That EU (Entire Universe) wants desperately for me to be happy, for me to succeed. I also believe that I create my own consciousness. I create my own reality. I see what I wish to see. I feel (uh oh) what I wish to feel. I find what I'm looking for.
I used to be miserable and found life unbearable. I expected worse things to follow bad things and that just made bad things worse!
       Now I am pretty happy most of the time. I expect good things to happen to and for me, and that's what has been happening. Instead of looking for the next tragedy in my life, I look for blessings! I am grateful  and they keep coming! I am conscious of a steady stream of blessings raining down on me and I find that if I am thankful, AND if I share them whenever possible, the storm of blessings becomes torrential!
      I believe all of this has come about through a small change in my CONSCIOUSNESS!
      I no longer consider myself as a human being having a spiritual experience occasionally. I now consider myself a spiritual being of some sort, presently having a human experience.
      My CONSCIOUSNESS, what I am aware of, may or may not be real or true or valid or appropriate to or for anyone else. So what. It works for me! And I'm really not interested in having my bubble burst! I'm getting along very well with my MIO and the closer we get the better off I am.

29 Consciousness is a Hoot

               Truth uncompromisingly told will always have its ragged edges

                                                                                                 Herman Melville

              I noticed that a friend was selecting a few books to take home from our meeting place this morning. Before I could say what was on my mind she said,” I don’t usually read non-fiction, always fiction. She did not know that I written a non-fiction book and I paused with a slight sense of hurt, but then realized that the book I had written was, no doubt, fiction to everyone but myself. My book was a thinly disguised proposal that we communicate with each other most effectively through our expressions of love. This includes hugs, throaty cracking voices, on the edge of tears confessions, loving orgasmic events, and some situations of crisis conversation. But in our regular conversations, books we read, or television we watch; who is to say what is the exact truth.?

        Somewhere in the midst of my consciousness over the past year, I have painted myself into a corner about the word itself. So, I am sitting here all cramped up waiting for the paint to dry. I have read Julien Jaynes book, The Origin of Consciousness and the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind over and over again thinking that here is the truth about consciousness but each time I fall back into the chair of unknowing. I had the same dastardly problem with the writings of Freud, Harry Stack Sullivan, and Piaget. They wrote beautifully but left me hanging in doubt. I hate massages because they are carefully seductive. I also shy away from fiction because fiction authors try and massage the truth through my skin. At least non-fiction writers slap me in the face with their brand of the truth. My only hope with this blog writing is that you, the reader, may have been in the same train-wreck as I.

        Then Joe replied with…….        The ultimate Truth is not written and not spoken. IT is only heard in silence in the inner room. It is only seen when reflecting on the Love, Mercy, and yes TRUTH of the Cross. 5^th Sunday of Easter has passed.  But its Truth never passes. Perhaps the ultimate consciousness lies in those reflections, without intellect, words, thought, or feeling. Perhaps faith is consciousness not yet articulated due to lack of courage.

           Though I received much more from Joe, this is my distillation.

Then I received a consideration from Robert who had written the guest blog last week.

        Being focused on the intricacies of co-dependence without conscious submission may lead to better symbiotic relationships for all of the dynamic forms of life and this belief should promote good health.  Good health, isn't that the bottom line?  Protecting individual conscious thought as a contributor to the organism earth might be a better question than what is consciousness, the eternal enigma.

        Then yet another came from Ed this morning and this is another distillation ……Our ears long to hear what our heart already knows. The more we seek, the more we understand. As we enter the world of the spirit we see the limitlessness of the present moment. The Holy instant that beckons and excites is.

          Now we hand the adventure over to Hooie, who flutters about the edge of the deep cave of subconscious gathering courage from all of us, to brave the unknown.

        Then Hooie quietly spoke, “I can manage death as a possibility but the thought of eternal damnation deep in the cave frightens me. Could we convene the double circle, Mary?’

        “Whatever works for you, Hooie,” Mary replied.

        Mary the White Pelican, brought the double circle into place at the rim of the cave where the waterfall cascaded in the morning light. They all had come to believe that Dominica was Mom Nature’s home base. Therefore, the deeper part of the cave was offered as a test of courage and faith.  

       Mum, the nanny goat, spoke first, “I understand, Hooie, that darkness is your forte, but the cave of the subconscious is no ordinary darkness. You can change your mind now and I for one will accept it.”

        “Well,” said Hooie, “you used the phrase (I for one) but I have come to respect the honesty that the double circle brings.

I hope, and I trust that the double circle will speak in the voice of (we for two) rather than I for one. Having been a part of the double circle for the last few months, I have come believe that when we two are melded and speak with one voice there is a power that I had no idea about before.”

        Then Coqui, the Puerto Rican frog, sang out, “I have never wanted to be the sole decider about serious matters, so the double circle pairing took some getting used to, but it finally hit me like a cool drop of magic water and I trusted Milvus, my support.”

        To everyone’s surprise, Hooie hooted, “I am so glad that you said that, Coqui, because I wanted my supportive other, Myrtle, the turtle, to go with me into the cave of subconscious. We make our crucial decisions as a team of two and once in the cave I will need Myrtle by my side.”

        “Well, that’s a hoot, the combined consciousness of a barn owl and a turtle. What next?”, cackled Cackle, the grackle. 

       

        Suggested reading: The Wizard and the Prophet by Charles C Mann 

28 Dialogue: Robert and Phil

Phil: In responding to Robert Sorensen’s guest editorial, I fell short of what he was saying and instead I interposed my own bias. I thought he spoke of the pressure of invasive negative nature of our media with TV as a culprit.  But here is what he has responded with.

Robert: I'm beginning to think (pun not intended) that dreams are formulas for belief structures before we solidify the moral of our 'dream stories' into the subtext of our personalities.

The trials within our dreams are often primitive and disorienting dramas. When observed closely these dreams have amazing symbolic undertones via associations. 

I may use consciousness as a defense mechanism, I've never thought of it that way, I believe I use it as a tool to try to understand the value of truth and honor.  When using that 'tool' there is a tendency to recognize what may be "pressure of invasive negative nature"  in everything, not just TV for what may be deemed as 'negative' is NOT truth and honor.  

But honestly, I know I'm a bit of a cynic. 

Negative is extremely subjective and judging anything as positive or negative is a slippery slope.   

Threats may be considered negative I guess...   

"Using consciousness as a tool to Identify things that cause harm or good in order to progress as a healthy human and contributor to the organism earth",sounds better!

My religion is based on hopeful ideas of common sense...  Either we as Humans are contributing to the planet Earth or we're taking away from it.  

Helping the planet thrive is of the utmost concern for where are we without it?  

If we 'take away' from the planet, exploit the life that it provides so generously, that 'footprint' could be easily expressed as a carcinogen, something that if noticed within us we eradicate immediately.

Getting sidetracked with contrived Dramas because we have a comfortable existence, appears to me, is a senseless way of utilizing our resources in a counterproductive way.  I do think that happens on TV in abundance

All that energy we use in following our various forms of soap operas could be used for helping to enhance the natural resources of our planet, can you imagine?

For instance, Taking some attention off political ideologies and concentrating on positive, natural ideologies?  

Natural resources begin in our subconscious minds.

Those resources in our physiology need to be mined like gold in order to understand where it all begins, how it can all end and most importantly, how we can make life better as individuals.

Recognizing truth and honor.

 Phil: Very well said. 

27 Exploring Consciousness

                                         

        I am extremely grateful to Robert Sorensen for his carefully thought out and implemented method of dealing with consciousness in his guest editorial this past week. He spoke of the pressure of invasive negative nature of our media with TV as a culprit. Then he outlined his defense.
        For Robert the spark of life is the way in which he develops a consciousness as a defense against the negative aspects of the outside world. But most striking, is his use of sleep in the dream-state to actively explore his subconscious mind.
        In my own case I’ve always thought of my dreams of something that happens in a very passive way. Many people, including myself, have tried to re-enter a dream on waking, but to actively explore the subconscious is a step beyond what most folks, who I know, have been able to do.
        Meanwhile I know that I must go beyond my personality to stay in tune with Mom Nature’s plan. I doubt that we can get there without each other. So, let us return to the cave in Dominica; to our group of animals as they work toward saving the planet.

        “I don’t know if we can ever change humans for the better, but something is changing in me since I have been in this cave with our group.” Quacked Ducky, the white duck. “I feel free, now that I have been with you creatures. I have not wanted to say this because I did not feel free in my own feathers. But now I want to tell everyone of you and even hope that Mom Nature overhears this; Humans must save themselves!!

        “Wow, what do you mean. They are fighting with each other while the planet is in danger of overheating.” Said Hummy, “They are hell bent for self-destruction and that includes our destruction in the process.”

        “I think I know where Ducky is with this,” Crooned, Mira the sloth.” Even if we came up with something, humans would soon drop back into fighting each other with ego-driven dirty tricks. If the solution does not come from within their consciousness, it simply won’t last. Compared with us animals, humans are like 2 year old’s. Sloths have been on earth for 30 million years and crows for 60 million years, while humans, began as a species, much less, at only 200,000 years ago. It is a slam dunk. Humans are in the midst of the terrible two’s.”

        “ I see.” croaked Cackle, the grackle, ”In the scheme of Mom Nature’s playbook, humans have evolved such that they are scarcely able to walk.”

        “Then why are 2 year old’s driving this spaceship earth?” flapped Bertie, the peregrine falcon. Now I am getting scared.”

        “Wait, wait. Slow down a bit. Mom Nature must have laid out a plan that we are not finding,” growled Joe, the anole. “If we are painstaking about this phase of our own development we will find the map and discern the pathway.”

        “I have been wondering about this cave and why Mom may have placed us here,” hooted Hooie, the barn owl. “Have you all thought about looking in the deeper part of this cave.? The map may be deep in there.”

        “Lordy, Lordy,” muttered Andi, the osprey, “That is a very scary, dark, spooky and dangerous looking blackness. I’m thinking the deep cave is the subconscious mind and the frightening unknown.”