‘…this part of the unconscious is not
individual but universal; in contrast to the personal psyche, it has contents
and modes of behaviour that are more or less the same everywhere and in all
individuals.’
Carl Jung
The limitations of our present thinking and perception
In my previous book, ‘Multi-Dimensional
Perception’ (2010), I used the analogy of people being like goldfish in a bowl.
The water in the bowl represents our minds and present understanding, and the
world outside of the bowl, reality. I continued by explaining how the water in
the bowl is murky as the result of our jumbled-up thoughts and perceptions,
painful memories and emotions, limiting beliefs and fears, which so clog up our
minds that we have only a dim view of what is actually out there and cannot see
things as they really are. Finally, I pointed out the sad fact that we have become so conditioned and accustomed to living in this
‘bowl’ of limiting beliefs, thoughts and perceptions, that it is difficult to
even conceive of a larger universe out there.
The important role of the mind in spirituality
This analogy reveals the important role of
the mind in spirituality, in which an over-active mind, negative thoughts,
unhelpful emotions and self-defeating beliefs can retard spiritual growth and distort
spiritual messages and guidance. This is why it is so important to maintain a quiet
and clear mind during prayer and meditation.
A further problem is that our minds contain subliminal
mental structures called ‘schemas’, which are like mini computer-programs
containing ‘rules’ for processing information, that have developed out of our
past experiences and subsequent thoughts and beliefs, rules
such as ‘If I believe this, then I cannot do that …’ Psychological research has shown that these self-imposed rules in our schemas
can produce selective perception, which,
at an unconscious level, can result in our ignoring or disregarding cues which are
important for our spiritual perception and experience.
However, one positive role of the mind in
spirituality is our ability to visualise and create scenarios Positive
visualisation is often encouraged by motivational speakers, and its efficacy is
based on the principle that the mind cannot accurately differentiate between a
real and imagined experience. This
creates the opportunity for creating imaginary scenarios that can assist
with spiritual development.
The role of the unconscious mind
Our schemas operate mostly at a subconscious
level, within that level of our consciousness called the ‘unconscious mind’. Normally,
this unconscious part of our minds is only credited with the regulation of our
bodily functions such as digestion, breathing and heartbeat. However, research
has shown that its functions can actually extend into other areas of our lives.
For example, there is a constant communication taking place between our unconscious
and conscious mental processes.
These communications can take the form of
sensory cues (feelings), more subtle ‘impressions’ and even symbolic images. This
communication is most clearly
noticeable in our dreams, but can also be experienced during meditation,
visualisation, intuition, spiritual guidance and visions.
Inner
communications and imagery
For example, many of you are probably
already familiar with visualization (conscious imagery), and hopefully also the
more advanced processes, during which images spontaneously appear in your inner
visual field. What is particularly interesting is that exactly what we see will
depend on how we symbolically interpret these impressions from our unconscious
minds in terms of our past experiences, beliefs and thinking paradigms.
Learning to detect and interpret these communications
is therefore extremely important for spiritual growth, as the unconscious mind
is far more open to Spirit and reality than our normal thinking mind,
and can therefore share valuable information not usually accessible to
consciousness.
The unconscious
guardian
As a result of its
greater access to reality and Spirit, our unconscious minds have to filter the information
that they release into our normal consciousnesses, allowing through only that
which is required for our everyday functioning, otherwise our minds, (which are
actually quite fragile), would be completely overloaded with sensory information.
Metaphorically,
our unconscious minds can therefore be viewed as guardians or ‘protectors’ of
our consciousness, able to regulate our inner (spiritual) experiences according
to our states of emotional or psychological ‘readiness’. This readiness is also
based on our schemas and therefore our beliefs. For example, someone who has no belief
in Spirit will be less likely to acknowledge a spiritual experience, as any spiritual
impressions (cues) would probably be ignored, or even blocked, at a subliminal
level. Fortunately, the unconscious
mind can also be ‘re-programmed’ by means of affirmations, intentions and other
practices such as N.L.P. to become an ally in the process of spiritual
development, able to bring about amazing shifts in our consciousness, intuition
and psychic abilities.
The Collective Mind
‘Do not try to think out of the box. Understand that there is no box.’
Author unknown
Our unconscious
minds therefore act as intermediaries between our normal perception and the broader
universe of Mind which I have called the Collective. This idea of a collective dimension
of mind is not new, and has been suggested in various sources dating back to
ancient times. For instance, as far back as 400 BC, the ancient Greek
philosopher Plato spoke of a higher world of ideal ‘forms’, which could be
compared to images being produced by a Universal Mind. The philosopher Hegel also spoke of a world-spirit (‘Geist’) embodying
the essence of consciousness. And more recently, the philosopher
and theologian Pierre Teilhard de Chardin formulated a view of the Earth as being
in the process of unfolding an interlinking system of consciousness which he described
as a global net of developing self-awareness (The ‘Noosphere’).
Some Buddhist teachings also describe
Mind as awareness, eternal and limitless, suggesting that the true essence of
mind is beyond that which is experienced in everyday life. Furthermore, in
Christian scriptures, reference is often made to the ‘Mind of God’, which is,
by definition, a universal transcendent being in which ‘we
live, and move, and have our being’ (Acts 17:28).
The idea of a Collective Mind can also be
found in some psychological theories, such as the ‘Collective Unconscious’
of Carl Jung, an area of the psyche which he felt was shared by all humanity, and more recently, Systems Theory,
in which all persons are seen to be parts of family, group, social and cultural
systems which are all inter-related, and ultimately form one gigantic mosaic or
universal ‘Meta-system’.
Finally, the
latest research into quantum physics proposes a universe composed of pure
consciousness from which everything else is derived, an energy-based ‘quantum
reality’ or ‘unified field’, able to change both in form and texture.
The idea of a Collective
Mind can offer a logical explanation for psychological anomalies such as
intuition, telepathy and the principles underlying the laws of attraction,
which all suggest the interconnectedness of consciousness at some level. In
this regard, precognition, extra-sensory perception and out-of-body experiences
could also make sense if it can be shown that the human mind actually forms
part of a broader universal collective which provides the potential for a far
greater range of experiences than are currently imagined.
How do we exist within a Collective
Mind?
In order to explain how individuals (people) exist
within a Collective, I will use a number of analogies based on the operation of
our own minds. For instance, we each have the ability to create complex visual
images using our faculties of intention, imagery and imagination, and with
practice, these images can be very real, three-dimensional and have a powerful
effect on our bodies.
Carl Jung also revealed
that, within the human psyche, there exist a number of different archetypal
sub-personalities. For example, many of us are familiar with the ‘inner child’,
the ‘lover’ and ‘the hero’ archetypes, some of which are represented in forms
of divination such as the Tarot. Jung describes archetypes as mental patterns
constructed out of powerful drives, desires and emotions that have accumulated within
the unconscious mind. It is therefore not too far-fetched to consider that a
far-superior Universal Mind or Collective intelligence could also be producing
and sustaining archetypal forms. And in this case, due to the power and
complexity of this Collective, these archetypes could have the capacity for
self-awareness, individuation and the construction of a personal sense of
reality and existence.
In other words, all living and conscious beings, ourselves, as
well as angels, archangels and deities, could all exist as archetypal
sub-personalities within the Collective, embodying its aspects or
characteristics to various degrees. In fact, this idea fits in well with the
religious concept of man as being created in the ‘image’ (imagery) of God.
A
separate sense of self
‘My consciousness becomes trapped in the
energies of the body and caught up in the entanglements of the mind’
Jimmy Henderson
The
question therefore arises as to how we could become our separate ‘selves’ if we
are all part of a Collective. Psychological research has already shown that the
human mind has the ability to isolate and extract specific information from the
environment and to ignore the rest. This explains how it is possible to hear
one’s name being called in a noisy room full of people. In other words, as a
result of our unconscious minds (and the physicality of our brains) filtering out
most of the information, we are actually only conscious of ourselves and others
with whom we are in direct contact.
What
is exciting and important for spiritual growth is the fact that a Collective
Mind is unlimited, and would therefore represent an infinite range of
possibilities. In other words, if accessed through the unconscious mind, the potential
for inner experience within the broader Collective is limitless. In fact, many
of my own experiences in this connected state have been recorded in my latest
publication, Multi-Dimensional Perception (2010).
Jimmy Henderson is a metaphysical teacher and
the author of a number of books and articles on inner self-development. He has
an Honours degree in philosophy (metaphysics) and a Masters degree in Psychology.
He is also a Metavarsity and UNISA distance-tutor and based in Durban, Soth
Africa. His books ‘Multi-Dimensional
Thinking’ (2007) and ‘Multi-dimensional
Perception’ (2010) are available on Amazon.com and Kalahari.com and can
also be ordered via his website www.jimmyhendersonbooks.com
