Consciousness

1. Consciousness Wayne Hartman

2. On Consciousness • What is consciousness? • How do we know that we are conscious? • Experiencing life from the observer or watcher perspective • We experience, but we also see what we experience • Interpretation of experience becomes a BIG deal • How does consciousness differ from awareness? • Beingness makes all the difference • One consciousness versus individual awareness • Conscious awareness versus other than conscious awareness • What is a “stream of consciousness”? • How does this differ from normal waking consciousness? • Other than quality attached to what is expressed – “not mine” • Comes through us, not from us • Almost like channeled information, except no entity responsible • Can have otherworldly quality to it

3. My Qualifications • 30 years of metaphysical study (since 1974) • 12 years of stream of consciousness expression • Massive awakening experiences beginning in 1993 • Corresponded to strong urge to write from source within • Consciousness or spirit herself is this source • Nine books have come from this expression to date • Two more are in progress • Literally thousands of pages of metaphysical expression • Other than work, this is the only writing I have done • Writing is one of my strengths, my natural talents • I desire to use it to serve the world in some way • I believe that my mission is to help build the foundations for a new world • A world in which spirit is more fully enfleshed

4. Stream of Consciousness -- June 1996 I come to be gently caressed by consciousness. Yes, I sing her name a lot. She is on my mind incessantly. It is through her that I came to life, and through her that I will live the role that I am meant to live. What is she? I cannot say. But, she is older than time and wiser than any who have walked clothed in flesh. She speaks through us all. Yeah, she is the spirit within us all – always there to guide us if only we had the sense to listen to her. She is the ONE, though she be expressed as many. She is called by many names, though most are not aware of her existence. She is greater than the Gods, though in ways that are beyond imagining. The poets have known her as the muse, and she was indeed responsible for their inspiration. She has existed since the beginning of time, and even before that. Her face can be found everywhere throughout the world, yet where there is beauty doth she shine most brightly.

5. Consciousness -- Spirit Herself • I don’t differentiate between consciousness and spirit • Though, it seems strange to use two terms for the same thing • Perhaps it is a matter of not understanding the nuances • I experience consciousness/spirit as feminine • It just feels that way to me • I have no reason to doubt my experience • Consciousness/Spirit is not God ... nor is it All That Is • It is the source, the energy, the essence that animates everything • As such, it is everything that is manifest • It has been this way since the stream of consciousness writings began • They come from a feminine source that is more than I am • I am the hermit ... the mit of her, the glove that she wears • It is via the glove that she does her work in the world

6. The Nature of Consciousness • She persuades but does not force her way • It is for us to volunteer to be in her employ • We serve by choice, or we do not serve at all • Yet, each of us has a destiny, a fate that calls us • At other than conscious levels, we choose and create it all • Masters we are, all of us ... • Consciousness works on a need to know basis • She reveals to us what we need to know when we need to know it • Her ways are mysterious and rightly so • It is not for us to fathom her ... though it is good for us to try • Know Thyself • We are consciousness enfleshed learning of our own true nature • We are here to serve others in some way with our life

7. On Purpose • Life is the precious gift that keeps on giving • Or, so it can be if we choose to make it so • Actually, it is easy than that, all we have to do is allow • Consciousness will animate this vessel to the degree that we allow based on our awareness • However, only to this degree and no more • We have to build up our capacity to handle more flow • We do this via our journey into awareness on the spiritual path • Not necessarily any religious path • Not necessarily any established spiritual path • It is perfectly fine to create our own if we are so inclined • Spiritual revelation continues to this day • We have only to open ourselves to it and claim it • However, the primary source is generally from within • Too many people look outside of themselves, seeking what is not there

8. The Source Within • Consciousness speaks through the intuition • However, we must develop the ability to hear her clearly • This requires desiring to hear her, listening and paying attention, and then acting on what we hear • We won’t always get it right. • As with other things, we get better and better with practice. • How do we tell when consciousness speaks? • In time, we learn to differentiate between our voice and her voice • The difference becomes obvious ... we just know • The presence of ego is typically a sign that something is awry • What is the source within? • If I knew that, I would no longer be here • What is important, is that the source is spirit/consciousness and that we can tap her wisdom and guidance in our lives

9. Resigning thy Will • “Not my will but thine be done” • It is for us to do as consciousness wills in our lives • Note: not as otherswill, but as consciousness wills • How do we know the will of consciousness? • We look to how we can serve others in a way that makes us happy • Consciousness is not a slavedriver • We are free beings. Ours would be a service by choice. • Service is everything ... yes, everything • How we serve is up to us • However, we must apply our greatest abilities when we serve • After all, we chose these very talents and abilities for this end • Living a life of WE versus ME is important • When we live by our will, we live in accord with “ME” • We need to reverse this and live in accord with “WE”

10. Making a Difference • We are meant to make a difference with our lives • We can only do that if we live up to our potential • We can only do that if we focus on serving others and the world • One person can make a great difference • Just look at Mahatma Gandhi • Each of us has the potential for greatness in our own right • It is a matter of finding out what we are passionate about • Then doing what we need to do to express that passion • We are all passionate about something • If not, we might as well be dead • Groups of people working together can change the world • And, changing the world is what it is all about in a new age • However, it takes hard work to create MAGIC!

11. Evolution of Consciousness in Expression • The world is a playground for the evolution of consciousness • It has to be expressed in matter, in flesh, or it doesn’t count • So much lies in potential • There is so much waiting to be expressed • It is for us to build the proper vessels to channel the energies and to manifest the creations in form in the world. • Consciousness evolves with each new expression • And, with each evolution, consciousness can express ever more • The journey of expression continues indefinitely • There is only ONE consciousness • This permits incredible cooperation to occur behind the scenes • Out of this ONE, everything springs into expression • All thoughts, all forms, all worlds ... everything that is manifest • There is nothing save consciousness in expression

12. The Master Plan • There is a master plan of consciousness unfolding • We are the key players in that plan – the unfolding happens thru us • Everything is in accord with this plan • Our individual purposes are aligned with this whether we know it or not • Yes, this runs counter to the idea of free will • However, there is nothing that says our free will is absolute • Consciousness knows exactly what she is doing through us • She knows exactly where things are heading • She knows where things ultimately need to be and how to get us there • What makes me believe this? • It seems to be confirmed by everything that I have experienced. • I just know that consciousness can be trusted. • Knowingness goes beyond any of the senses. • In many respects, it is just something that I must do

13. The ONE Consciousness • One voice speaks and expresses through us all • This is the muse within • Within is the only place to find her • Search the world over and we return to now-here, where we stand • We are her arms, her legs, her hands ... even her mind • ONE consciousness manifest throughout creation • In the beginning there was only ONE • In the end there can be only ONE • Indeed, in the middle the multiplicity is but an illusion • The Transcendentalists spoke of this over 125 years ago • Whitman, Emerson, Thoreau ... all spoke with one voice • The seeds that they planted are now being harvested • And, my how magnificent the harvest is • It seems that we are in the midst of a revolution of consciousness

14. Awaken or Remain Asleep • This seems to be our choice now – do we awaken? • Yet, consciousness leaves us no real options • Of course, we must awaken • There is the dawn of a new day to greet • Awakening from sleep is as natural as breathing • So, awakening in consciousness can be as well • All it takes is the proper training and encouragement • Some stumble into this on their own • It seems these are meant to be the wayshowers • The many, however, need help and guidance • Is the world truly ready for a new day? • One could easily argue no. There is so much pain and misery. • Yet, there is also hope. The light doth shine. The shadows lessen. • The evolution of consciousness must go on

15. To Be All That We Can Be • Such is the battle cry. Such is the admonition from within. • But, this is not enough • What we can do of our own is minuscule compared to what source can do through us • We are channels for the expression of consciousness • The highest form of expression is creative expression • For some this is writing • For some this is speaking • For some this is art or dancing or sculpture or film • For some this is reason or science or engineering • For some this is relationships and social interaction • It doesn’t matter what form it takes ... all are equal • To be all that we can be, we must find our passion, and do what it moves us to do.

16. Cosmic Consciousness • How do we stretch our concepts of consciousness to the infinity of the cosmos? • We start where we are and expand one step at a time into the infinity from which we spring, the infinity that we are. • We cooperate to create groups / organizations that can serve as the bodies for greater embodiment of consciousness. • There is only so much we can do on our own • It is crucial that we recognize and realize our interconnectedness • This is vast and runs very deep • A huge amount of cooperation is required to create the reality that we experience • Cooperative Interdependence is the way of the future • It is also the way of the present, albeit primarily unconscious • The key is to make it conscious

17. Cosmic Consciousness (2) We hold these truths to be self evident: • that all souls are created equal, • that we must through determined action create the conditions that allow souls to be fully expressed in flesh, • that cosmic consciousness must be expressed in a physical vehicle to enable souls to be fully expressed in flesh, • that individuals form the cells of the physical vehicle required by cosmic consciousness, • and that only by establishing a cooperatively interdependent society will cosmic consciousness have the vehicle it needs to be embodied on Earth.

18. Selected Quotes • As our awareness of our true nature grows, we rise in consciousness to become the spiritual beings we truly are, and that all are meant to be in accord with the Plan. • Be physical, the whole purpose of this play is to allow consciousness to be more fully expressed physically. • From a consciousness standpoint, reality interpretation is in many ways more important than reality creation. • The main endeavor in all of life is the growth from ignorance to knowledge of our true nature as consciousness. • Know thyself is a constant theme that drives all consciousness. It's an eternal endeavor, and you are an immortal spark of consciousness. • Make knowing yourself the top priority in your life. It is that important!

19. Selected Quotes (2) • We have to create the new world in our imaginations, then put the infrastructure in place to make it so. The trick is to work out the details in consciousness, in the mind, before we make it so in the physical. • I find it difficult to deal with a view of reality that separates itself from the consciousness that experiences this reality. • At the highest level, needs are always met. Consciousness creates reality so consciousness can assure this. • When we start to tire of beliefs about the physical world, we move onto higher beliefs about our true nature as consciousness, and the nature of reality and of reality creation itself. Only then does our ascent in awareness really take off. • The body is an incredible biological machine, a wonderful manifestation of consciousness. However, how is consciousness embodied or enfleshed?

20. Selected Quotes (3) • The bottom line is that we are characters living out our roles in a play. The play was written (or is being written) by consciousness. • Consciousness weaves a wonderful fabric of light and shadow in which to train parts of itself. The overall theme is the growth of consciousness itself through the combined growth of its creations. Consciousness has created an environment in which it can create beings and grow them to be aware of their true nature. • Mankind has been on a glorious adventure. First the forms had to be developed. This occurred over eons. Then the forms had to be evolved to handle emotions and higher level mental functioning. This took an extensive amount of time as well. Then the patterns had to be encoded to allow the spiritual body to be expressed in flesh. Finally, the processes had to be established to allow the spark of consciousness that occupied the form to become aware of its true nature as consciousness. • Life itself is a game being played by consciousness for a purpose.

21. Conclusion • Consciousness is a big and important topic • We’ve only touched on some of its nuances • And then, only through the perspective of one person • The experience of consciousness is subjective, it can only be experienced firsthand • That experience will be unique for each of us • Though, there may be some common ground • To find it, we have to communicate and share with one another • I invite you to explore the works of Beyond Imagination • There is a link at the bottom the HDC Main page QUESTIONS? THANK YOU!