July | 2024 | ashokbhatia

Trying to explain the concept of consciousness is not easy. Like the proverbial elephant and the seven blind men, each one of us has a different way of understanding and interpreting it. This note attempts to do it by using some of the properties which characterise one of the main energies of the universe, Light.

Being Invisible

Light makes us see the world around us. However, when traveling in a vacuum, it is invisible by itself. It is only when a ray of light encounters either dust particles or a surface which reflects it that we get to see an object. The object could be either organic, like a physical being, or inorganic, like a piece of rock.

Likewise, consciousness is not visible by itself. It is only when we come across some acts of a benevolent kind, something which soothes and uplifts our conscience, that we notice its presence. Moreover, if there is something happening around us those troubles us within, we notice its absence.

Those who notice either its presence or absence are the ones whose antennae are tuned to receiving and relaying the waves of consciousness. The German Psychoanalyst Carl Jung led us to believe that such persons are the ones who are not afraid of looking within and facing their own souls.

There’s no coming to consciousness without pain. No tree, it is said, can grow to heaven unless its roots reach down to hell. One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious. People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own souls.

Conscious Leadership manifests itself through people and organisations that act in a conscious manner – a manager handling her team member facing a personal crisis in an empathic manner, a leader who is selflessly striving for an overall improvement of her country, or a whistle-blower who makes us sit up and take notice of the environmental damage a purely profit-driven business is doing. Like light, consciousness pervades the universe. Most of us are not aware of its presence. We are like a fish swimming in a lake which, when asked if water exists, may give us a puzzled look, wag its fins, shake its head in wonderment, and simply swim away.

However, if our receptors and antennae are tuned right, we can receive signals of consciousness and even radiate these further to those in our circle of influence.

The Visible and the Veiled Parts

Our senses have limitations. There is a range of wavelengths which alone is visible to the human eye. There is also a large part of the spectrum which remains veiled. A physicist would describe light as electromagnetic radiation. The latter is classified by wavelength into radio waves, microwaves, infrared, the visible part of the spectrum that we perceive as light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays.

When scientists try to explain consciousness, they are usually looking at something which is a neurological phenomenon, occurring within the human brain. There are indeed times when our neural processes lead us to recognize a higher meaning in things. According to them, our 40 Hz oscillations happen to be the neural basis for consciousness in the brain. Quantum physicists believe that the Integrated Information Theory may enable humanity to explore the concept of consciousness better.

However, consciousness is immeasurable and cannot be explained with complicated mathematical models. Moreover, it is something that also exists beyond the realm of our physical frame. After all, human consciousness is but a smaller part of the larger consciousness of the universe. Perhaps, if Mother Nature had not protected us by limiting our senses, a majority of us, unable to handle the vast grandeur of its intrinsic beauty, would have become permanent residents of a lunatic asylum!

Even if we were to look within, a major part of us remains veiled. Consider the concept of five Koshas (sheaths) of the human body, of which we are aware of only the physical form. According to the Taittiriya Upanishad, an ancient Tantric yoga text, the Koshas are considered the five layers of energy. These sheaths or coverings are said to encase the Pure Consciousness (Purusha) or Self (atman). In Sanskrit, these are called Annamaya Kosha (food sheath), Pranamaya Kosha (sheath of prana or life), Manomaya Kosha (mind sheath), Vijnanamaya Kosha (knowledge or wisdom sheath), and Anandamaya Kosha (bliss sheath).

Duality and Multiplicity

Thinking from the perspective of quantum physics, the dual nature of radiation as both particle and wave challenges our conventional understanding of reality. It suggests that the universe is inherently interconnected and dynamic. This duality has an interesting similarity in neurology, where consciousness oscillates between discrete neurological events and a continuous flow of cognition. Just as particles and waves exist in a superposition until observed, consciousness can be perceived as a series of individual neural firings and a seamless experiential continuum. This analogy highlights the profound interconnectedness of physical phenomena and the human mind, suggesting a deeper, unified field where the boundaries between the material and the mental blend, opening new possibilities for exploring the mysteries of existence.

In its particle form, consciousness could be thought of as a germ of an idea nestled deep within us which connects us to our innermost Self. In this form, it is like a seed that is waiting to sprout, when given the right conditions of soil, water, air, and exposure to sunlight. We may also visualise it as a flame of light within us.

However, when an external occurrence becomes a catalyst, a wave of action gets initiated by us. This wave has a unique amplitude and frequency which is determined by our own personality. It travels to all those who happen to inhabit our circle of influence. Those who are receptive are impacted by it.

When many such persons with a matching frequency resonate with each other – driven by a common concern and a deep-seated desire to do something about it – come together, tribe comes into existence. Thus begins a change in the society’s attitudes and practices.

Yet another interesting perspective on the dual nature of things is provided by the Sankhya philosophy in Hinduism. It views reality as composed of two independent principles, Puruṣha (awareness) and Prakṛti (nature or matter, including the human mind and emotions).

Puruṣha is the witness-awareness. It is absolute, independent, free, beyond perception, above any experience by mind or senses, and is impossible to describe in words.

Prakriti is matter or nature. It is inactive, unconscious, and is a balance of the three guṇas (qualities or innate tendencies), namely sattva, rajas, and tamas.

Of Photons and Consciotons

The visible part of light is made up of photons. Likewise, one may surmise that the waves of consciousness comprise sub-atomic particles which, for the sake of convenience, we may call ‘consciotons’.

Since most of us have been brought up with an analytical mindset, we may find it difficult to either accept or visualise this. Perhaps we need to be patient and wait till the time a scientific study indicates the same!

The Components

When we pass a ray of light through a prism, it reveals its seven components, or different colours, which comprise it. These colours are Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red.

Consciousness, under its humanly positive aspects, also has several components, many of which get revealed when it gets practised by an aspirant. Collective Good, Connection with the Universe, Clarity of Purpose, Compassion, Empathy, Humility and Righteous Integrity, and Self-awareness are some of these.

Refraction and Diffraction

When a straw is half-submerged in a glass container containing a liquid, the straw looks crooked. The higher the density of the liquid, the more the crookedness of the straw.

In the context of consciousness, let us imagine the glass container to be an individual, whose personality makeup determines the density of the liquid. A person whose thoughts, actions, and deeds happen to be pure would be one with the least possible density. The higher the level of impurity in a person’s thoughts, etc, the higher the density. If we were to consider the straw to be an idea steeped in consciousness, it becomes apparent that it would look crooked to a person with a negative mindset.

The path of light is invariably a straight and narrow one. But when it encounters an obstacle, it tries to get around the corners, a phenomenon which is referred to as diffraction. One of the outcomes of diffraction happens to be the beautiful rainbows that regale us from time to time.

What happens when we encounter challenges in life? Each challenge, whether in the official or the personal part of our lives, tests our tenacity, resilience, and courage. Those of us who have a sunnier outlook and a chin-up attitude try to get around it. In the process, we discover our inner strengths and reveal to those around us the kind of properties our consciousness is made up of. Down the road, when we look back at that experience, we may realise that our relation to the overall consciousness has changed. We appreciate the different colours which comprise our personal rainbows.

The Speed of Light

In the Newtonian world, the speed of light is treated as a universal constant. According to Einstein, when light rays pass nearby an object, these not only bend but even their speed gets reduced a bit. Quantum Physics also shows us how the speed of light may change under certain conditions. We have already seen how light travels at different speeds in different media, depending upon the density of the latter.

When a child is born, its heart is pure, sans any prejudices. It merely strives to seek adequate nourishment for the body. It lives in a higher state of consciousness. However, as the child grows, its personality starts shaping up, increasing the density of the medium, so to say. Depending upon the kind of nurturing it receives, the environment in which it grows, and the value eco-system it inherits, the speed at which it can either receive or radiate the waves of consciousness varies.

Individuals have different levels of receptivity to conscious ideas. Our receptivity gets determined by the way our personalities have shaped up over time. It can be readily appreciated that our receptivity to waves of consciousness varies in inverse proportion to the density of our personalities. The higher the density of one’s personality, the lower would be the receptivity. Thus, there are some who would embrace conscious ideas enthusiastically, and perhaps even start acting along those lines at the speed of light. However, quite a few others would resist such ideas, thereby slowing down the spread of waves of consciousness.

Perhaps the highest stage of consciousness leads us to enlightenment. There could be instances when this comes about instantaneously, either owing to a sudden spurt of intuition or an external trigger. Scales fall from our mental eyes. The mist in our thinking melts away and we are suddenly able to see things very clearly. A deep state of meditation could lead to clarity on a complex challenge one may be handling at the time. This instantaneousness is what the speed of light represents.

Lead, kindly light

As one of the essential elements of the universe, light brings joy, hope, and upliftment to our lives. The way it behaves helps us to understand yet another fundamental element of the universe, namely consciousness, better. The illusory absence of light results in darkness, depression, and hopelessness.

When the darkness and gloom of global warming, environmental degradation, wars, corruption, absence of values and ethics, and lack of concern for our fellow beings surround us, a ray of light and hope is what we seek. Enlightenment is what many of us aim for. A dash of consciousness is what we crave for.

Perhaps, this is so because our inner self is configured to yearn for bliss. Intrinsically, it appreciates the wonder of life and the beauty of life.

John H. Newman was not much off the mark when he said that:

Lead, kindly light, amid the encircling gloom

Lead thou me on

The night is dark, and I am far from home

Lead thou me on…

Likewise, we have an ancient Indian mantra which has been mentioned in the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad:

असतो मा सद्गमय ।

तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय ।

मृत्योर्माऽमृतं गमय ॥

Asato mā sadgamaya,

Tamaso mā jyotirgamaya,

Mṛtyormā’mṛtaṃ gamaya.

From illusion lead me to truth,

From darkness lead me to light,

From death lead me to immortality.

May the inner flame of consciousness flickering within each one of us manifest itself in all our actions and spread its divine light all around, enabling humanity to lead a happier and more fulfilling existence.

Notes:

Inputs from Dominique Conterno and Anju Kulshreshtha are gratefully acknowledged.
Illustration courtesy Esther Robles.
Both Dominique Conterno and Esther Robles are Co-founders of Conscious Enterprises Network (https://www.consciousenterprises.net)

Related Posts: