Are We More Connected Than We Think?
I have observed much confusion in many spiritual circles when it comes to the idea of what "Collective Consciousness" is, or means, and how it relates to our individuality. To add to the confusion, it has different (yet similar) meanings from the social and spiritual standpoints.
In 1893, French sociologist Emile Durkheim coined the term “collective conscience" in his book, "Division of Labour in Society”. Durkheim thought the term meant the "shared ideals and moral standards that operate as a society’s unifying force, the beliefs that bind and hold any group together."
Durkheim used the term to indicate a level of shared consciousness in the members of traditional clan/tribe-based cultures. Since then, people have begun to expand the concept, using other terms to describe the phenomena: group-brain, hive-mind, mass-mind, the oversoul. The idea has even broadened and deepened now to a bigger sense of shared consciousness among all sentient beings.
In most spiritual (and some religious) beliefs, there is an underlying "collective" belief that we are all of one 'consciousness' or 'source' and that everything is interconnected and correlates to the vibration of this source energy.
The belief that we are all One and that everything is connected and is something that has been held throughout the ages by many spiritual traditions. We as individuals are splinters of the One. Each of us are a facet on the same gemstone. This is the reason that we repeatedly hear, “The answers are within” or "God resides within us", or any of those sayings.
Everything is connected through fractals of energy. We are like rays of light through an infinite prism; we show up in different wavelengths of visible (and invisible) light, but we are still the same light. If this is true, then we have access to any and all information in the universe... without having to seek for the meaning or find answers outside ourselves.
If the One Consciousness is the light, then the Collective Consciousness can be seen as the various spectrum in which the light exists... in which all gathered knowledge is available. It means that as a collective group of people, we all have the same inner knowing and that all of our thoughts, ideas and feelings exist on a frequency that is accessible to everyone.
All minds are able to tap into and add to this knowledge. The knowledge that exists in this consciousness contains ideologies, beliefs, values, norms and a moral compass. It is basically a sharing of similar sentiments that form a consensus in the collective mind. It is this interconnected collective that is the expression of the One.
Ponder Point - Due to the fact that life on Earth appears to be separated by our bodies, we see ourselves as individual; and we see others as something ‘out there’. But are others really separate from us? Perhaps we are separate in the crudest of physical senses, but what about our minds, our emotions, our spirit?
If we are separate, then what affects one should have no bearing on another... right? Yet empathy gives us the ability to feel the actions, sensations, and emotions of others inside us, as if we were in their shoes. In this sense, the 'Other' have become us. We are now One.
Have you ever noticed that similar thoughts can occur between two people, who have no knowledge of the other, on opposite sides of the planet? If one person has a unique idea it can transfer to the Collective Consciousness and then it is very likely it will be picked up on and shared by someone else somewhere else in the world. An example of this would be the discovery of fire (as a tool). Almost every community of early man seemed to discover the use of fire at approximately the same time. Even though they were separated by distances further than they could travel, they all made the discovery. They (likely unknowingly) dipped into the Collective Consciousness.
Let's look at another piece of evidence. The firing of certain neurons and chemical reactions are activated in one person while observing those actions in another. For example: If you wave 'hello' to me, the neurons firing in your brain that tell you to wave instantaneously begin firing in my brain (whether I actually wave back or not). The mind naturally attempts to engage in the same kinds of information processing as neighboring minds – that is to say our brains prefer to be in alignment with the brains around us. If I make a choice to not return the gesture, I actually have to consciously resist.
The Collective Consciousness and the desire for Oneness is inherent in our species. Since the dawn of man, we have gathered in groups and communities... a collective, if you will. First it was family units, then neighboring families were drawn closer. This formed a community. Then several communities drew together and formed nations... all based upon similar beliefs, thoughts, and perspectives. Even though we are crudely separated by flesh, we naturally exhibit our Oneness.
Perhaps this is because the untrained mind can only sense direct physical attributes, the true realization of our multidimensional existence is generated through the multiple levels of sentience? Perhaps together, these various levels of sentience form the entire Collective Consciousness? And at our current level of sentience, the human form gives us a false impression of a self. This would seem reasonable because as we grow in our capacity to perceive the collective consciousness, we no longer define ourselves as being attached to an individual self. Ultimately, the realization is reached that there is no individual self. We are multidimensional consciousness connected to many different streams of sentience that generate the entirety of the Collective Consciousness.
Awakening to this possible truth is no easy task. Ego will fight us tooth-and-nail to maintain it's self-importance. Even for those who seem to be highly evolved spiritually, the illusion of self still creeps in.
There are spiritual teachers out there who claim to understand and tap into the Collective Consciousness... and they do (I'm not slighting anyone). They claim to understand the Divine Oneness within us all, yet they often teach their lessons based from a perspective of 'self'; often highlighting 'self' as the 'only'. They still see separation in polar opposites such as light and dark, hot and cold, or happy and sad. While those are definitely polar opposites, they are still the same... a light spectrum, temperature, and emotional state respectively.
Here's an example:
"Before we tune into the Collective Conscious, we must first have cleared our own energy so that it is filled with light and positivity. We can only heal outwardly once we have first healed ourselves. Otherwise we are carrying our own wounds with us and they will be transferred to whomever or whatever it is we intend to bring healing to."
The above is popular belief touted by many spiritual teachers. Notice how it has a focus and priority on self?
I recognize - on a certain level - how this belief makes sense to many people. Many people would perceive of this being a selfless act, due to the consideration of 'others' well-being. and not wanting to contaminate the Collective Consciousness with any negativity. That is very admirable and genuinely considerate of 'others'.
Do you see how that autonomic belief creates a separation between 'self' and 'others', outward and inward, positivity and negativity?
What has gone unrealized in this popular belief is that - if we have wounds, uncleared energy, negative thoughts, or whatever the case may be - it is already a part of the Collective Consciousness. If we ever felt pain, suffering, anger, hatred, our unworthiness, it's because we tapped into it via the Collective Consciousness. That energy doesn't dissipate or go away. It lays waiting to be tapped just as rightfully as ideas, healing energy, or happiness.
Ignoring that fact is, again, a separation of Oneness. It's Ego fighting tooth-and-nail to hold on to it's self-importance.
Ponder Point - Is it reasonable to believe that 'self' and 'other' are polar opposites of the same thing... the One Consciousness? And if so, does Duality exist in this belief, or does recognizing that they are the same create the Oneness?
With that being said, I don't believe 'consciousness' could ever be defined and limited to just words. In fact, I believe the only true definition as to what consciousness actually is, is all definitions. The Collective Consciousness is a concept (or non-concept) that is formless and limitless. As the world continues to grow consciously, it too grows through energy and vibration thus making it impossible to properly define. But I most certainly believe it is real and can be accessed through meditation and awareness.
As far as 'self' and 'other', I truly believe there is no separation other than what we perceive to be. For some, there is a distinct separation and a distinct 'self'. For others, the Oneness is truly understood. And both views - and all views between - are correct in their own way because the One Consciousness is multidimensional and connected to many different streams of sentience that generate the entirety of the Collective Consciousness. With each stream being equally important and balanced, it is equal parts dark and light, yin and yang, positive and negative, all working in harmony.
Should we outwardly help others to heal before we are healed ourselves? Absolutely we should!
Because in helping the 'other' we instantaneously help the 'self'... and if 'self' and 'other' are one and the same, to do anything else would be masochistic. Everything is interconnected, interdependent, without separation. What affects you, affects me. What affects me, affects All... To show apathy toward another is to show apathy toward yourself - toward All. To show discontent for another is to show discontent for yourself - for All. To walk away from another is to walk away from yourself - from All.
In Texas, there has been a mass-awakening to the higher concepts of love, compassion, and cooperation... to Oneness. Pulled into a stage of forced growth by Hurricane Harvey, Texans have discarded the illusory borders and divisions among 'selves' and begun working harmoniously as 'One'. To overcome their collective hardship, Texans have collectively dipped into the Collective Consciousness. And in so doing, have elevated to a new dimension of sentience.
I believe this is the beginning of a new age for the human collective. I believe this is the beginning of an age based on compassion and cooperation, rather than capitalism and competition. Humanity is beginning to enter a new harmonic universe. It's an exciting time to be alive!
- The Boatman
In 1893, French sociologist Emile Durkheim coined the term “collective conscience" in his book, "Division of Labour in Society”. Durkheim thought the term meant the "shared ideals and moral standards that operate as a society’s unifying force, the beliefs that bind and hold any group together."
Durkheim used the term to indicate a level of shared consciousness in the members of traditional clan/tribe-based cultures. Since then, people have begun to expand the concept, using other terms to describe the phenomena: group-brain, hive-mind, mass-mind, the oversoul. The idea has even broadened and deepened now to a bigger sense of shared consciousness among all sentient beings.
In most spiritual (and some religious) beliefs, there is an underlying "collective" belief that we are all of one 'consciousness' or 'source' and that everything is interconnected and correlates to the vibration of this source energy.
One Consciousness vs. Collective Consciousness
The belief that we are all One and that everything is connected and is something that has been held throughout the ages by many spiritual traditions. We as individuals are splinters of the One. Each of us are a facet on the same gemstone. This is the reason that we repeatedly hear, “The answers are within” or "God resides within us", or any of those sayings.Everything is connected through fractals of energy. We are like rays of light through an infinite prism; we show up in different wavelengths of visible (and invisible) light, but we are still the same light. If this is true, then we have access to any and all information in the universe... without having to seek for the meaning or find answers outside ourselves.
If the One Consciousness is the light, then the Collective Consciousness can be seen as the various spectrum in which the light exists... in which all gathered knowledge is available. It means that as a collective group of people, we all have the same inner knowing and that all of our thoughts, ideas and feelings exist on a frequency that is accessible to everyone.
All minds are able to tap into and add to this knowledge. The knowledge that exists in this consciousness contains ideologies, beliefs, values, norms and a moral compass. It is basically a sharing of similar sentiments that form a consensus in the collective mind. It is this interconnected collective that is the expression of the One.
Evidence of Collective Consciousness
If we are separate, then what affects one should have no bearing on another... right? Yet empathy gives us the ability to feel the actions, sensations, and emotions of others inside us, as if we were in their shoes. In this sense, the 'Other' have become us. We are now One.
Have you ever noticed that similar thoughts can occur between two people, who have no knowledge of the other, on opposite sides of the planet? If one person has a unique idea it can transfer to the Collective Consciousness and then it is very likely it will be picked up on and shared by someone else somewhere else in the world. An example of this would be the discovery of fire (as a tool). Almost every community of early man seemed to discover the use of fire at approximately the same time. Even though they were separated by distances further than they could travel, they all made the discovery. They (likely unknowingly) dipped into the Collective Consciousness.
Let's look at another piece of evidence. The firing of certain neurons and chemical reactions are activated in one person while observing those actions in another. For example: If you wave 'hello' to me, the neurons firing in your brain that tell you to wave instantaneously begin firing in my brain (whether I actually wave back or not). The mind naturally attempts to engage in the same kinds of information processing as neighboring minds – that is to say our brains prefer to be in alignment with the brains around us. If I make a choice to not return the gesture, I actually have to consciously resist.
The Collective Consciousness and the desire for Oneness is inherent in our species. Since the dawn of man, we have gathered in groups and communities... a collective, if you will. First it was family units, then neighboring families were drawn closer. This formed a community. Then several communities drew together and formed nations... all based upon similar beliefs, thoughts, and perspectives. Even though we are crudely separated by flesh, we naturally exhibit our Oneness.
Individuality vs. Collective Consciousness
Because we each have a bag of meat and bones that we carry around with us, it is difficult for us to fathom - on a truly deep level - that we are not really separate from each other. People may understand this hypothesis on an intellectual level, but we still fail to recognize it on a subconscious level. Even when we believe in it wholeheartedly, most of us are still not completely convinced of our Oneness. A sliver of doubt - no matter how fractional - still exists... That's human nature.Perhaps this is because the untrained mind can only sense direct physical attributes, the true realization of our multidimensional existence is generated through the multiple levels of sentience? Perhaps together, these various levels of sentience form the entire Collective Consciousness? And at our current level of sentience, the human form gives us a false impression of a self. This would seem reasonable because as we grow in our capacity to perceive the collective consciousness, we no longer define ourselves as being attached to an individual self. Ultimately, the realization is reached that there is no individual self. We are multidimensional consciousness connected to many different streams of sentience that generate the entirety of the Collective Consciousness.
Awakening to this possible truth is no easy task. Ego will fight us tooth-and-nail to maintain it's self-importance. Even for those who seem to be highly evolved spiritually, the illusion of self still creeps in.
There are spiritual teachers out there who claim to understand and tap into the Collective Consciousness... and they do (I'm not slighting anyone). They claim to understand the Divine Oneness within us all, yet they often teach their lessons based from a perspective of 'self'; often highlighting 'self' as the 'only'. They still see separation in polar opposites such as light and dark, hot and cold, or happy and sad. While those are definitely polar opposites, they are still the same... a light spectrum, temperature, and emotional state respectively.
Here's an example:
"Before we tune into the Collective Conscious, we must first have cleared our own energy so that it is filled with light and positivity. We can only heal outwardly once we have first healed ourselves. Otherwise we are carrying our own wounds with us and they will be transferred to whomever or whatever it is we intend to bring healing to."
The above is popular belief touted by many spiritual teachers. Notice how it has a focus and priority on self?
I recognize - on a certain level - how this belief makes sense to many people. Many people would perceive of this being a selfless act, due to the consideration of 'others' well-being. and not wanting to contaminate the Collective Consciousness with any negativity. That is very admirable and genuinely considerate of 'others'.
Do you see how that autonomic belief creates a separation between 'self' and 'others', outward and inward, positivity and negativity?
What has gone unrealized in this popular belief is that - if we have wounds, uncleared energy, negative thoughts, or whatever the case may be - it is already a part of the Collective Consciousness. If we ever felt pain, suffering, anger, hatred, our unworthiness, it's because we tapped into it via the Collective Consciousness. That energy doesn't dissipate or go away. It lays waiting to be tapped just as rightfully as ideas, healing energy, or happiness.
Ignoring that fact is, again, a separation of Oneness. It's Ego fighting tooth-and-nail to hold on to it's self-importance.
The Boatman Philosophy
I believe in the Collective Consciousness by way of the One Consciousness. That is to say I believe that anyone and everyone, anything and everything, are all a part of the One Consciousness. And I believe we access information by way of the Collective Consciousness.With that being said, I don't believe 'consciousness' could ever be defined and limited to just words. In fact, I believe the only true definition as to what consciousness actually is, is all definitions. The Collective Consciousness is a concept (or non-concept) that is formless and limitless. As the world continues to grow consciously, it too grows through energy and vibration thus making it impossible to properly define. But I most certainly believe it is real and can be accessed through meditation and awareness.
As far as 'self' and 'other', I truly believe there is no separation other than what we perceive to be. For some, there is a distinct separation and a distinct 'self'. For others, the Oneness is truly understood. And both views - and all views between - are correct in their own way because the One Consciousness is multidimensional and connected to many different streams of sentience that generate the entirety of the Collective Consciousness. With each stream being equally important and balanced, it is equal parts dark and light, yin and yang, positive and negative, all working in harmony.
Should we outwardly help others to heal before we are healed ourselves? Absolutely we should!
Because in helping the 'other' we instantaneously help the 'self'... and if 'self' and 'other' are one and the same, to do anything else would be masochistic. Everything is interconnected, interdependent, without separation. What affects you, affects me. What affects me, affects All... To show apathy toward another is to show apathy toward yourself - toward All. To show discontent for another is to show discontent for yourself - for All. To walk away from another is to walk away from yourself - from All.
In Texas, there has been a mass-awakening to the higher concepts of love, compassion, and cooperation... to Oneness. Pulled into a stage of forced growth by Hurricane Harvey, Texans have discarded the illusory borders and divisions among 'selves' and begun working harmoniously as 'One'. To overcome their collective hardship, Texans have collectively dipped into the Collective Consciousness. And in so doing, have elevated to a new dimension of sentience.
I believe this is the beginning of a new age for the human collective. I believe this is the beginning of an age based on compassion and cooperation, rather than capitalism and competition. Humanity is beginning to enter a new harmonic universe. It's an exciting time to be alive!
- The Boatman
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