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| Deer in the Woods, Lake La Aquana, IL by Bob Reber |
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What is consciousness and how can it affect our health and wellness at all levels of our being?
In search of the answer, I had the opportunity to have a conversation about consciousness with Paul Rademacher, the Executive Director of the Monroe Institute. The Monroe Institute is dedicated to the exploration of and research in human consciousness.
Paul, began our conversation stating that, ‘there is a global awakening of humanity that is taking place in our world. There is something happening from an evolutionary aspect in the world that has everything to do with human consciousness; and there are a number of aspects to this evolution. ‘
‘Humanity has come through at a time where, through western culture, we have developed the left side of the brain (the logical, linear side) and have reached the limit of that development. This can be seen throughout our society in the structures we have built to support and encourage the development of the left brain and are now seeing the wear and tear on these structures as we exceed the capacity of left brain development. The societal hallmark of this overdevelopment of the left brain is the unrestrained individuality with no connection to each other or the world around us.’
‘The next step in this evolution is to bring together the left (logical, linear) and right (creative, intuitive) sides of our brains with a synergy that develops between them and without dominance by either of them.’
‘Another aspect to this evolution of human consciousness is for us to understand that the physical reality is not the only reality to explore. The physical can light up with mystical magical light that most do not recognize, yet there are just as magical illuminations of dimensionality that can be explored as well. When we recognize the capacity of human perception we should explore those other perceptions as well. It is this exploration that holds the key to the future of human consciousness and the direction in which it will evolve next.’
But what exactly is human consciousness?
‘This is the fundamental question of our time’, Paul continued, ‘there are two levels that we need to examine. The first is the sentient consciousness. This is the idea that if something has the ability to feel, then it has a level of consciousness. The second level is when the entity (individual) becomes aware that they are aware; and it is this second level that has captured the imagination of the scientific community and is now being researched.’
But how does this apply to our daily lives?
‘Most people spend large portions of their day living in the first level of consciousness, they are having sensory experiences but not always aware that they are having them’, Paul stated. ‘It’s when the individual wakes up and says to themselves, ‘I’m aware that I’m aware’ that they enter the second level of consciousness. This is what scientists are now calling the ‘bing’.’
‘When this sudden awareness of being aware, this ‘bing’ occurs, there is a change in the brains activity. Gamma synchronizing takes place and large areas of the brain (in both hemispheres) begin to activate simultaneously and the person begins using more of their brains capacity.’
‘Studies of experienced meditators (including Tibetan monks) have shown that they experience this Gamma synchronizing at higher level than the general population not only while meditating, but throughout their daily activities. This means that training in meditation and mindfulness can be traced in the brain and can make permanent changes (or shifts) in the brain and our level of consciousness. This dramatically increases the potential for people to become aware of not only with the outside dimension (sensory), but also the internal dimensions (non-physical) that exist.’
‘What we do at the Monroe Institute is assist individuals in exploring the richness of their own awareness; both of the physical world and nonphysical world. If you’ve lived most of your life only exploring the 3 dimensional world there are boundaries and limits to your exploration. Once considered that you are more than your physical body, the boundaries are removed and your world is expanded dramatically. This awareness alone has an immediate impact on your sense of self, self-identity, meaning, purpose and sense of well-being.’
‘We now know there are physiological changes in the brain and we can change the structure of the brain through mindfulness, meditation and inner exploration. Yet, there are other long term effects of expanding our conscious awareness that we have been discovering at the Monroe Institute. These are:
1) The demonstration of multiple intelligences - individuals demonstrate many different ways of expressing themselves through various modes of expressions (i.e. art, school, writing, etc.). They experience the freedom of following passions to become who they truly want to be.
2) Anticipation of and tolerance for liminal states - liminal states are in between states where change is taking place in a person’s life. It is the period when chaos precedes the transition or is a part of transition. Often it is the time in which the old has passed away and the new hasn’t yet emerged.
3) A sense of guidance – a deep seated knowing that you are not stumbling through life alone and that there is a meaning and purpose you can begin to integrate into your life’s experiences.
4) A sense of playfulness in life - if you have a sense of being more than your physical body, your fear of death takes on a different perspective along with the trials, difficulties and problems of this life. Because of this greater perspective, all the events of life become less threatening allowing you to be more playful.
5) Compassion for one’s self and others - when entering into or walking a mystical path in life, the strict idea of individuality breaks down and we see the interconnectedness we have with all living things. We then understand that what I’m doing to another, I’m also doing to myself.
Paul’s deep understanding of how our consciousness is expanding and evolving is phenomenal! His light hearted and whimsical explanations make it understandable. If you want to learn more about your conscious evolution, Paul will be speaking at various locations in Northeast Wisconsin in October. For more information check out http://tmiwisconsin.com/ .
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