The Living Universe

by Duane Elgin

  Cultivating a reflective consciousness is a basic skill recognized in all of the world’s spiritual traditions as well as in psychotherapy. All understand that the first step in awakening and healing is to simply see “what is.” In other words, we begin by becoming an objective witness or impartial observer of our lives and telling ourselves the truth about our situation. Honest reflection and non-judgmental witnessing are fundamental to both individual and collective awakening. In paying attention to our lives in the mirror of consciousness, we gradually make friends with our soulful nature and come to greater self-possession. The capacity for honest self-reflection provides a way to cut through the surface chatter of our lives and discover the deeper voice of our soul.

  A reflective consciousness will bring a new tenor and feel into the world. Where the industrial era mindset with its “thinking consciousness” brought an aggressive, materialistic, and self-promoting orientation, a “reflective consciousness” brings a more receptive, trans-material, and relationship-building orientation; it represents a shift from masculine to feminine qualities. Embracing the feminine archetype (which tends to be more open, allowing, forgiving, bodily aware, and integrating) will enable humanity to move beyond the aggressive and competitive mind set of the industrial era and to promote the caring and cooperation that are the vital foundation for a sustainable future. By expanding the feminine archetype to cosmic scale, the universe is seen as a single living organism. Instead of an impersonal machine that is devoid of consciousness and purpose, the cosmos is seen as a living entity infused with, and animated by, a subtle life energy. Within this re-spiritualized framework, it is natural to view the Earth as a sacred, self-regulating organism.

  Stage II: Oceanic Consciousness

  The next step in conscious awakening occurs as the duality of watcher and watched merges into the unity of an integrated experience of conscious knowing. With stability of attention, the distance between knower and known gradually diminishes until the two become one in experience. We no longer stand apart from reality, observing it; rather, we come into a direct and unbounded relationship with existence. When we are fully present in the precise center of our moment-to-moment experience, we automatically come into a living relationship with the infusing field of aliveness—an experience that is intrinsically nurturing and satisfying. At the center, we find the simple joy and contentment of being alive. Our experience of intimate connection with all of creation naturally awakens feelings of compassion.

  As we deepen into the experience of our communion within the seamless fabric of creation, it naturally awakens a feeling of compassion for the rest of life. We see that we are not separate, as everything contributes its part to the continuous flowering of the cosmos. Our scope of empathy and concern broadens as we are able to see beyond our own skin. Intuitively, we know that because we all arise from a deep ocean of life energy, a vital connection is continuously present. A natural inclination toward ethical behavior grows within us. Immersed in the larger ocean of life, we understand that if there is suffering anywhere on the Earth we are all suffering. We recognize that our experience of life is permeable, that our intuitive capacities extend into the ocean of our shared existence, and that we share in whatever measure of happiness or sorrow is being created for the whole.

  We may momentarily forget the unbounded nature of our Being but with focus, intention, and grace we can take a breath, notice the warmth that arises in our hearts, and re-affirm our capacity for being in the world with lovingkindness. Once we know our cosmic nature and that we are immersed in this reality, we know how to look within to discover anew the cosmic aspects of our being. In a self-reinforcing spiral of development, we become increasingly secure in our knowledge of this ordinary miracle and grow as beings of cosmic dimension, connection, and purpose.

  Stage III: Flow Consciousness

  The third stage of awakening unfolds as we become increasingly settled within an oceanic consciousness and a feeling of communion with the totality of existence. With increasingly precise and sustained attention we begin to ride the flow of the universe as it continuously arises. Gradually we learn the skills of “reality surfing,” riding the wave of continuous creation.

  By embracing the full dynamism of the cosmos, the last vestiges of the passive observer are transformed into the fully engaged participator. The loop of self-knowing closes and the full capacity for “knowing that we know” is realized. By coming to the center of oceanic consciousness and great Being, we discover the flow of the living cosmos in its process of great Becoming. Being and Becoming are both true. To complete our learning we must learn the skills of movement, of flow, of reality surfing, of Being Becoming Being; we then discover the stillness within motion and the motion within stillness.9 Enlightening experiences emerge naturally when attention rides the precise edge of the endless cresting wave of continuous creation.

  What does flow consciousness feel like? Imagine you are riding a bike along a road with a 20-mph wind blowing directly at your back. When you are pedaling slower than 20 mph you feel the wind pushing from behind. When you are pedaling faster than 20 mph, you feel the wind pushing from the front. But at perfect speed—when the speed of your bike matches the speed of the wind—the world suddenly becomes very still and your movement along the road becomes nearly effortless. In a similar way, when our flow of awareness comes into precise synchronization with the arising of the universe, then the world suddenly becomes very quiet and our passage through life becomes calm and easeful. When we are aware of the stillness within motion, we are in the center of the flow of continuous creation. In flow consciousness, we experience a deep harmony as the personal and the universal move together in mutual synchrony.10 Because any activity done with fullness of attention offers an opportunity to connect with the cosmic flow, this experience is always available to us.

  No matter how mundane the circumstance, no matter how seemingly trivial the situation, we can always be aware of the subtle flow of creation happening within and around us. We can glimpse the current of creation in small ways—perhaps in the golden light of a late afternoon or in the luster of an old wooden table that shines and dances with an inexplicable depth and glow. We can also witness the buzzing aliveness of creation in places that may seem far removed from nature—a room filled only with plastic, chrome, steel, and glass will fiercely display the flow of creation in the raw. In the gentle contemplation of any part of ordinary reality, we can catch glimpses of the great hurricane of energy that blows with silent force through all things.

  In learning the skills of living within a living universe, humanity will acquire the perspective, wisdom, and compassion we will need to sustain ourselves into the deep future. A dynamically stable and self-organizing planetary civilization can grow and become a participant in the unfolding cosmos. The dynamic integration of this stage represents both the completion of a long process of development and the foundation for a new beginning. We are making our way into the infinite reaches of our home—the living universe nested within the ever-sustaining Mother Universe.

  In considering these three stages of awakening, it is important to respect our personal stage of learning and be patient with ourselves, neither getting ahead of ourselves nor lagging behind. For example, it is important not to reach for the spaciousness of a cosmic consciousness (conscious participation in the ecology of the cosmos) when a witnessing consciousness has yet to be stabilized. On the other hand, it does not serve us to continue to cultivate the subtle polarity of a witnessing or observing consciousness when we have developed the capacity to move into cosmic consciousness and achieve compassionate communion with the cosmos. We are each responsible for discerning where we are on our journey of awakening and for seeking guidance and a community of support.

  Fundamental to our journey of return is resting in the amazing grace of a living universe. What a kindness it is to discover that we are her offspring. What relief from the existential anxiety of profound separation. A higher sani
ty emerges. Once again we can be curious about the invisible presence and look for the “light within light.” We can listen for the great sound of creation as the universe arises silently in each moment and quench our soul’s thirst with the sweet waters of the primordial ocean of aliveness, present since the beginning of all beginnings.

  Part Four

  Actions for the Journey Ahead

  Chapter 8

  Six Vital Tasks for the Journey Home

  Take courage. The human race is divine.

  —PYTHAGORAS

  The human family faces a demanding journey. Because we are experiencing a systems crisis, everything is happening at once. How do we sort out what is most important for making our way into a promising future? Having pondered this question for more than thirty years, I suggest that the following six tasks are vital for making this unprecedented evolutionary turn to begin our homeward journey.

  1. Co-creating our story of awakening

  2. Cultivating reflection and reconciliation

  3. Living simply and sustainably

  4. Creating new kinds of community

  5. Becoming media-conscious citizens of the Earth

  6. Bringing our true gifts into the world

  Co-Creating Our Story of Awakening

  If we are separated from the universe, we are literally lost. When we don’t know where we are, we cannot understand who we are or the nature of the evolutionary journey ahead. This journey is not a return to the past. We cannot go back to some nostalgic golden age of a previous era; instead, home lies ahead in a new relationship with ourselves and the universe. Chapter 6 described a great transition for the Earth that is already underway. On the other side of our growing systems crisis, the world will be a decidedly different place depending on our actions now. We will have either an Earth ruined through conflict or an Earth restored through cooperation.

  At this pregnant time in human history we are each called to help birth a larger vision of the human journey. To respond successfully to climate disruption and the dwindling supply of cheap oil requires more than programs for energy efficiency. More fundamentally, we need a compelling story about the human journey that enables us to look beyond looming conflicts over scarce resources. As a citizen of the Earth, every person has the right and responsibility to contribute to the collective visioning of our journey.

  The “great awakening” to a living universe is truly great. It is not a marginal or incremental expansion of the human journey; instead, it is a radical, deep, and powerful transformation. In our encounter with limits to physical growth, we are discovering the unlimited aliveness of our universe and the enormity of our growth potentials within it. Material limitation awakens us to non-material freedom. As one door of opportunity closes, another opens to reveal an immensely larger realm of possibility.

  To establish a guiding vision for humanity based on the foundation of materialism—when science has demonstrated that 96 percent of the known universe is invisible—is to choose a paradigm suitable for only 4 percent of existence. The “4 percent solution” of materialism is profoundly deficient. The magnitude of the challenges we face calls for a “100 percent solution” that includes the invisible aspect of the universe as revealed by both exterior and interior sciences.

  It is important for us to not get ahead of ourselves, but to recognize where we are on the journey of awakening. We are in a dangerous time of transition from separation to communion. We are between two major stages and moving rapidly into a time of planetary initiation. We are entering a world systems crisis and we must choose whether we will pull together in creative cooperation or pull apart in profound conflict. The coming decades will reveal the soul of our species and provide the opportunity for a rite of passage from one great trajectory of learning and development to another.

  In this supercharged setting, a critical step in building a promising future is to visualize it together. Although many people can visualize a future of catastrophe and ruin, far fewer can imagine a future of opportunity and renewal. A future of conflict and suffering is easy to imagine, while a future of harmony and health is still a vague and unformed possibility in our collective imagination. We face big challenges, and it will take an equally big vision to transform conflict into cooperation and draw us into a promising future. To create this vision, here are four empowering archetypes that provide us with tools for collectively imagining a promising pathway into the future.

  A Maturing Species

  We could see ourselves as a maturing species that is going through the growth pains of a collective adolescence. Our self-image could be that of a young species gifted with many untapped potentials. We could see ourselves as immersed in the predictable turmoil of the adolescent years, testing limits and yet ready to move into early adulthood, where we are concerned with the well-being of the Earth and the future of the human family.

  As I travel around the world giving talks about humanity’s future, I often begin with a simple question: “When you look at the overall behavior of the human family, what life stage do you think we are in? Averaging human behavior around the world, what stage of development best describes the human family: toddler, teenager, adult, or elder?” When I first began asking this question, I had no idea if people would understand it and, if they did, how they would answer. To my surprise, nearly everyone immediately understood the question and their responses show that, around the world, there is an overwhelming agreement about humanity’s stage of life—we are in our teenage years.

  Although many people described our species behavior as rebellious, reckless, and short-sighted, many others also pointed out beneficial aspects of the adolescent stage of development. Adolescents have a huge amount of energy and enthusiasm and, with their courage and daring, are ready to dive into life and make a difference in the world. Many teenagers have a hidden sense of greatness and feel that, given a chance, they can accomplish wonderful things. Overall, the archetype of a maturing species explains a lot about our current behaviors and contains within it the promise of a hopeful future. As we grow into our early adulthood as a species, we can recognize we are an integral part of the living universe, consider the impact of our actions generations into the future, place meaningful work over pleasure seeking, measure ourselves by our soulful character, and patiently work to restore the Earth.

  A Heroic Species

  The previous chapter discussed the hero archetype at length. We could hold an image of ourselves as a pioneering species that is blazing an evolutionary trail and transforming a wild planet into a biosphere that will sustain life into the distant future. In this view we are on a heroic journey, moving through an unprecedented rite of passage and confronting the supreme challenge of building a new relationship with the Earth, with one another, and with the living universe that is our home. When we regard ourselves in this way, it seems evident that for tens of thousands of years, humanity has been on a path of separation—pulling back from nature and growing our sense of differentiation and empowerment as a species. Now our powers have become so great that they threaten the integrity of life on this planet and confront us with an unprecedented test of our species’ character. If we move through this time of initiation successfully, we can make our journey of return back into a harmonious relationship with the Earth and the universe that is our home.

  A Witnessing Species

  A third archetype that provides a powerful tool for envisioning a constructive journey portrays humanity as a witnessing or observing species. Throughout this book we have explored the idea that humans are the most conscious life form on the Earth and possess a unique potential for reflective consciousness (knowing that we know). We are a reflective species with a distinct capacity for being awake to our choices and their impact upon the Earth. Empowered by the global communications revolution, our emerging self-image could be that of a human community that is progressively waking up and becoming ever more deliberate, attentive, and mindful of our way of living upon the Earth.
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  At a global level, the world is becoming transparent to itself—seeing itself as a whole system for the very first time. No longer operating “on automatic,” the human family is increasingly aware that we can be conscious of ourselves—seeing ourselves daily in the mirrors of television, the Internet, and other tools of the global nervous system—and this changes everything. People in both agrarian and industrial societies are being rapidly enveloped in the communications revolution, with its capacity for a witnessing or observing consciousness. Whether we live in city, village, or farm, all humans are becoming “witnessing earthlings.” Injustice and inequities that previously flourished in the darkness of inattention and ignorance are being brought into the healing light of public awareness. With the whole world watching, various kinds of violence—economic, racial, gender, religious—are being brought before the court of world public opinion through the Internet and mass media. The world is becoming transparent and this is having a powerful corrective influence on human relations and inclining our actions in a more compassionate direction. The archetype of a witnessing species that is waking up together is an empowering metaphor as we work to envision a promising future.

  A Cosmic Species

  A fourth archetype at the foundation of this book is an image of ourselves as the offspring not only of a living Earth but also of a living universe; we are the progeny of a vast, evolutionary chain of life that is regenerating itself at every moment. Seeing ourselves as descendants of a living cosmos, we can develop a collective self-image as beings of cosmic dimension, participation, and purpose. Seeing ourselves as part of the seamless fabric of creation awakens a sense of connection with and compassion for the totality of life. No longer do we see ourselves as isolated beings whose identity stops with our skin; instead, we regard ourselves as interconnected beings who are immersed in a vast ocean of aliveness. Every action is felt to have ethical consequences as it reverberates throughout the interwoven field of the living universe. We can tune into this living field and sense, as a kinesthetic hum, whether our actions are in harmony with the well-being of the world. As we see ourselves as the offspring of a living universe, it awakens a new sense of identity, ethics, and potential for the future.