Chapter 1 - Awakening Higher Consciousness - free on line
Free read of Chapter 1 published in the last five Blog posts starting with http://www.awhico.com/blog/2016/9/6/in-years-of-yore.
Excerpt #6: My Hard-to-Reach Inner Self
This less familiar, sometimes mysterious inner state certainly has parallels with what is remembered from childhood. Both now and in memory there can be an awareness of the wish for sense and meaning that differs from the satisfaction in daily occupations. I can see the need to be more familiar with the differences between them. In fact, the inner part often appears at times of dissatisfaction, which may find expression in reactions of impatience, objection, or anger; or perhaps in daydreaming; or in mechanically following appetites; or in a wish for comfort. If my hard-to-reach inner self disappears in the midst of daily activities, perhaps that explains why some traditions call such activities “deadly sins”: They lead one to lose the connection with the inner sense of “I.” In my life it always seems to be one or the other, but not both at the same time. The myths ask us why this should be and whether a connection between the two levels of awareness is not desirable, or even necessary, to a sense of the whole of oneself.
Our task is to use the wisdom in myths to find a path toward cohesion and comprehension. We have chosen as centerpieces of our study three of the principal myths of the major civilizations of the Levantine regions, which contributed to the development of modern-day Western European civilization. We have available writings from the ancient Sumerians, Egyptians, and Hebrews that, thanks to developments in the art of translation in the past half century, can now be read and compared with one another with new eyes and new attitudes.
The perspective that is now possible can provide new insights into the elusive wisdom of ancient traditions. Such insights can be of use in understanding the special place of human beings in creation. In modern times, a period that the 20th Century historian and philosopher, Arnold J. Toynbee has called a “time of troubles,” ancient myths can help in the search for a better sense of the meaning of life, of the Self, or of higher consciousness. “Meaning” in the outside world is only an adjunct to the growing sense of need for renewed internal life. With effort we may approach an understanding of the remarkable difference between the spiritual and the merely secular—and possibly appreciate the awakening of higher consciousness within. Ancient myths contain the oldest expression of who we are. This book explores how relatively well-known myths can be re-approached as a contribution to one’s internal work. The book reveals that myths can effectively support our efforts to identify and strengthen our internal sense of high consciousness.
Excerpt #5: The inner and outer "I"
The private individual awareness of an underlying “I” is only with us when our attention is turned to it. Furthermore, some memories of moments of such awareness are accompanied by a special clarity that was possibly vivid in childhood. In the light of these remembrances, it may appear that this inner observer determines whether events are remembered. The inner “I” seems to be missing when one’s attention is distracted or swamped by the strong impressions of an external life. Yet an external shock may also give rise to the internal observer—indeed, may be necessary to arouse it, as myths show us. Associated events are then remembered in a quite direct, clear, and vivid way. Contemplation of this inner being may also make clear that it is always the same person who observes, as though there is for it no such thing as aging. Do space and time even exist for it? Some of the myths specifically, if subtly, engage questions about the origins of time and space and their significance for reality.
Of course, there is no question that our most “awake” moments are few and far between. Authors as far apart in space and time as Plotinus and Northrop Frye recognized that these moments of special clarity arise only rarely, but are well remembered. It is not easy to admit that one’s ordinary self so totally forgets the sense of wonder that it experienced in moments of such seeing! Our forgetting all too easily leads us to suppose that this poorly remembered inner sense is so different from our present state that it can be of little lasting importance in our lives. It may be so fleeting that it later seems even illusory. Myths can help us appreciate the significance of these differences between awareness and being asleep. If we tried to remain in touch with this less familiar Self, would we be distracted by our daydreams and illusions and therefore unable to respond appropriately in the external world Or is the opposite the case? We can see that our lives are so pervaded by the apparently necessary learned mechanical reactions to external stimuli that they mostly obscure or entirely swamp our inner awareness. Is it possible to find an effective balance between the inner and outer influences? In some part , one recognizes that encounters with both are significant features of ones sense of being a complete individual in a real world. The following chapters attempt to illuminate how myths help us revisit such realizations and become more fully balanced. Perhaps the wisdom in ancient myths resides in their ability to invoke deeper impressions of the different values that exist at these different modes of awareness.
To be faithful to the myths, let us regard the inner and outer aspects of the world as two different levels, which are simultaneously available to us while we remain curiously separated from each. It is true that during most interaction with the outer world, the inner awareness of oneself, or even the “thought” of it, does not exist for us as a present reality. At such times, reality exists only in overwhelming encounters with external events, and we are occupied with these challenges. The other world, the one that exists in the momentary glimpses of an inner self, is then almost an aberration. It is there only as a vague feeling of presence that, while it offers another possibility, does so only when we are somehow led to give attention to it. But while the inner world is generally only fleetingly perceived, it seems to embody a more mysterious, perhaps poetic quality—beyond our everyday occupations but somehow consistent with a deeper sense of purpose and meaning in our lives.