How We Can Change Our Consciousness

In my last two blogs, I wrote about Cleve Backster's exceedingly important research revealing what he has named, "Primary Perception." This research establishes, without question, the connectedness of everything to everything.

Not only connectedness, but consciousness, of everything. Just what is, "consciousness" anyway? The dictionary definition includes: "awareness of one's own existence, sensations, thoughts, surroundings, etc." "Consciousness," actually has to do with levels of awareness. "Awareness" is non-physical, as clearly established by the experiments.

It is established as being "non-physical" by the fact that there need be no connecting contact, and it requires no time for its transmission.

Those who think in these terms, consider "Cosmic Consciousness," to be the highest form of consciousness. Cleve Backster has demonstrated that, not only plants, animals and microscopic life, are in a continual state of Cosmic Consciousness all the time, but so are all of our cells! Wikipedia defines "Cosmic consciousness," as" "The concept that the universe exists as an interconnected network of consciousness, with each conscious being linked to every other. Sometimes this is conceived as forming a collective consciousness which spans the cosmos, other times it is conceived of as an Absolute or Godhead from which all conscious beings emanate."

Over the last century, there has been much debate in scientific circles regarding aspects of the brain, the mind, and consciousness. These discussions essentially began with the study of the physical brain. The basic belief regarding such research is that the physical brain is the location of the control center for the body, as well as the recipient/awareness of input from our nervous system.

Through research, it has been established that our memories reside there, and can be stimulated, so the experimental subject can, not only recall, but experience such recalled memories as being "relived"--they have been stored within the whole context of the experience. It is believed, of course, by such scientists that this is the only place they do reside.

This research has to do with actual physical characteristics of the brain, leading to discovering such interesting aspects of the brain as the different functioning of the hemispheres--left and right brain functions--and other interesting findings regarding the physical brain each of us have. John Lilly, as I believe I mentioned in a previous blog, called the brain the, "Human bio-computer."

Early on, and, in many quarters, still today, there was/is great resistance to the idea that anything such as, "mind" might exist. The reason for the resistance, of course, is that, "mind" would be non-physical.

B.F. Skinner, one of the early researchers of how the body/brain functions, based on his research in Russia, concluded that humans are simply stimulus-response organisms; the organism is stimulated in some way, and then responds to the stimulus.

Many researchers have, thankfully, progressed far beyond this concept, beginning with biofeedback research in the '60's, which established that humans are able to learn to control various physical responses at will. This work lead to the discovery of the various waves given off by the brain, discussed in prior blogs.

This brain-wave research was tied in with the interest in meditation, especially as it was practiced in the Orient. Some Yogis made themselves available to be studied, to help the West in its effort to understand the process by which they, the Yogis, have achieved phenomenal control over bodily functions.

In recent decades, thanks to the work of Robert Monroe, and the Monroe institute, it was discovered that the brain can be trained through the input of sound to function at much higher levels than previously. The work he did resulted in what he called, HemiCync. You can find out more about his work at: http://www.monroeinstitute.org/hemi-sync/

Other researchers have built on his work, such as the Centerpointe Research Institute. You can learn more about them at: http://www.centerpointe.com/about/

Both these systems offer a relatively easy way to become accomplished in forms of meditation; Robert Monroe's HemiCync trains the mind to arrive at various levels, whereas, Centerpointe's program brings one through a steady heightening of brain waives, which take one from Beta through Delta at deeper and deeper levels. Just as regular meditation practice, one has to do it, in order to achieve results.

With those resources, I end today's blog.

Shirley Gallup