Perhaps environmental
pollution and the painful gap between the rich and the poor do not constitute
the major challenges of our civilization. Perhaps the real challenge lies in
the way humankind meets the world- that is, in human consciousness.
Consciousness is what makes us unique in the history of evolution. But we have
yet to embrace fully what it means to be human…
External evolution
requires internal evolution. That was the dimension Abraham Maslow added to the
basic Freudian needs: our search for meaning. We strive to develop our
consciousness to achieve self-actualization…
The time has come for the
spirit to escape from institutions, organizations, structures, strictures and
systems. The development of the economy, technology and society is bringing
human autonomy closer and closer. Modern individuals have infinitely more
opportunities to organize their own lives than did those of previous
generations We are at the threshold of a revenge of the spirit. This is the top
of Maslow’s pyramid; self-realization. Consciousness separates the human being
from other living creatures. We are all recognizably unique and our desire is
to fulfill that uniqueness. The next phase of evolution is about becoming
conscious beings that direct ourselves. That’s the way to happiness vitality
intelligence and health.
The vision of the
autonomous individual should not be confused with the current culture of
individualism. At a higher level of awareness, the autonomous person realizes
her independence relies on the respect and tolerance of others. As more and
more people find their own way to spiritual development, they realize that
every person, every creature, is part o a greater whole. This growing awareness
is changing society. Personal development on a large scale – in sharp contrast
with the collective mass hysteria of the various religious – adds a new
dimension to the evolution.
If the expansion of
consciousness is the mark of the future, it will have a profound effect on the
way we equip and organize our world. As awareness rises, equality and community
become stronger forces at the expense of old-fashioned, overly controlling
rules and overly dominant institutions that promote competition. We will see
less emphasis on power, more space for self-organization. That will amount to
less winning or losing and more spontaneous synergy on the road to a common
outcome.
We are discovering that
the pollution of the mind gave rise to the pollution of the environment and that
ecology is not just about preserving resources and nature but about realizing
humanity’s place in the creation of the universe. “Self-realization will make
us spontaneously inclined to value and defend the integrity of the world around
us,” said Arne Naess, the founder of the deep ecology movement.
Self-direction will
transform standardized education systems, as children cease to be asked to
parrot what they read in books selected by their teachers and parents but learn
to discover, develop and capitalize on their own talents. Self-determination is
also crucial for our health. Autonomous individuals are more healthy
individuals. And so increased consciousness will dismantle the expensive,
rule-bound system of health care…
In the end, what an Indian
master once told me accurately describes our mission: “The greatest journey we
can make is the journey within. While going nowhere, while staying right here,
we can travel an even greater distance inside.” That journey begins with
feeling, listening, looking and experiencing, and sometimes by taking a moment
in our busy lives to experience our connection with creation, to invite the
future in, to discover that happiness is more than matter or property, to learn
that health is, first and foremost, an individual, inner experience…
Come, let’s invest in our
dreams of a world renewed, trusting that a new era is now supporting our
longing. “It is our duty – as men and women – to behave as though limits to our
ability do not exist. We are collaborators in the creation of the universe,”
said French philosopoher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. And we should never forget
that we are here to trust and realize our dreams. There’s no more fundamental
change.
--Excerpts from the
article, The Revenge of the Spirit in
The Intelligent Optimist magazine
(formerly Ode) January/February 2013
edition
by Jurriaan Kamp,
editor-in-chief
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