Transcending the Limits of Perception
by Maud Woiczik
Introduction
Reality can be understood as a construct, the foundations of which are transmitted within social and cultural groups. At the heart of this construction lie personal experience, collective imaginations, and the interpretation of sensory data (Friedman, 2015). Thus, the construction of reality varies from one individual to another, and particularly from one culture to another. To introduce this work, I would like to focus on sensory perception and its dynamic form, as it evolves according to the socio-cultural context. In Japan, for example, there is a word to describe a particular perception: shitsukan, which means “sense of material perception” (Spence, 2020). More specifically, that word refers to the appreciation and to the understanding of the sensory qualities of materials. That concept has a great importance especially in Japanese architecture, as the experience toward space and layout is impacted.
This digression on the construction of reality and the role of perception in this construction leads me to think of cosmic consciousness as an expansion of reality as it can be apprehended and interpreted. In this work, I am interested in cosmic consciousness first and foremost as an access to a superior experience of reality, in the sense that the individual is overtaken by an experience of the Universal that his or her senses have hitherto been unable to apprehend. I also wish to approach this notion as a state of consciousness that can be worked on and induced through the practice of a variety of spiritual techniques whose aim is to modify and broaden the practitioner’s perceptions.
What is Cosmic Consciousness?
To address this broad question, I first would like to clarify the term consciousness. First, consciousness can be defined as knowledge oriented toward the world, as “a means of knowledge of physical reality” (Louchakova-Schwartz, 2022). More specifically from the Western point of view of neuroscience, consciousness is defined as a function of the human mind whose aim is to receive, process, crystallize and sort information. Several mechanisms that research in recent years have located in a real brain map come into play. First, there is the senses which perceive information, then there are reason, imagination, and emotions which make it possible to process it, and finally there is memory that stores it (Vithoulkas, Muresanu, 2014). But can consciousness be limited to cognitive functions located in the brain? Manzotti establishes a clear difference between cognition and consciousness. For him, consciousness is certainly affected by cognition, “but neither needs to be located in a body nor to be constituted by what goes on inside one” (2021).
Finally, the question “Where does the mind stop and the rest of the world begin?” (Clark, Chalmers, 1998) leads us to think beyond the individual, and to understand the notion of cosmic consciousness. Carpenter is the first to use this term, to translate the experience and knowledge acquired through contact with Swami Sri Yukteswar, an Indian yogi and philosopher. This learning profoundly influenced his understanding of consciousness and reality, as he discovered a philosophy in which the individual and the cosmos are interconnected, and form one (Ganeri, 2022). Bucke took up this term a few years later, in the book Cosmic Consciousness: A study in the evolution of the human mind. For him, the cosmos, which is to say the world around us, is not a set of inert materials. On the contrary, it is a “living presence.” Cosmic consciousness is then defined as a form of higher consciousness, a state of enlightenment during which an individual experiences a profound unity with the rest of the universe, and feels perfect harmony with all that exists as well as deep love. (1923). Thus, it is an inner condition, described by Vieira as “intellectual and ethical exultation,” as an individual is aware of the living presence of the Universe and experiences unity (2002).
Outside of the Western intellectual and spiritual world, cosmic consciousness is a popular notion, well anchored in many traditions – I will cite a few examples here. In Hinduism, there is the notion of Brahman which defines a universal reality encompassing all forms of life and all components of the universe (Chaudhuri, 1954). Also in Buddhism, cosmic consciousness can be related to the concept of emptiness which defines the interdependent nature of all things, as well as the awareness that each individual can develop of it (Choong, 1999). The notion of Tao in Chinese Taoism can also be understood as another form of cosmic consciousness. Indeed, the Tao defines the ultimate order of the cosmos and realizing its existence implies harmonization with the natural flow of life (Danylova, 2012).
Opening on a specific texture of reality
Experiencing cosmic consciousness opens the individual up to a different, vaster, and richer reality. Indeed, the awareness that everything is interconnected, that everything has an impact on everything, opens the individual to sensations never felt before. But how is cosmic consciousness translated into lived experience? What are the main criteria? Bucke has studied numerous spiritual, intellectual, and artistic figures who have left their mark on the world, and in whom he assumes the attainment of cosmic consciousness. From these different cases, he has identified fundamental elements that seem to coexist when cosmic consciousness is experienced. First, there is a sudden appearance, perceived as emanating from oneself. It can be a light, a sound, a feeling of heat, etc. Then there is a surge of emotions leading the individual to experience ecstasy. There is also the arrival of an intellectual enlightenment impossible to translate into words, as well as a feeling of immortality. Finally, Bucke also speaks of moral elevation (1923).
Bucke, for example, testifies to such an experience. On his way home at night after spending the evening reading poetry with friends, he was suddenly enveloped in a kind of orange cloud. At the time, he feared there might be a fire, but soon realized that the manifestation was coming from himself. He then experienced a profound joy and intellectual enlightenment, which he relates to the Hindu notion of Brahman briefly discussed in the first part of this work. The indescribable perceptions he felt at that precise moment enabled him to develop the understanding that the universe was animated and ordered, so that everything had a precise place and functioned in interdependence. This experience also led him to conceive of love as the founding principle of the cosmos, linking everything that exists and within which everything is one (Bucke, 1905). Bucke is far from alone in reporting such an experience; more recently, astronomer Carl Sagan reported in his book Cosmos that he felt a profound connection with the rest of the universe, as well as an awareness of the interconnectedness of all that exists, when he first saw photos of the Earth taken from space (2006). Neurosurgeon Eben Alexander also experienced cosmic consciousness during a near-death experience. He then felt connected to a higher reality, while gaining access to universal knowledge (2012).
Experiencing cosmic consciousness leads the individual to develop a different understanding of the nature of existence. All individualism is then swept away by an intense sense of unity: the individual realizes that he or she has a special place in the universe, i.e., that he or she is part of a whole. Schlosser speaks of maximal expansion of consciousness (2018). In effect, the limits of sensory perception are transcended, leading the individual to a transformative and indescribable experience. Never before have the senses given access to such knowledge, to such a quality of experience. But where do these new perceptions come from? Theories are numerous and so far none have been proven. One of these hypotheses comes from cosmopsychism, a philosophical theory derived from the metaphysics of mind for which consciousness is inherent to the nature of the universe (Shani, 2022). In this theory, the source of cosmic consciousness is the cosmos itself (Kastrup, 2018). However, the medium appears to be the individual experiencing cosmic consciousness. Indeed, in the various testimonies consulted for this work, this consciousness is understood as emanating from the individual himself, without locating it precisely in the body because it is a question of apprehending a reality which transcends the physical and the ego. Cosmic consciousness would thus be an omnipresent and immanent reality, accessible to all in diverse and varied situations. However, it seems that through certain practices, access to this state of maximum consciousness can be brought about.
Mystical spiritual practices
Experiencing a state of cosmic consciousness is often associated with a higher spiritual state, which can trigger an awakening to a richer and previously imperceptible reality. This spiritual state can be trained and developed through spiritual practices; the latter allowing a modification of the experience of the sensible. Mircea Eliade speaks of achieving hierophany; he thus qualifies the fact of experiencing a revelation of the manifestation of the sacred in the world (Eliade, 2020). Spiritual practices that can lead to experiences of cosmic consciousness are diverse across the world. For example, in many shamanic traditions, apprentice shamans must learn various techniques whose aim is to “break profane sensitivity”, in order to obtain both access and mastery of higher states of consciousness and perceptions. that accompany them (Eliade, 2009). Another example may be the cosmic consciousness achieved in Sufism. This is the state of fana, that is to say the fact of achieving the annihilation of one’s ego and the dissolution of one’s being in the unity of Allah. Attaining fana also means the revelation of one’s true spiritual nature, and thus of one’s purpose as a creature. Achieving this state of consciousness requires an intense spiritual practice, composed of prayers, meditations, recitations, and dhikr (invocation of God in daily life) (Bilqies, 2014).
More broadly, the spiritual, intellectual, and artistic figures studied by Bucke in his work all demonstrate an assiduous spiritual practice. We have chosen to cite here people who have had a great influence on the religions and spiritual practices which are the most popular today. These are Siddhartha Gautama, Jesus Christ, and the prophet Mohammed. These three people, according to the writings and various testimonies accessible today, all followed rigorous spiritual practices. Among these practices, there is isolation far from society, fasting, contemplation, meditation, and prayer. It was after days of intensive spiritual practice, in some cases years, that these three people would have reached enlightenment, or even divine revelation. According to the writings, the meaning of the universe was then revealed to them, as was their deep nature.
Finally, if we focus on major mystical figures such as Mevlânâ Rûmî or Hildegard von Bingen, we can also observe the omnipresence of spiritual practice in their quest for union with the universe, and in these two specific cases, with God. Rumi founded a Sufi order called Mevlevi (also known as whirling dervishes), in which a whirling dance was practiced allowing dancers to enter deep meditative states (Friedlander, 1992). As for Hildegard von Bingen, she was known for her diligent practice of meditation and contemplation.
Conclusion
To conclude this work, I wanted to focus on cosmic consciousness as an additional sense, enriching the traditional five senses recognized in Western societies. My research work has not always been simplified by the richness of this concept, addressed in many cultures as well as scientific disciplines, and depreciated within the latter because it is a very nebulous notion. Indeed, the proofs of cosmic consciousness are mainly testimonies, so easy to question. I had to maneuver within the available literature by choosing the areas that seemed most useful to me for my initial goal, even if in return I had to put many exciting theories aside. Thus, I was able to become interested in cosmic consciousness as being an opening onto a supreme reality, giving access to hitherto unknown perceptions. I was also interested in spiritual practice as means of conditioning access to this state of higher consciousness, allowing one to transcend the human condition. Finally, in this work I have summoned data from various religious and spiritual traditions in order to nuance and enrich the Western vision, which was the most widespread in the available writings.
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