Reflect

 

The funny thing about consciousness is that whether or not it is experiencing an object, it is always experiencing itself!  When I use the word “object” in this context I am referring to sensory experiences, feelings and thoughts.  To simplify this, it can be said that consciousness has two “modes.”  This isn’t precisely accurate but to help tune into this it helps to discuss it in this way.  In one mode, consciousness is always bound to an object.  When we look at something such as a flower or listen to a sound, consciousness seems to reach out and touch that object in some way.  We become aware of the object.  This happens all day long and it happens so automatically that we give little thought to it.  In this mode I would say that consciousness is seemingly bound to objects.  Consciousness can also be bound to a thought in a similar way.  In fact during most of our waking lives consciousness is bound into thought and actually looking through thought at sensory objects.  So the first mode I would call bound consciousness.  It is not actually bound but through habituation of the mind it very much functions as if it is.

 

The second mode I would call unbound or pure consciousness.  In this mode, consciousness is always directly experiencing itself no matter what else seems to be going on.  This means that even while consciousness is seemingly bound into thought and sensory experience it is simultaneously directly experiencing itself.  This is overlooked much or all of the time by human beings.  You might wonder why even bring this up if it is overlooked and object-bound consciousness continues unhindered.  That would be a very good question.  The best way I can answer that question is to say this:  An event can occur where consciousness suddenly turns from all objects and becomes aware only of itself!

 

When this happens to someone, they have no doubt that something very profound has occurred.  There is no description of “what this event is like” because there are no thoughts in consciousness at that moment.  People use various terms to describe it such as “peace,” “bliss,” or “transcendence.”  When it does happen however, you realize very acutely how these words and all others fall hopelessly short.  It is pure knowing with no object.  It is pure Self with no other.  It feels boundless and incredibly familiar.  In fact, one of the strangest things about this, is that without exception when this happens to someone they will say something like, “I know this!  I’ve always known this.  It’s always been here!  How in the world did I overlook it?”  This event may last only a few moments but it is transformative like no experience you’ve ever had could be.  This is because it is not an experience, it is experienceless.  Once this occurs the whole ball game changes.  Life starts to feel different.  Experiences are deeper and there is a sense of presence much more of the time.  Things do progress from there as well but that is beyond the scope of this post.  These deeper movements in awakening will be discussed in other posts.

 

 

So to summarize, consciousness can be said to have two modes.  The first and most commonly recognized is sensory and thought bound consciousness.  The second is pure consciousness, bound to nothing and aware of only Itself.

 

How do you go about experiencing this second mode?  I don’t have an exact formula, no one does, but I know that it is absolutely possible, and it is possible for anyone.  I’ve seen it many times and in many people who didn’t think it could happen to them or that they were not the “spiritual type.”  I do know this:  There has to be a willingness and a sincerity to look into the deeper truth of your own reality.