"The Consciousness Singularity" by Shawn Mikula Options

[Shawn]

from http://brainmeta.com/index.php?p=singularity

What is the Singularity? Different people mean different things by this term. For me, the Singularity refers to the point of time in the future when human consciousness, at both the personal and species level, experiences an abrupt transition, a phase transition of sorts, into a state of transcendence that is conceptually impossible for us to imagine "what it's like" with our current limited cognitive abilities.

My usage of the term "Singularity" is an analogy to the well-known singularity in physics, the black hole, where you cannot see beyond the event horizon because light cannot escape from it. In a similar manner, we cannot see (or imagine) what's beyond the consciousness Singularity because it's beyond our cognitive (or imaginative) capabilities.

Imagine, if you will, what a monkey would experience if suddenly it's consciousness became like that of a human. Before the transition, the monkey would be incapable of imagining what it's like to be human simply because it's beyond it's cognitive capabilities. In the same way, I believe our species will undergo such transitions in our consciousness of such magnitude that we cannot even begin to imagine what these new states of consciousness are like.

At the Singularity, history as we know it, will cease. The universe, as we experience it now, will cease. Consider the most transcendent and mystical states of consciousness that have yet been experienced by mankind: these will pale in comparison with what's to come! This is the Singularity. And there won't be just one Singularity, but many, as consciousness overcomes and transcends itself, over and over again.

Our consciousness will be expanded beyond the confines of an egocentric sense of self to include transpersonal experiences and transcendent self-identity. This new existence will be both a form of collective consciousness and a form of expanded individual consciousness. Though sounding like a contradiction, realize that these two descriptions of transcendent consciousness are really two sides of the same coin. The Singularity is so far beyond our experience and knowledge today that we cannot even begin to comprehend it, unless we ourselves experience transcendent states of consciousness.

How do we realize the Singularity? How do we experience transcendent states of consciousness? See http://brainmeta.com/index.php?p=expandconsciousness for an answer.

[Shawn]

First, let me just say that I consider it a privelege to be having such interesting and worthwhile discussion with the people here.  And even though we may have our differences, it in no way lessens the value of this conversation.    Indeed, I believe this thread is a testament to the fact that sufficiently open-minded people can converse freely and feel secure in the face of opposing viewpoints.

Dan, I understand exactly what you're saying, and it's a good point.  Joe, I believe your sincerity and enlightened outlook on things has already gained you something of a following, and it's well deserved.

My post will not do justice to the issue at hand, but there are a few things I'd like to say in spite of this.  Joe, I believe I know where you're coming from because I think I've been there before (no doubt you doubt this, but I do sincerely believe this).  It's not a place where I'm at now.  Nor is it a place that I really want to go back to.  There's too much work for me to do and accomplish, and it's not possible for me to dismiss such goals and longings as illusions.  You see, my belief is that, whatever state of consciousness you happen to be in, however enlightened and transcendent it may be, it's only relative.   I am strongly drawn by the notion that much more transcendent states of consciousness exist, and that it's simply a matter of tweaking/modifying our brains in order to realize such states of consciousness.  I realize that when you speak, you're in a particular state of consciousness, but my belief is that there's nothing 'absolutely' transcendent or enlightening about this state because transcendence and enlightenment are all relative notions.  This is but one of the many important lessons I took from Nietzsche.  

What people refer to as God-consciousness or cosmic consciousness, I have experienced, and further, I fully understand that this state of consciousness is like nothing when compared to even more transcendent states of consciousness that are, for obvious reasons, inconceivable and beyond the imaginative capabilities of the states of consciousness currently available to us.  

I should note that the experience of God as Love which you mentioned in another thread, is this not but a powerful sentiment, and little more?  Why equate God as Love, or say that God is full of Love, when love is just a human sentiment.  Surely, the experience of God is beyond human sentiment.  Even the notion that the whole is contained in it's parts (i.e., the immanence of God) does not justify attaching rather ordinary human sentiments to the supra-ordinary experience of God.

Personally, I do not associate Love with God.  I have experienced overpowering feelings of a, for lack of a better work, Cosmic Love, but I know that this is not God, but rather just human sentiment that's directed towards everything (as opposed to being directed towards a particular object or person).

My experience of God is best understood as an overflowing intoxication with Being, and is characterized by an extraordinary mania.  If I was forced to associate human sentiments to God, it would not be Love, but would rather be Laughter, disembodied Laughter.  Have I been understood?  

The genius of the brahmans of ancient India resided in their formulation of concepts such as Atman = Brahman and the universality of the Self within each of us (which permits me to say that I am everyone who has ever lived).   They're great, ennobling ideas, I think, but let us now go beyond.   We can't remain satisfied with ancient teachings.  It's high time to go beyond the brahmans.   And the way to do this is by modifying our brains to enable higher, more transcendent states of consciousness than have ever been experienced before.   That is the road I'm on.  Or rather, that is the road that has me on it.   It was not my choice, but rather, it was what was chosen for me.   An inevitability of sorts.