Abstract - For the scientific development of the human consciousness its "functional aspect" is of the same importance as its "bio-physical aspect": it is important to search for the bio-physical origin of consciousness, but it is also important to practice techniques that help to awaken human consciousness. One of the main techniques that awakes consciousness is watching (witnessing). Human beings have capacity to watch and become aware the way mind functions, to watch and become aware of body movements and breathing. Watching is an individual research method that leads into conscious experience of the world. It is a method that allows human being to grow beyond religious, national and racial conditioning.
 

Introduction

In common scientific experience perception and experience are separated through the rational activity of the mind. Information enters the senses, goes into the rational part of the mind where it is elaborated through logic and mathematics, and then becomes an experience:
 
 

Let's do a simple experiment. You observe for a few moments a plant in your room or one that is outside the window, and then close your eyes. Inside yourself you observe many thoughts, like how big the plant is, what colour it is, and so on. The mind's elaboration creates a gap between perception and experience. The question arises: is it possible to experience the plant directly as perceived by the senses without the mind elaborating on it? Direct experience requires us to become aware of all thoughts, emotions and images that are associated with the object or situation that we experience.

Human beings have the capacity to watch how mind elaborates perception. By watching the way mind elaborates perception he or she becomes aware of how mind influences the experience of the experiment. With this awareness rational experience of the experiment is enriched with conscious experience. Having conscious experience one grasps exactly what one perceives. Conscious experience is direct, as the mind does not interfere between perception and experience. Rational experience is enriched with conscious experience by simply allowing the observer to watch the mind. Watching the mind and becoming aware of its elaboration is the function of consciousness.⁽¹⁾
 
 

Conscious Experience And Evolution of Human Being

Human mind we can compare with an optical prism which bends the horizontal ray of light (see the picture below). Horizontal ray of light we can compare with the information that reach into senses. This "horizontal information" is an authentic information of reality. It is first elaborated by the mind and after experience occurs.

Elaboration of the mind creates an "elaboration angle" (further on only EA) between authentic and experienced information. By passing the "mind prism" the "horizontal information " changes direction. We do not experience the information as it has entered into senses. EA depends on the similarity between the "picture of the world" and the world itself. In physics EA is minimal, in psychology is already bigger; different schools see human being differently. In sociology EA is increasing; the idea of how society should function depends on cultural background; the difference between Christian and Muslim background seems unbridgeable.

Common "picture of the world" is a mixture of scientific and cultural input. When educational input is nonscientific, strongly influenced with religious or racial background, the EA can become big; distortion between perception and experience is huge.

Educational input composed out of aggressive ideas and negative emotions can create "picture of the world" through which one experiences the world as "aggressive and without justice". Such a person will create conflict, violence and destruction.
 
 

Consciousness has the capacity to watch and to become aware the way mind elaborates information. It brings awareness that also "scientific picture of the world" and the world itself are two different things. By using this method authors improve understanding of time in Special Relativity.⁽²⁾

Watching (witnessing) the mind is an individual research method that diminishes EA. With developing of a total awareness of the mind elaboration EA becomes zero. One experiences exactly what he/she perceives. One enters into conscious experience of the universe that reaches beyond duality "subject-object". One discovers sacredness of the world.

By accepting "watching the mind" as an "individual research method", scientific education will have an useful instrument for overcoming religious and cultural conditioning that are dividing today human civilization. We need an education on the planetary level that will include "conscious experience" as its consistent part. Such an education will grow individuals free of any religious and cultural extremism.

The Law Of Dynamic Equilibrium And Society

Einstein emphasizes in his work (1918-1930) that space has its physical properties; gravitational force was attributed to space. He came to the conclusion that cosmic space could play a role in the formation of elementary particles. The idea opens new views of the interaction between matter and space as well as the evolution of life and human society.

He came to the conclusion that space can be the origin of the matter. In his article "The Concept of Space" in Nature from 1930 he would say: We have now come to the conclusion that space is the primary think and matter only secondary; we may say that space, in revenge for its former inferior position, is now eating up the matter.⁽³⁾

In his book "Einstein and the Ether" Ludwik Kostro comments: What a fundamental change in Einstein's views! Having started from denial of the existence of space and time, he finally came to the conclusion that four-dimensional space (the space-time continuum) constitutes a reality ontologically primary even to matter. At this point, he believed that matter was born from space-time.⁽⁴⁾

According to astronomical calculations the star that is 3,2 time bigger of our sun develops in "black hole" that has a tendency to shrink in mathematical point and disappear from material universe. The question arises: where black hole is disappearing?

According to the first law of thermodynamics energy can not be created or destroyed. Considering this law the idea arises that in black holes the energy of matter disintegrates into the energy of space. In black holes matter disappears into space and in the big bang matter appears from it. In the universe energy is constantly circulating, it is never created or destroyed. Big bangs are cyclic. The universe is a self-renewing system. It has no beginning and no end.⁽⁵⁾

That big bangs are cyclic is confirmed by new cosmologic theory of Turok from Cambridge and Steinhardt from Princeton.⁽⁶⁾

Dynamic equilibrium (further on only DE) is a basic universal law. The DE between gravitational and tangential forces make it possible for planets to orbit around the sun, the water circulation "ocean-evaporation-clouds-rain-rivers-ocean" is in DE, life circles of fauna and flora are in DE.

In Taoism dynamic equilibrium is presented by Ying and Yang, In Hindu philosophy as breathing of Brahma, in European esoteric tradition as snake that eats his own tail.

As human society is a part of the universe and life, it should also follow the law of DE according to which energy is flowing freely and transforming continuously, there is no big accumulation. In today's society there is a disproportional accumulation of money and goods; some people are dying of obesity and others of hunger. The economy still functions under the laws of profit that are based on the "ego"; the bigger the ego the more one will accumulate to feel safe and in power. On a psychological level ego means accumulation and resistance while awakening of consciousness means entering in the harmony with the universal flow.

The future economy should follow the law of dynamic equilibrium according to which the main purpose of the economy is not to create profit and accumulation, but to create free flow of products and natural resources in order to provide a good life for the entire population of the planet. This kind of economy needs a society composed of conscious individuals.

The real meaning of dynamic equilibrium you can experience in conscious experience that is ego less, you become one with the whole existence; this oneness brings understanding that the big accumulation of money and goods is against the cosmic laws and does not bring you fulfillment and happiness.

Conclusions

Mind without consciousness is like boat without rudder. History teach us that violence can not be uprooted with violence. Politics and religion did not have much of success into bringing peace and harmony. It seems that humanity's only chance is a scientific development of human consciousness.
 
 

1. Sorli A. (2002). Conscious Experience of The Universe.
The Journal of Psychospiritual Transformation, Num 3, PSRI PRESS, New York,
http://psychospiritualresearchinstitute.com/journalofpsychospiritualtransformation.htm

2. Sorli A. (2004). Time Is Change. Episteme, Perugia, Number 8,
http://www.dipmat.unipg.it/~bartocci/ep8/ep8.htm

3. Einstein A. (1930). The Concept Of Space, Nature, 125, p. 897-898

4. Kostro L. (2000). Einstein And The Ether, Apeiron, p. 113

5. Sorli A., Sorli I.K. (2004). Evolution As A Universal Process, Frontier Perspectives,
Vol. 13, Num 1

6. Steinhardt P. J. ,Turok N. (2002). A cyclic model of the universe.
http://pupgg.princeton.edu/www/jh/news/STEINHARDT_TUROK_THEORY.HTML
 
 

[For a presentation of Amrit Sorli see at the end of his comment on "Time is Change", published in this same number of Episteme. Ilaria K. Sorli is co-founder of the SpaceLife Institute.]

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