“I am more than my physical body. Because I am more than physical matter, I can perceive that which is greater than the physical world”. –Robert Monroe
Cosmic Consciousness, or what some call the universal subconscious mind, is beyond human perception. It could also be called metaphysical consciousness. Metaphysics represents the beliefs of Unity Church and Centers for Spiritual Living, founded by Ernest Holmes. They study what is possible when we understand the Oneness with God and all living things. Ernest Holmes defines the Cosmic Mind as the creative intelligence of the Universe. He says there is nothing supernatural about the study of this metaphysical viewpoint. He says what seems supernatural today will be understood in the future by many and will be part of the natural order. Many teach that we are headed to our next steps of growth as spiritual beings through an understanding of the cosmic realm.
Our ancestors lived close to nature. They lived in a dimension based on symbols and rituals, causing a trance state of consciousness and thus connecting them to the universal cosmic mind. Even though there were tribes of people all over the world, many of the same healing practices, values, and wisdom can be found in each of them. As Howard Thurman says, "There is plenty of evidence to support the belief that the universal subconscious mind is the connecting link between the finite mind of man and the Infinite Intelligence of God. It is the intermediary through which one may draw upon the forces of Infinite Intelligence at will. It, alone, contains the secret process by which mental impulses are modified and changed into their spiritual equivalent. It, alone, is the medium through which prayer may be transmitted to the source capable of answering prayer.” In other words, we all can tap into universal creativity and intelligence. The more we use it, the stronger it becomes in our lives. I believe it is through Cosmic Consciousness that we can find the same path to our inner mystic, the path to the wisdom and healing of our ancestors.
For thousands of years, our ancestors on every continent used trance as a bridge to the subconscious. Mainstream groups such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sufi (Islamic mystics) also use trance as a spiritual journey. Psychological work for the treatment of PTSD and addiction uses the induction of trance for healing. Trance is defined as an altered form of consciousness in which a person is neither fully awake nor fully asleep. We experience a fleeting state of trance just before we go to sleep, and our conscious mind is winding down, and right before we wake up. Entering a trance state happens when we can bypass the critical chattering conscious mind. In a trance, we can communicate directly with the subconscious mind. A trance can help us access deeper states of awareness and experience mystical or Maslow’s peak experiences.
Defining a mystical or peak experience is difficult. I had one several years ago. It was an out-of-mind experience, I was full of awe and wonder. It happened when I was 30 years old, and it started my spiritual quest for truth. I remember it like it happened yesterday.
I was a hospice volunteer, and I spent the day and evening with an elder man who was dying. He was conscious most of the time. He shared stories about his beloved wife and described how he felt so lost since she died a year before. He shared in vivid, colorful detail the gardens she planted and tended. He missed the smell of her homemade bread. He missed the sound of her voice. We were on a sensory tour through his life with his wife. He shared the gentle touch of their first kiss like it was yesterday. Today, I wonder if that kiss was a mystical experience.
When he first came into the Hospice that day, he joyfully proclaimed, “Today is the day I am going to die.” I didn’t believe that was true, as most people are there for several days before they die. And most people are not excited and happy about dying. He was excited because he knew it was the day he would be with his wife again. The energy around him was alive and joyful, but I just didn’t see how he could be dying that day. It did not fit the usual pattern I had witnessed many times. Several hours passed, and his energy became quieter. He slept on and off. For most of the day, I was there with him alone. He didn’t have children. As he told me, “It was just the two of us building castles in the sky.”
Around nine and after dinner, he was unconscious. He really was dying today! His pastor came to give him the last rites. It was the first time I was included in this very sacred ceremony. My body tingled with awe and wonder as the pastor’s gentle words cradled the energy in the room. Soon our patient peacefully took his last breath and was gone.
After he died, I went out into the darkness and looked up at a sky full of stars. They twinkled so close; it seemed like I could touch them. I felt one with everything, and I felt loved by whatever everything is. I knew I would never again doubt there is a Presence some call God. The reality of an all-powerful Presence was a flash that felt more real than anything else in my life. Suddenly my sense of self was free and full of Love. This was the beginning of my spiritual journey.
In his book, Three Magic Words, U.S. Andersen says when we connect on deep levels of consciousness, we are connecting with God. He defines, "God as the intelligence that pervades all times and places, the design and order and consciousness of all things. Man lives in this intelligence; he is part of it and the whole of it." Cosmic consciousness dwells within all living beings; it is all-powerful and in everything, everywhere. It is the path to our inner mystic. Our guides along the way are nature, poetry, music, and awakened senses, or a first kiss. Medieval mystics refer to it as an inner light. Meister Eckhart wrote: "There is a journey you must take. It is a journey without destination. There is no map. Your soul will lead you. And you can take nothing with you." He says every great artist, poet, and songwriter describes how their performances come from a source beyond them. It flows without thought or reason. It sounds to me like they bypass thinking and reason to go deep into Cosmic Consciousness. Some say Leonardo Da Vinci was so completely connected that everything he touched was full of genius. He demonstrated the miraculous creativity of Cosmic Consciousness.
Mystics from all over the world, from different religions and traditions at different times in history, describe their soul journeys. Teresa of Avila wrote “Interior Castle” in 1577. She describes the journey of the soul going through deepening stages of spiritual development to union with God. We can find the same themes in the writings of John of the Cross (1542-1591). The twentieth-century mystic, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, echoes the concept of the unity of all, including all of creation. Celtic tradition from 354-418 saw creation as a connection to all and the reflection of God’s very being. There is a strong sense of the goodness of creation because one can get a “glimpse” of God. Celtic mystic Pelagius says, "by looking at the animals roaming the forest, God’s spirit dwells within them. Look at the birds flying across the sky: God’s spirit dwells within them. Even the tiny insects crawling in the grass have God’s spirit dwelling within them." He saw God’s spirit in the great trees of the forest and the wildflowers. He believed the presence of God’s spirit in all living things is what makes them beautiful. Pelagius saw God as present within all that has life. The writings of all mystics explain how everything is connected to everything.
As we journey to our inner mystic, we will notice a deeper understanding of ourselves and others. It is often described as a state beyond the limitations of the ego to the higher self. It is a place of inner wisdom and intuition.