A Secret History of Consciousness

1. Consciousness is a fundamental, evolving force, not just a brain function.

For the materialist, matter comes first, consciousness second; for the countertradition, consciousness comes first.

Challenging materialism. The book argues against the dominant scientific view that consciousness is merely a byproduct of brain activity. Instead, it posits that consciousness is a primary, irreducible aspect of existence, preceding and even shaping matter. This counter-perspective views consciousness as an active, living presence.

Beyond the brain. Cases of hydrocephalus where individuals function normally with minimal brain tissue challenge the mantra "the brain causes consciousness." These anomalies suggest consciousness might exist independently or be a property distributed beyond the physical brain, hinting at a deeper mystery than current science admits.

An underground current. While academic science historically ignored or dismissed consciousness, ideas about its centrality and potential evolution have persisted in esoteric and spiritual traditions for centuries. This "secret history" offers a broader perspective than the recent scientific focus on explaining consciousness through physical processes alone.

2. "Cosmic Consciousness" hints at humanity's next evolutionary leap.

Cosmic consciousness... is a higher form of consciousness than that possessed by the ordinary man.

A new level of awareness. Richard Maurice Bucke's personal illumination led him to propose "cosmic consciousness" as the next stage in human evolution, following simple perception and self-consciousness. This state involves a profound awareness of the cosmos as a living presence, accompanied by intellectual illumination and immense joy.

Signs of emergence. Bucke believed this higher consciousness, though rare historically, was becoming more common, appearing in individuals across different cultures. He saw it as a natural evolutionary step, comparable to the development of color sense or musical appreciation, which were once limited but became widespread faculties.

Characteristics of the state:

• Sense of the cosmos as living
• Intellectual illumination
• Feeling of immense joyousness
• Conviction of immortality and universal goodness
• Perception of love as the world's foundation

Bucke's vision, though perhaps overly utopian, captured a widespread optimism about human potential at the turn of the 20th century, suggesting humanity was maturing towards a higher plane of existence.

3. Our everyday mind is a "reducing valve" limiting perception of reality.

our normal waking consciousness, rational consciousness as we call it, is but one special type of consciousness, whilst all about it, parted from it by the flimsiest of screens, there lie potential forms of consciousness entirely different.

Filtering reality. William James and Henri Bergson proposed that the brain's primary function is not to produce consciousness, but to limit it. It acts as a "reducing valve" or filter, selecting only the information necessary for survival and practical interaction with the environment, carving a manageable reality out of a vast, overwhelming totality.

Accessing wider reality. Altered states of consciousness, whether induced by drugs (like James's nitrous oxide experiments), mystical experiences, or hypnagogia, temporarily bypass this filter. These states reveal that our ordinary waking consciousness is just one limited mode, and that other, entirely different forms of awareness exist, offering glimpses into a richer, more complex reality.

Consequences of filtering:

• Loss of the "freshness" of perception experienced in childhood
• Focus on discrete objects rather than continuous flow (Bergson's "duration")
• Difficulty perceiving deeper meanings or connections
• A sense of separation from the world

Understanding the brain as a filter suggests that the "real" world is far more expansive and interconnected than our everyday consciousness allows us to perceive, and that untapped potentials lie just beyond the "flimsiest of screens."

4. Evolution is driven by a creative life force and conscious effort.

Life needs a secure foothold in matter so that it can concentrate on the real business of evolution: understanding and developing the mind.

Beyond Darwinian chance. Thinkers like Bergson, Nietzsche, Ouspensky, Blavatsky, and Steiner challenged the purely mechanistic view of evolution driven by random mutation and survival of the fittest. They proposed an inherent, purposeful force or impulse driving life towards greater complexity, freedom, and self-awareness.

The Élan Vital. Bergson's concept of the "élan vital" describes a spiritual force penetrating matter, organizing it, and pushing evolution towards novelty and increased freedom. He argued that life's goal isn't mere adaptation but the development of mind, which requires a stable material base.

Conscious cultivation. Ouspensky and Steiner emphasized that human evolution, unlike earlier stages, requires conscious effort and cultivation. It's not an automatic process but depends on individuals actively working on themselves and fostering a culture that supports the emergence of new consciousness.

Different evolutionary paths:

• Plants: Life "falls asleep" in immobility (Bergson, Steiner)
• Insects: Ruled by instinct, lacking initiative (Bergson)
• Vertebrates/Humans: Potential for freedom and self-direction (Bergson)
• "New Race": Individuals consciously evolving beyond the norm (Orage, Ouspensky)

This perspective views humanity as the leading edge of a cosmic process, tasked with developing mind and spirit, and suggests that our future evolution is not predetermined but depends on our choices and efforts.

5. Esoteric traditions hold a "secret history" of consciousness development.

There is what I call a “secret history of consciousness,” and in what follows I will try to bring some of this secret history to light.

A counter-narrative. The book explores a history of thought about consciousness largely ignored by mainstream science and philosophy, found within esoteric, spiritual, and metaphysical traditions. This "secret history" views consciousness as central to existence and traces its evolution through different historical periods.

Key figures and ideas:

• Madame Blavatsky (Theosophy): Cosmic cycles (manvantaras/pralayas), Root Races (Lemuria, Atlantis), Akashic Record, spiritual hierarchies guiding evolution.
• Rudolf Steiner (Anthroposophy): Cosmic evolution through planetary stages (Old Saturn, Sun, Moon, Earth), post-Atlantean epochs, spiritual hierarchies, reading the Akashic Record consciously.
• A.R. Orage: Nietzschean "superman" combined with Theosophical ideas, consciousness as a tiered process (animal, human, superhuman), "ecstasy" as a higher state.
• P.D. Ouspensky: Experimental mysticism, the "fourth dimension" as a higher reality, the "miraculous" hidden within the mundane, the "new race" of evolving individuals.

Beyond the materialist view. These traditions offer elaborate cosmologies and anthropologies that stand in stark contrast to scientific materialism. They propose that humanity's origins are spiritual, not merely animal, and that evolution is guided by intelligence, not just chance.

6. Ancient minds perceived reality through "participatory" consciousness.

Clearly, if Schwaller de Lubicz is right, the ancient Egyptians, and the hypothetical civilization that preceded them, had a relationship with the world profoundly different from our own.

Unity with the world. Thinkers like Schwaller de Lubicz, Owen Barfield, and Stan Gooch suggest that earlier human consciousness was not separated from the world as ours is today. They experienced a "participatory" consciousness, feeling themselves deeply connected to nature and the cosmos.

Evidence from the past:

• Ancient Egypt (Schwaller de Lubicz): "Intelligence of the heart," symbolic perception (hieroglyphs), awareness of cosmic harmony, possibly inherited from a prior civilization (Atlantis).
• Neanderthals (Stan Gooch): Moon worship, "Moon culture," possibly psychic abilities linked to the cerebellum, a "dual" nature in modern humans from interbreeding.
• Old Europe (Marija Gimbutas): Matriarchal, Goddess-oriented civilization in harmony with nature, predating patriarchal, sky-god cultures.
• Paleolithic Art: Suggests a vital, magical world and possibly use of psychotropic substances (Paul Devereux).

Different perception of reality. This participatory mode meant the world was experienced as alive, imbued with meaning and spiritual forces (gods, nature spirits). It was not a collection of dead, objective things but a living tapestry in which humans were embedded.

7. Language reveals the evolution from unity to separation from the world.

Language contemplated is a mirror of my consciousness and its evolution.

History within words. Owen Barfield argued that the history of language is a record of the evolution of human consciousness. By tracing the meaning of words, particularly metaphors, we can see how our perception of reality has changed over time.

From concrete to abstract. Language has moved from being highly figurative and tied to tangible objects or physical activities to becoming increasingly abstract. What we now see as mere metaphors were once literal descriptions of a world experienced as alive and interconnected.

The loss of participation:

• Early language: Expressed a world where consciousness "participated" directly, seeing the "inside" of things.
• Rise of literacy (Leonard Shlain): Shifted focus to abstract, linear thinking (left-brain dominance), contributing to separation from nature and the rise of patriarchal values.
• Modern language: A "tissue of dead metaphors," reflecting a consciousness that no longer experiences the world as inherently meaningful or alive.

Barfield's analysis suggests that our current sense of alienation is deeply embedded in the structure of our language, which reflects a consciousness that has lost its direct, felt connection to the world it describes.

8. Our current "mental-rational" consciousness faces a profound crisis.

The crisis we are experiencing today... is a crisis of the world and mankind such as has occurred previously only during pivotal junctures.

The rise of the ego. Jean Gebser identifies the "mental-rational" structure of consciousness, emerging around 1225 B.C., as the source of our modern ego and directed, discursive thought. This brought intellectual freedom but also separation from the world and a potential for meaninglessness.

Deficiency and breakdown. Gebser argues this structure entered a state of "deficiency" around the 14th century (symbolized by Petrarch's ascent and the rise of perspective), leading to an overemphasis on analysis, objectivity, and a loss of transcendent meaning. This deficiency is now culminating in a crisis of fragmentation and nihilism.

Signs of the crisis:

• Loss of shared values and meaning ("disintegration of values")
• Rise of extreme rationalism and materialism (scientism)
• Fragmentation in art, philosophy, and culture (postmodernism)
• Increasing alienation and psychological distress
• Potential for global catastrophe

This perspective views the current state of Western civilization not just as a period of change, but as the potential collapse of a fundamental way of being and perceiving, brought on by the exhaustion of the mental-rational mode.

9. An "integral" consciousness is emerging, transforming our experience of time.

The principal subject of the book, proceeding from man's altered relationship to time, is the new consciousness, and to this those of the younger generation are keenly attuned.

A new mutation. Jean Gebser posits the emergence of an "integral" or "aperspectival" consciousness structure, which is characterized by a new relationship with time and a capacity to integrate previous modes of awareness. This is not a linear progression but a "mutation" from origin.

Irruption of time. Unlike the linear time of the mental-rational structure or the cyclical time of the mythical, the integral structure experiences time as "ever-present." This involves an "irruption" of time, where past, present, and future are simultaneously accessible, moving beyond our conventional understanding of temporal flow.

Characteristics of integral consciousness:

• Aperspectival: Perceiving reality from multiple viewpoints simultaneously, transcending single perspectives.
• Diaphaneity: The "shining through" of the spiritual origin in the material world.
• Ego-freedom: A transcendence of the limited ego, allowing for a wider, more integrated awareness.
• Verition/Waring: Perceiving the "itself" of things, their inherent being and meaning.

This emerging consciousness offers the potential to overcome the fragmentation of the mental-rational structure by integrating its strengths (rationality, ego) with the vital, mythical, and archaic modes, leading to a more holistic and time-free perception of reality.

10. The "paranormal" offers glimpses into latent human potentials.

Unexplained subjective experience arouses an irritation in me.

Beyond scientific dismissal. The book highlights how phenomena dismissed or ignored by mainstream science, such as mystical states, altered states of consciousness, and what is often labeled "paranormal," are crucial for understanding the full scope of human potential. The scientific irritation towards subjective experience reveals a bias against anything that eludes current methodologies.

Windows into other realities:

• Anesthetic Revelation (James): Nitrous oxide revealed "potential forms of consciousness entirely different" from normal waking state.
• Hypnagogia (Mavromatis, Steiner): The state between waking and sleeping offers access to "older" brain structures, symbolic imagery, and potentially telepathic or precognitive experiences.
• Selective Forms (Moskvitin): Introspection reveals the mind's active role in shaping perception, linking inner "hallucinatory" patterns to the external world.
• Faculty X (Wilson): The ability to grasp the reality of "other times and places," suggesting consciousness is not confined to the present moment or physical location.

These experiences, often relegated to the realm of fantasy or pathology by a reductive scientific worldview, are presented as evidence of latent human capacities and indicators of the possible forms of future consciousness.

11. The ego is a necessary stage, but its transcendence unlocks higher states.

The content of reality is only the reflection of the content of our minds.

The rise of the "I". The development of the conscious ego was a crucial step in human evolution, allowing for intellectual freedom, self-awareness, and the creation of civilization. Thinkers like Steiner and Gebser see this as a necessary stage, a "descent into matter" to gain control and independence.

Limitations of the ego. While essential, the ego also creates separation and limits perception. It anchors consciousness in a single perspective (perspectival consciousness) and linear time, obscuring the deeper, interconnected reality perceived by earlier or higher states of consciousness.

Transcending, not eliminating:

• Orage's "Superhuman": Consciousness of the ego by a higher "self," a further level of interiorizing awareness.
• Steiner's "Ego-consciousness": The task of the current epoch, but leading to future stages (Imagination, Inspiration, Intuition) that integrate older forms.
• Gebser's "Ego-freedom": A state in the integral structure where the ego is transcended, allowing consciousness to "coalesce" with origin without losing self-awareness.

The goal is not to destroy the ego, but to develop it fully and then integrate it into a wider, more comprehensive awareness, allowing consciousness to perceive reality from a perspective that includes both the individual self and the greater whole.

12. The future of reality depends on our conscious imagination and responsibility.

The future of the phenomenal world can no longer be regarded as entirely independent of man's volition.

Consciousness shapes reality. Building on the idea that the phenomenal world is a representation created by consciousness, thinkers like Owen Barfield and Jurij Moskvitin argue that the future of this world, including nature itself, depends on the evolution of human consciousness and our conscious choices.

The power of imagination. Barfield's "beta-thinking" and Moskvitin's "selective forms" point to the unconscious imaginative processes that shape our perceived reality. Becoming aware of these processes and consciously directing our imagination is crucial for influencing the future.

Responsibility for the world:

• Barfield: Our imagination can either create a "fantastically hideous world" (deficient imagination) or contribute to a more meaningful reality (conscious participation).
• Moskvitin: The "anthroposphere" (world created by human mind) is rooted in imaginative/hallucinatory experience; we imitate and spread these creations.

[ERROR: Incomplete response]

Last updated: May 28, 2025