The Opposite End of the Scale
I've stated repeatedly that this is not intended to be a spiritual blog. On the contrary, my intention is to discuss reality, as it is. I can almost hear the cacophony of “Wait. What?” thoughts arising in perfect unison from the audience.
I'm deadly serious. In the very first post I wrote, “I’m going to suggest that virtually none of of you have the slightest idea of how your own minds work.” Everyone on earth is experiencing reality at this moment. As I've explained in depth though, as a result of each of us necessarily restricted to experience only our own individual thoughts about reality, we all see a reality that varies tremendously.
We don't see that. Our reality is obvious to us. Our friend's reality isn't. Nor is our enemy's. This is rather important, because we all make decisions based upon how reality appears to us, and the decisions we make do have an effect on others. All of us in turn interpret those decisions through our own thoughts about reality, and it all continues to spiral out of control, since virtually no one sees reality as thought, they see it as reality. This will continue until such time as the majority of the population truly understands, directly, through their own insights and realizations, the overwhelming power of thought and belief systems on everyone's perception of reality.
I've discussed levels of consciousness at length. Admittedly, until now I have placed the emphasis on experiences of the highest levels, upon what's known as mystical experience. I did this not to suggest that mystical experience will be arrived at by anyone who gets what I'm saying. The purpose of bringing these experiences to your attention is to illustrate that they aren't mystical at all. It's to illustrate that all who have reached the highest levels of consciousness, in all cultures, have experiences that are entirely consistent at their core. These are not “mystical” experiences. They are experiences of reality, of consciousness itself, from a perspective largely, if not entirely, free of the filter of the personal mind.
What about the lower levels of consciousness, though? How does reality appear from there?
One need not look far. When one is consumed by a state of mind possessed by terrifying thoughts, or is surrounded by others who share that state of mind, we end up with extreme reactions. This is the state of mind that creates conflict and violence. It's also the state of mind that is desperate for relief, so seeks solace in alcohol and drug abuse. When one is consumed with terrifying thoughts, they do not generally see that it is thought that's terrifying them. Just like everyone else falls into the same trap continually with whatever thoughts they're entertaining in the moment, those consumed with frightening thoughts see reality as terrifying, not their thoughts about reality as terrifying them. Few in this state of mind would even describe themselves as terrified. They are simply reacting to a reality that genuinely appears to be awful. This creates behaviors and actions that reinforce their flawed perception of reality, as the consequences of their actions provide a near continuous stream of new thoughts that appear to confirm the horror that surrounds them.
Those at higher levels may see them as angry, or threatened, or depressed, or stressed out, or as a whole host of other assorted negative emotions, but for those currently ensnared in this mindset, it appears that all of their distress is created by external events.
What comes to mind when you think of death? Much of humanity is terrified of death, and the infiltration of our educational system by philosophical materialism and the associated primacy of reason reinforces the terror. We're told we live in an objective, physical reality, we're the product of eons of evolution, simply the end result of a unique assortment of animated molecules that arose from a primordial swamp. Life is very complex, but when death occurs, when animation ceases, the assortment of molecules simply decays, destined to provide food for other organisms, who all share a common destiny of extinction and decay. Whatever consciousness may be possessed by an organism is extinguished with death. “Being and non-being are the same, but not the same”.
Interestingly, despite the overall decline of interest and participation in religion, a decided majority of the population still doesn't buy the currently prominent fable manufactured by academia. Those who believe that consciousness survives death exceeds those who don't by a margin of over 4:1. Western religions continue to advocate a patriarchal god, imagining a transcendent supreme being existing outside of the objective universe, passing judgment on our actions, waiting patiently to dispense reward or punishment at death. This view creates an entire line of terrifying thoughts, one of eternal, torturous damnation as among the potential outcomes awaiting us upon physical death. Eastern religions also suggest that our actions on earth influence our future incarnations, either to revisit the earthly realm to learn again, or to move on to other realms, either above or below this one. The eastern faiths do suggest that everyone's final destination is ultimately enlightenment, but getting there may be an inconceivably long journey, and all of the eastern religions also strongly suggest that assorted hellish realms await the most misguided among us. The Tibetan Book of the Dead illustrates this well.
I mention death here not to explore the topic, but to bring to mind certain uncomfortable or frightening thoughts. Entertaining the idea of a hellish existence, or of oblivion, are both highly uncomfortable. I want the reader to briefly entertain those thoughts. Now imagine living in that state of mind, continually.
That state of mind is where crime comes from. This is the source of drug abuse, DUI's, the associated drug trade, the brutal violence that follows from organized crime, sexual assaults, murder and mayhem. Every behavior is related to a state of mind, every perpetrator of every injustice that can be conceived of is reacting to their reality from whatever thoughts, or lines of thought, are present in their minds in the moment. These are the states of mind that include, among others, the theologian's Seven Deadly Sins. Just as a wheel cannot exist prior to the idea of a wheel, neither pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, sloth or any other unpleasant or undesirable behaviors can exist without the state of mind that precedes the behavior. This is what the lower levels of consciousness look like. Hell definitely exists. It's happening right at this moment for hundreds of millions worldwide.
We can hurl billions and trillions of wealth at all of these problems, and have, and we'll make virtually no progress, as people are simply going to continue to react to their reality until such time that they understand that it is their own thoughts about reality that they're reacting to, not reality itself.
The only possible solution is for it to become understood, globally, that everyone on earth is at a specific level of consciousness at every moment. The criminals are essentially innocent, because they have no idea they're experiencing their thoughts about reality. Just like everyone else, they experience a reality that is as real to them as yours is to you, and mine is to me.
All it takes for anyone to realize change is to see for themselves, in the moment, that what they accept as reality is actually thoughts about reality. When that is internalized, it becomes possible to realize a level of consciousness that is not consumed with terror. Once a higher level is realized, a subsequent return to a lower level will be recognized for what it actually is, a different level of consciousness, not a change in objective reality. Once that's seen, higher levels become accessible, although it's my experience that they arrive naturally.
I can't will myself to shift to a higher level, I can only recognize that my current perspective is both informed and governed by my current perspective. At every moment, each of us is at a specific point on a vertical scale. At a specific level of consciousness. The next moment may find us at a different level. Or not. All we can do is understand that we're all living on a continuum, and try to not make any decisions, especially major decisions, when we find ourselves at a level that's frightened, angry or otherwise unpleasant.