'The Observer' Pt III: Going beyond the Mind

Is there a kind of consciousness which is beyond the mind?  If so, how can it be accessed?  Once we have come some way along the conscious path, we may begin to sense that there are other forms of consciousness within ourselves that are beyond our thoughts.  We get glimpses, so to speak -  a sense of expansion where we become hyper aware.  It has a different quality to our thoughts.  However, the mind is so enticing.  It is safe to view things in a logical way and our ego tends to lock us into our mind.  So, how do we transcend the mind?

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A matter of Identity

Firstly, it is a matter of identity.  The philosopher Descartes famously stated 'I think, therefore I am'...  Are you?  I will give you some questions for consideration: Who is thinking? Who is the mind? It's very important on the conscious path to ask, 'who am I?'  When you realise that you are identifying with something that is not the chore of who you are, there is a tremendous sense of expansion.  So again, who is thinking?  Consider, how can your mind observe itself?

In the field of Neuroscience there is increasing evidence that our brains are not simply reacting to outer stimuli, but actually creating the forms and patterns that we see, selecting them from an immeasurable spectrum of vibration (Karl Pibram, 1971, Languages of the Brain). 

"So the problem is, how does the brain evoke the world, which is simultaneously the world in which it exists?  Does the brain evoke the brain?" - Alan Watts

Stepping beyond the mind

You may have noticed that so far I've been writing in a way that actually stimulates the mind; citing scientific research, quoting well known philosophers, and asking questions for you to ponder.  This has been somewhat intentional, both as a way of demonstrating how the mind can approach such topics, and also because it is possible to use the mind as a tool in order to move beyond the mind.

Yes, I know this seems a little paradoxical...good!! *evil laughter ensues*.  The mind can indeed be used as a tool to go beyond itself by being made to consider things that are not immediately logical and don't have an answer which arises in the brain. 

This method is also used in Zen Buddhisms with the use of Koans.  These are essentially questions or stories which are designed to show you what is beyond the mind.  Here are a few Koans:

• "What is the sound of one hand clapping?"
• "When you can do nothing, what can you do?"
• Zen Master Unmon said: “The world is vast and wide. Why do you put on your robes at the sound of a bell?”
  

And my personal favourite:

• Shuzan held out his short staff and said, “If you call this a short staff, you oppose its reality. If you do not call it a short staff, you ignore the fact. Now what do you wish to call this?”

Into the Heart

So far we have talked about 'the Observer' and how to cultivate this.  However, in some ways even the observer carries some identity - even the name suggests this, so I refer to the true observer that lies beyond the mind as 'Witness Consciousness'.  How does witness consciousness manifest itself?

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Once you have begun to sense a part of you that lays beyond the mind, you can begin to cultivate it.  What you can't do is grasp at it and try to recreate the feelings that come with it.  This is just not how it works and the moment you grasp you are back in the ego, identifying with the feelings.  It is just a matter of giving energy to it by tending the garden in which it can grow.  And, it really is like tending a garden, using love and awareness to provide the right conditions for something to grow of it's own accord. 

Many refer to this as 'the heart centre' and it's a good way of seeing it as witness consciousness comes from a place of love.  This love flows naturally through each realm of physical, emotional and mental as an acceptance of what is.  It is such that you can be un-accepting and controlling on the outside, while processing a pattern that needs to be worked through, and still be totally accepting of this non-acceptance on the inside. 

Cultivating the Heart

There are a few simple things you can do to cultivate the heart centre in order to tend the ground for witness consciousness to grow:

• Take lots of time in nature - being in nature somehow harmonises us in such a way that the heart centre becomes closer.  I don't know how or why, but then that's not important - feeling it is enough.  Sometimes I sense that the very essence of nature is acceptance.
  
• Develop awareness of the five senses - this is a great way to cultivate the heart as the senses are the tool in which the heart centre experiences the world.  You can do this at any time of day, but it seems to me to be especially lovely in nature. 
  
• Follow your joy - what is it that really makes your soul sing? These moments of true expression of our creative or childlike energies help us to develop a sense of wonder, seeing the world as truely magical.
  

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A bit of inspiration

I'd like to leave you with this beautiful video from Trinity at Openhand.  It comes right from the heart, and I guarantee, if you resonate with this article then this video will be an inspiration for you.  Enjoy!

Much love,

Richard

See also:

• Pt1 - What is the Observer?
• Pt2 - How to cultivate the Observer?