It should be pointed out if it hasn't already occurred to you, that in the case of our two individuals, since each is awakened and oriented toward expansion of consciousness, neither party's ideas, attitudes or postures are going to be expressions of hate, negativity, attack or control over the other. Right off, that negates the need for defensiveness. This propensity to spurn negativity is a natural effect of the awareness of the awakened individual. The lower vibrating energy of negativity does not feel good to those with higher awareness; thus the awakened will not resonate with or gravitate to expression of such attitudes. Imagine the effect of this in terms of our advocacy for the raising of planetary consciousness. So much of the ideological conflict that leads to war would diminish significantly.

Having described expansion of consciousness, closed consciousness, by default, being the opposite, we have pretty much described as well. In referring to closed consciousness or states of consciousness that are not fully open, you will find that I also use the terms "constricted" and "contracted". The resistance to expansion of consciousness is really a resistance to openness. We do not have to look too far to recognize that this is where the concepts of open mindedness / close mindedness come from.

Closed states of consciousness are characterized by repression, suppression, restraint, containment, control, silencing, parochialism, quashing, following convention, and in general, limitation and confinement in terms of ideas and relationship to others. The limitation of ideas is applied not only to the resistance to change and creativity, but also to assessments of oneself. That is expressed as feelings of self-doubt, inadequacy and unworthiness.

Succinctly, just as open consciousness allows for the expansion of consciousness, closed consciousness inhibits expansion. Generally speaking, evidence of constricted consciousness would include such things as:

* Dismissal and assessment as invalid of any ideas about the higher aspects of     life outside of a religious context
* Where there is belief in God, it is a portrayal of God as a personification
* Dismissal of any ideas of an Infinite Intelligence that is other than the     mainstream perception of a personified god
* Propensity to hold on to predetermined beliefs and fixed ideas despite     evidence to the contrary
* In the Cultural / Political arena:

- Dismissal of ideas outside of one's world view
- High value placed upon strong opinions and certainty as a basis for a perception of reality
- Preference for dogma, doctrine and conformity
- Tendency for self-delusion
- Distorted sense of reality
- Assertiveness and adamancy about "being right", and of other ideas being wrong

Recognizing then that constricted consciousness entails the tendency to embrace and prefer fixed positions and containment of ideas, it is not difficult to conceive that the more extreme such a mindset becomes, the greater will be the potential for fanaticism and asserting control over others. It is this mindset held by groups and nations that leads to totalitarian and fascist states and wars with other states.

The manifestation of constricted consciousness within totalitarian and fascist states is most instructive for us. Such states are all about control and conformity. In terms of the intent and purpose of the Universe, conformity, whether blindly followed or imposed upon, is clearly contradictory to such purpose. This is why totalitarian, authoritarian or fundamentalist states remain stuck. Individual creative expression is suppressed. In other words, no new ideas are "allowed". But new ideas are necessary for advancement, whether in technology, politics or arts and culture. The single focus upon and enforcement of fixed ideas and the effort to prevent change, keeps things pretty much stuck in sameness. So we find that societies that compel conformity are bland and gray, and that religions or cults that try to strip people of their individuality, are lost.

Of course, regardless of such perverted attempts to stop change, there is always the ceaseless motion and impermanence of the universe. That cannot be stopped. It's just that the motion in societies where new ideas are suppressed or discouraged is horizontal rather than vertical; it sort of swirls around within the same general range, never advancing upward, and more than likely the trend will be a steady decline. Since free and open creativity is the way in which consciousness evolves (progresses in an upward direction), it is easy to see that little if any advancement can occur within these static states.

In the next part of this series we will discuss what world views promote open consciousness and which restrict it.

End of Part 3; go to Part 4

Copyright © 2007, William Gunderson
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