Consciousness
On the topic of Consciousness in general, I would recommend Power Vs. Force by David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D., Hay House 2012. To pique your interest, here's an excerpt on the nature of Consciousness from his book:
"Consciousness itself is not determing by content; thoughts flowing through consciousness are like fish swimming in the ocean. The ocean's existence is independent of the fish; the content of the sea doesn't define the nature of the water itself. Like a colourless ray, consciousness illuminates the object witnessed - which explains its traditional association throughout world literature with 'light'." (P. 257)
The Secret Teachers of the Western World by Gary Lachman. New York: Penguin Random House, 2015 is another eye-opening book. Lachman explains the difference between esoteric and mystical paths as follows:
"The escotericist seeks the experience and knowledge of the intermediary planes that lie between the material world and the One; he is interested in the different levels of reality and consciousness it encompasses. The mystic has little interest in anything but union with the divine." (PP. 217 - 218)
Believed to have existed since the beginning of the time-space continuum of planet Earth, the Akashic Records (which are also referred to in various spiritual texts as The Book of Life) are a non-physical compendium or encyclopedia if you will of the history of the universe that is imprinted on the akasha. It includes all the thoughts and actions of every person throughout time. Akasha is a Sanskrit word meaning ether. In the Hindu tradition, ether is one of the five natural elements: earth, air, fire, water and ether.
Exploring the Akashic Records takes you on a journey that enables you to:
- understand your hidden past,
- heal old wounds,
- live an authentic life, and
- gain awareness of your life’s path and purpose.
- How to Read the Akashic Records: Accessing the Archive of the Souls and Its Journey by Linda Howe; http://akashicstudies.com; and
- The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Akashic Record by Synthia Andrews, N.D.; http://www.andrewshealingarts.com/akashicrecord/
A couple of websites that provide examples of scriptural references to The Book of Life are:
There are also scientic studies on consciousness and the Akashic Field. One notable example is:
- Science And The Akashic Field by Ervin Laszlo. Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2004.
In his book, Laszlo observes that:
"The burgeoning branches of consciousness research use diverse methodologies, but they come to remarkably similar conclusions. The common thrust of their findings is that the human mind is not an isolated entity. To use an expression made popular by Gregory Bateson, it is an "ecology". Consciousness is not fully possessed by the individual, but is present throughout society and perhaps humanity as a whole". (P. 91)
Laszlo further notes that, "the brain/minds of individual human beings appear to be subtly but effectively linked". (P. 91) He gives many examples of experiments that have been conducted to verify this as well as research that shows that individual brain electrical activity can be synchronized with the brain of others.
The Akashic Field (which Laszlo also refers to as the A-Field) concept of the universe, "is a highly integrated, coherent system, much like a living organism. It's crucial feature is information that is generated, conserved, and conveyed by and among all its parts. This feature is entirely fundamental. It transforms a universe that is blindly groping its way from one phase of its evolution to the next into a strongly interconnected system that builds on the information it has already generated." (P. 112)
The Akashic Field concept of the universe has far reaching implications. "As people learn to work with the A-Field, untold ways will come to light for beaming active and effective information from one place to another, instantly and without the expenditure of energy. This will not only enable quantum computation, but also pave the way to an entire series of technological breakthroughs". (P. 113)
The Science Delusion by Rupert Sheldrake. London: Hodder and Stoughton Ltd, 2020.
Sheldrake, a scientist and biologist writes that:
"MInds extend beyond brains in time as well as space. We are connected to the past by memory and habit, and to the future by desires, plans and intentions. Are these memories and virtual futures contained materially within brains in the present, or are minds connected to the past and future by non-material links?" (P. 248)