Cosmic Consciousness: The Ultimate Goal

(...from the book, "Mind Magic," by Marta Hiatt.) Spirit has been progressively evolving through the atomic, mineral, plant, and animal phases, and finally to humankind. It appears that it still has one more phase of development before it finally merges back into itself, the All. This sixth phase is termed the Cosmic or Divine phase of creation. Cosmically conscious men and women were living in a state of awareness far advanced over those of the ordinary people we deal with in our everyday existence, those who are locked into the human phase and cannot conceive of anything beyond the material world. Cosmic consciousness means the state of awareness or knowledge you have when you become consciously aware of the organization of the universe and of your oneness with it. Furthermore, you will be able to translate this knowledge into a living experience.

There are three forms, or levels, of consciousness: simple, self, and cosmic; and we can symbolically place everything that exists on this continuum. The first section represents the lowest forms of life with just simple consciousness ---from inorganic matter to the least evolved human being, primitive man. The second portion begins with primitive man and ends with the highest type of individual, such as Albert Schweitzer, Buddha, or Socrates. The third portion represents the lowest type of cosmic consciousness on up to the fully developed divine awareness typifying the perfect human being. Everyone is situated on this scale.

 Down through the ages there have been a number of individuals who have developed this power of transcendent realization. Some of them are chronicled in an extremely interesting 1901 book, Dr. Maurice Buckes Cosmic Consciousness. It provides an extensive history of the Illuminati before the twentieth century. He explores the lives of people such as Spinoza, Emerson, Walt Whitman, Dante, Buddha, and Christ.

Dr Bucke writes: Along with the conciousness of the cosmos there occurs an intellectual enlightenment or illumination which alone would place the individual on a new plane of existence ---would make him almost a member of a new species. Dr. Thurman Fleet, founder of Concept-Therapy, states: ,,,There are many other masters or illuminated souls engaged in other work, both on this plane, and on many other planes of existence, who are interested in helping to advance the consciousness of the world. To move into the Divine or Cosmic Phase, one must develop and learn to rely on intuition. The bargain intuition drives is that it will serve you, if you serve it. We must become increasingly aware of the inner world and constantly tune our consciousness toward it. What we are seeking is habitual, spiritual consciousness: a constant awareness of our oneness with all of life.

Dr Bucke states: The immediate future of our race is indescribably hopeful. The germ of cosmic consciousness has been planted in many individuals; and as this germ grows, more and more people will come into an understanding of this higher state until finally the majority of the race will have some degree of cosmic knowledge. Men and women will know that God is within them; that the world is ruled by immutable laws, and by knowing the laws they will know that it is beneficial to obey them. Each day lived will be a day dedicated to the Divine; knowing that the entire universe with all its good exists for, and belongs to it, forever. Each person will come to know that violation of spiritual laws does not pay. Peace and happiness will be abundant everywhere.

Cosmic consciousness comes to the person who learns, and lives by, the higher spiritual principles that govern life. You must become one with the cosmic by obeying the laws involved.

You may have a very great desire to attain cosmic consciousness, but the will must be trained over and over again until, by a natural habit, it will do the bidding of the higher self. When a person is a disciple of the higher path, he or she must be resolute about the quest. ... Until the will has been sufficiently trained and developed, all progress is rendered utterly impossible. When people seek enlightenment with single-mindedness, they are sure to get it. Spirit is limited by the medium through which it expresses itself Its expression through our medium depends upon the condition of that medium. Through constantly learning to contact our inner self, we can get our life in tune with the Great Conductor of the Universe, thereby becoming a perfect expression of Spirit Within. This is our task as human beings. In one Concept-Therapy texts, Dr. Fleet states that: There seems to come a time for all of us when our attention reverts to the world within. Trying to figure out a solution to the problems of life, we become seekers after truth. If we persist in our journey, we finally become aware of the orderly arrangement of the universe. We become cognizant of a great, all-pervading Power which rules everything. No longer does the material world absorb all our attention. Something new has come into our lives. We then enter the path leading to cosmic consciousness.

` New life seems to come: our vitality is rejuvenated; we eagerly absorb all that we can. We study, we meditate, and in our studying and meditation we find, here and there, a bit of truth. At long last one great truth dawns upon us: the world and everything in it is governed and operates by laws ---great cosmological principles. We will find that which we have long sought, the truth of the cosmic organization. We take a firm hold on the Eternal Principles of Natural law: an awareness of the One. This, then, is our goal, the goal toward which we are all striving, whether or not we are aware of it. Spiritual men and women are the saviors of the world, and the spiritual person is also the creative one. That individuals life and thought proceed from the spiritual realm , thus bringing a creative life into the world that is not dictated by the lives of others; it is an original creation. The truly spiritual person always changes the world in some way. (Plato, Kant, Schweitzer, Spinoza, Walt Whitman) It is the experience of the Infinite that enable us to break through the isolation, anxiety, and estrangement of self-conscious existence. Spirit is all-pervasive in the universe, and we are totally dependent upon this consciousness for our existence. In the certainty of the knowledge of the omnipresent Spirit, we can achieve inner peace.

 The conscious awareness that everything and everyone is its existence means that we are in a holy place even when we are in the most worldly place; for everything is rooted in the Divine Life.

When you fully understand the real meaning that you are a radiant expression of the Divine Spirit in manifestation, your behavior is always governed by that one central concept. To what have you dedicated your life, your thoughts and actions? That is your true religion.

That persons entire existential relationship to life will be motivated, governed, and directed by his inner, existential relationship to the Divine; thus, it would be impossible to be unfaithful to that illuminated understanding. ... It will not be an easy job, but a lifelong struggle requiring endless vigilance and rigorous self-discipline for we are indeed giving up a part of ourselves ---our egotism. We must be prepared to analyze our emotional make-up and systematically eliminate all of our negative, destructive traits. There is a probationary period we must go through before achieving enlightenment and being led into the full illumination. It evolves through a person by a natural process as one evolves his or her own consciousness through studying, meditation, and living life.

Once we make the conscious decision to align ourselves with the spiritual world, persistently endeavoring to overcome our lower nature, we seem to receive help from some unseen force. We can feel safe in believing that help will come to us through one avenue or another. If we persist in our determination, in our single-mindedness, insight and strength will come to us in various ways and from various sources. In a sublime sense, when we study the works of great thinkers who have crossed the threshold before us, our insight is awakened through appreciating theirs; and we may discover inner realms they long ago explored. . Very few people have the necessary determination to keep on with the struggle until they discover the light on the path. Usually an aspirant for the higher consciousness has been brought to it by suffering much from the superficialities of the world. Suffering makes her long for a higher life, and her inner cry is heard echoing throughout the universe!. She is then led here and there to the knowledge that will enable her to find the higher path. She begins to attract assistance to herself. Through the medium of the laws of resonance and vibration, she draws to herself kindred souls, from this plane and others, who enrich her mentally and spiritually.

. He knows intuitively that clinging to the lower self will mean that the path will be beset with difficulties and repeated pains, sorrows, and disappointments. At times, while fighting the inner battle, he secures brief glimpses of the beauty

of the spiritual realm; realizes that he can no longer harm others because all life is One. Simultaneously, this person recognizes that helping another also means helping himself, and the truth of It is more blessed to give than to receive. becomes a reality in his life. Dr. Fleet states: Having entered the region of reality, you will accomplish everything without striving, and all problems will easily be faced and handled by you. You will concern yourself not with changing events, but with the unchanging principle behind all things. You will enter into possession of the knowledge of higher worlds.

An all-embracing affirmation I particularly like is: I am becoming aware of my oneness with the Infinite. You might try saying this affirmation as you fall asleep each night: youll be surprised at the difference it will make in your life! Eventually, some day, in another dimension of awareness, we shall achieve the final destiny of the evolution of consciousness, complete unity of Spirit with itself, the merging of our self-consciousness back into the One, but with greater understanding and enlightenment. As Dr. Fleet states: When we realize the profound simplicity of spiritual consciousness, and have an unbiased, tranquil, blessed state of mind, we will know that whatever happens to us is for our own good. We will be content, and no longer the servant of the self, but the servant of the Divine. We will have nothing to defend, nothing to conceal, nothing to attack, and no interests to guard, therefore, we will be at peace.

To become one with the Infinite is the goal of man, and is a far greater possession than anything else the world has to offer.

The man or woman who attains it will know the secret of immortality.