Consciousness -- the final frontier | Dada Gunamuktananda | TEDxNoosa 2014

Thank you. I must admit that I am very impressed with the way Mary pronounced my name. I couldn't do it better. (Laughs) About 25 years ago, I was in my last year of medicine, but for some time I had doubts about my choice of profession. Then one day, I went to draw blood from a nice old lady. I punctured an artery instead of a vein. I still don't understand how I did it. As blood gushed everywhere, I said to myself, "Yes, you definitely chose the wrong profession." (Laughs) So, for the benefit of all parties involved, I left my studies and became a yogi. (Laughter) (Applause) Hence my unconventional appearance.

In fact, this is not the only reason for my unconventional appearance. One of many, so to speak. I would like to share with you the yogi concept of space, our inner space, what we experience within ourselves - here I am redefining the terms a little - and outer space, everything that is outside of us. We live in a vast universe. To give you an idea of ​​its size, if we were to assume that the universe is the size of our planet Earth, then the size of our planet Earth would be one billionth of a pinhead in comparison.

One billionth of one of these. I'm holding a pin, in case you can't see it. That's my support. (Laughs) Look. That is. It is actually an identical pin. A billionth of this compared to this. By the way, one billionth of a pin is about one billionth of a grain of sand, or the average size of an atom, so take your pick. In any case, the idea is that it is very, very small compared to the size of the universe. Does this help you put it into perspective? I think this gives us an idea of ​​the size of the universe.

We were expected to believe that the incredibly large and complex universe, according to the discoveries of modern science, appeared out of nowhere without prior intention. It's almost as if we're expected to believe that our phones and laptops just came into being, without anyone designing or assembling them beforehand. According to biologist Rupert Sheldrake, "Modern science is based on the principle: 'Give us a miracle for free and we'll explain the rest.'" (Laughter) "And a free miracle is the appearance of all the mass and energy of the universe and all the laws that govern it, out of nothing, all at once.

However, only now is modern science reaching the conclusions , which have existed in the yogic tradition for thousands of years, to explain our universe will raise our understanding to a higher level, namely, that both the content and purpose of the universe originate in a deeper reality than we normally perceive. through our mind and our senses, and that reality is the all-pervading and blissful

consciousness

contained in everyone and everything, just as your

consciousness

is the essence of your mind, so is the cosmic consciousness of the entire universe. within everything, and everything is part of consciousness. However, for reasons I will not mention now, we have largely abandoned the idea of ​​greater consciousness in our contemporary view of the world.

Modern science has adopted a very mechanistic view of the nature of reality. However, what would happen if mind, matter and space were filled with consciousness? What if there is a possibility that consciousness is a higher reality, where every part of it is as real as our current construction of reality? And what if it could provide us, if we were open to it, some real advantages in understanding our world and how we fit into it, as opposed to some very serious disadvantages of a materialistic worldview? The materialist view of the universe as arbitrary, mechanistic and unfeeling gives us every reason to feel alienated, alone, scared and depressed.

And if we don't feel this way ourselves, we too often see it in others and in the general weakness of our society. Materialism does not encourage optimism in people or in society. On the other hand, in the blissfully conscious universe, there are many reasons to feel intrinsically connected to people and the world, to feel loved, happy, and at peace with ourselves and others. In the words of my guru Shrii Shrii Anandamurti: "You are never alone or helpless. The force that directs the stars also directs you." So instead of trying to get confirmation of a worldview that saddens us and makes us fear for the future, I think we should try to get confirmation of a worldview that gives us a sense of fullness and hope for the future. , not only us as individuals, but us as a society.

The benefits of seeing the world as consciousness are immeasurable. And it is potentially no less justified than any of our constructions of reality. This is not a mere fantasy. In fact, that the essence of the Universe is consciousness is a premise as valid as that according to which matter is the essence of the universe. The only difference is that one can be perceived, while the other cannot. We can perceive matter through our minds, as well as through scientific measurements, but we can only experience consciousness within ourselves. We have to find it within ourselves. Once upon a time there was a Sufi mystic named Nasr Utem.

Once I even spent a few days in his hometown in Türkiye. And there are many legends about how he taught in an eccentric and funny way. In one of these stories, he lost the keys to his house and went looking for them one night outside, under the light of a streetlamp. A passerby asked him what he was doing: "I'm looking for the keys to the house." "Where did you lose them?" he asked her. "Somewhere in the house." Of course she then said, "Well, if you lost them in the house, why are you looking for them outside?" "Because it's dark inside," she replied. (Laughter) We have to look for what we need in the right place.

Even if it's hard to search there. It's easy to look outward, but not so easy to look inward. According to the teachings of yoga, consciousness is within us and we must look for it there, Ali. The trick is that we can't find it with our intellect. It is not something we can grasp with our minds. Take the case of a light bulb, for example. A light bulb can illuminate a room but not the electricity that illuminates it. Likewise, we can understand the world around us, but not the consciousness that animates us. It is beyond the normal functioning of the mind, beyond words, even beyond thought itself.

The essence of our being is not something that can be talked about or thought about. I think everyone is familiar with Descartes' saying: "I think, therefore I am." But what yogic philosophy says is: "When I stop thinking, then I really exist." (Laughter) Just because we can't think about something, just because we can't prove something scientifically, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. We can't show a mother's love for her child, but that doesn't mean it's not there. It is a matter of the heart, and the mind cannot grasp matters of the heart. Therefore, material science will never be able to penetrate the essence of what it really means to be human.

We can only confirm the essence of our existence through the deepest internal experience of consciousness. Now, you might think that all of this is a bit unrealistic and New Age. I'm even starting to think so. (Laughter) I will give you some examples of scientists who have confirmed the possibility that consciousness is a higher reality. There aren't many of them. But the ones that exist are quite outstanding. I won't go into this too much, in fact I'll try to finish before I start. (Laughter) Max Planck, founder of quantum theory; he believed that awareness is fundamental. "I appreciate that matter is derived from consciousness.

We cannot ignore consciousness. Everything we talk about, everything that exists implies consciousness," said the creator of quantum theory. A little later, physicist James Jeans wrote: "The flow of knowledge is in the direction of a non-mechanical reality. The universe begins to look more like a great thought than a great machine." And I better throw in some Einstein here just to give it a little flavor. (Laughter) "The most beautiful and profound emotion we can experience is the experience of the mystical. This is the root of true science. This deep emotional conviction of the presence of a higher reasoning power that has been revealed in an incomprehensible universe It's my idea of ​​God." Finally, I will give you an example of a modern scientist who has actually experienced higher consciousness firsthand.

Dr. Eben Alexander is a neurologist who, like many of his colleagues, had the idea that the brain creates its own consciousness. Then, ironically, he contracted a very rare brain infection that left him in a coma for a week when he experienced a heightened, enlightened state of consciousness, even though he was clinically dead at the time. He said: "While I was in a coma for seven days, I not only remained fully conscious but traveled to an amazing world of beauty, peace and unconditional love. I had the most incredible experience of my life, where my consciousness traveled to a higher level. " Dr.

Alexander is now on a mission to convince the neurology community to, as he puts it, "finish kindergarten" and abandon the idea that the brain creates its own consciousness." Now, fortunately for you and me Apart from these examples, there is a systematic and scientific method to confirm the existence of consciousness in our daily lives. I think it will not surprise you that I tell you that it will be meditation. It is an intuitive science in which consciousness is confirmed through meditation. firsthand experience. It is very possible to experience a higher consciousness that is as real as you and I sitting in this room.

I once had a particularly illuminating experience when I felt the entire room vibrate with consciousness and bliss. that I could be cut with a knife was undeniably real and to this day I have no doubt about it. During meditation, one has many such experiences that ultimately lead to awareness of one's own consciousness. . Why don't we go there right away and try to experience higher consciousness through meditation? We tried? Maybe it didn't even occur to you when you woke up this morning that you would meditate today, but here you are, anything is possible. I invite you to close your eyes for a minute.

Remember to breathe and try not to fall asleep, I know, you had a busy day. And start focusing. Focus on your sense of self. Feel the center within you. (Music is heard) Feel that you are completely calm. Feel peace and happiness around you. Feel infinite happiness around you. Now feel yourself merging with that infinite happiness. Feel your sense of consciousness merging with the infinite consciousness around you. Feel your consciousness merging with the infinite consciousness around you. Feel yourself becoming one with her. Feel that you are one with her. Feel that you are and stay like that for a few more seconds.

Do you feel better now? Dada Gunamuktananda: Yes? No? (Audience) Yes. In any case, you may have glimpsed the possibility of your consciousness being one with the consciousness of the entire universe. Which is equally in you and around you. That it is real and that you can feel it if you really try. And not only feel it, but know that it is in the depths of your being. That this is not just an abstract concept, but the very essence of each of us. It is about discovering more consciousness in our consciousness, realizing that our inner reality is a higher universal reality.

And the more we expand our sense of reality, our sense of being, the more connected we will feel to all beings. The happier we are, the less shy we are, the less alone we are, because we realize that everything is part of ourselves, that we are part of the whole. The inner search helps us accept everything that is inside us, all the people, animals, plants... The planet. People, animals and plants on other planets... yes, that's pretty clear: the entire universe. What I like to say is that just as the world becomes a smaller place with the development of communication and transportation technologies, the universe will become a smaller place with the development of meditation technology. [Cosmic consciousness resides in our sense of existence, in the very desire of the heart." Shrii Shrii Anandamurti] Thank you. (Applause)