Everything is Consciousness
I am often asked, "What is consciousness?", and "How do I access a higher level of consciousness?" These are very big questions, and there are an infinite number of answers to such questions.
One answer is to simply be aware of our surroundings.
To be successful in recognizing our consciousness, we must also learn to be very honest with ourselves. Today, it seems that many are satisfied with one-line answers – something short enough where it can be expressed in our daily tweets.
The consciousness is far more expansive than a tweet. If I am to become aware of myself through the observation of my surroundings, in addition to my feelings and that of others, I must first work toward seeing through the blind and arrogance supremacy of the human species.
Most of us see ourselves as the only being worthy of consciousness. Yet, observation will show you that everything is conscious.
You can start by simply observing the position of leaves on a plant turning toward the sun as it rises – especially a flower opening its petals as it slowly moves into position, gathering the sunlight. Very few of us observe that the plant is conscious of the sun and its position.
No matter how small an insect, if you attempt to harm it, will seek shelter. It is aware of the danger around it, as it has consciousness. On a microscopic level, when you place a single cell in an environment where it doesn’t belong, it will seek to escape that environment (in most instances). In fact, laboratory experiments have shown that the cell will find its way into an environment where it can survive. The cell is aware that it does not belong in the foreign environment.
After the cell recovers, if you place it back into the foreign environment, the cell will then find its way again to the environment which contains the necessary nutrients in a shorter period of time. With each instance the cell is placed back into the foreign environment, the time it takes the cell to escape will continue to shorten.
The cell itself has a certain degree of awareness.
On a subatomic level, all crystals and minerals are composed of molecules. Few people would perceive a quartz molecule to be aware, but it is. It’s very fascinating to see how the molecules come together to form magnificent quartz crystals, and that each quartz crystal contains six faces and six edges on each face. There are, of course, exceptions where this number may vary; but in general, it’s almost always six faces and six edges.
This too, must be some form of consciousness.
You’ve heard the phrase, “like attracts like”. Why does this attraction take place? It is because everything in the universe, no matter how small, contains consciousness. If you want to learn of your consciousness, start by observing everything around you; this will assist you tremendously.
When we learn to observe our environment, the greatest side effect is that we learn automatically to observe our own thoughts and actions.
As we advance our journey, we may, for instance, observe how judgmental we are toward others. Through that observation, we will gain greater clarity into how our judgements affect others.
When we’re driving down the highway and we witness someone driving with complete unawareness of their environment, perhaps if we pass them, we will notice that it’s because their attention is focused on their electronic device. If you get angry and judge that person harshly, it is unlikely you will become aware of the blind things that you do on the road.
It would serve us better to recognize the danger the driver creates, and maneuver around this person, without anger, for the purpose of staying safe and increasing one’s observation of the traffic ahead. By the time you reach your destination in safety and calmness, you can become more aware of your ability to choose awareness over anger.
Be at peace.
