Compassionate Attention - It creates mastery within you.
For many of us we have been brought
up within a social structure that demands we become a ‘productive member’ of
our society.
Thus much emphasis is placed upon
developing individual skills so that we can compete with each other for social
betterment.
Inherent in this is a residual fear
that if we open ourselves too much to others we may lose our ‘competitive edge’
and defined sense of individuality.
Much of mainstream media (aka
propaganda) has exploited the mythological images, collective stereotypes, and
subconscious signifiers that play on our collective vulnerabilities and social
fears.
Knowledge has more or less trickled
down to the average person through heavily filtered channels, and most often
has been doctored, amended, and/or edited.
The end result has been not
knowledge but consensus information, or ‘allowed’ information.
It has served the elite power
structure well that people in general have not awoken to the understanding that
humanity possesses incredible capacity and inherent resources for creative
expansion and evolutionary development.
Added to this is the fact that
Western science, which has asserted itself as the dominant hegemony since the
Renaissance, has been at pains to stress that matter is primary and that
consciousness is a secondary by-product from our mental activity.
The modern worldview which denies
the primacy of consciousness is fostering forms of human alienation, both
psychological and social.
It is a great paradox that modern
science, itself a result of human consciousness, has produced a view of the
cosmos which has no room for consciousness.
Yet human beings are in need of
meaning and significance in their lives as much as they are in need of air to
breathe and food to eat.
This struggle over the conscious
mind(s) of humanity, which has been going on in various forms for aeons, is
coming to a crux in our present generation.
We are in a transition period which
sees the expanding awareness and connectivity between individuals worldwide
clashing against the increasing authoritarian technocratic ‘surveillance
machine.’
The result is that we have now
collectively arrived at a critical moment in our evolution of human
civilization.
Yet any society or civilization
which makes the material world its sole pursuit and object of concern cannot
but devolve in the long run.
It is now necessary to see our
future potentials, not the daily news. .
As Professor Needleman so aptly
remarked:
The esoteric is the heart of
civilization.
And should the outward forms of a
human civilization become totally unable to contain and adapt the energies of
great spiritual teachings, then that civilization has ceased to serve its
function in the universe.[1]
It is therefore imperative that we
begin to break-away from non-developmental social conditioning; this includes
being conscious of the type of media impacts we are open to.
Furthermore, during moments of
cultural and social disorder/disequilibrium the human mind often works with an
energy and intensity not manifested when social patterns are stable and
monotone.
At such dynamic periods there can be
the realization that no individual is isolated; that each person is interwoven
into a vibrant network and web of psychological, emotional, and spiritual
interrelations.
Such realizations can be heightened
during periods, such as now, when it appears that human consciousness is moving
through a time of critical transition.
Our self-awareness over the nature
of human consciousness has been increasing greatly over the last several
decades.
The latest findings in the new
sciences (especially quantum and neuroscience), in consciousness studies, in
the popularity for inner and self-development, etc, all indicate a new
awareness emerging within our collective consciousness.
That is, energetic change will come through
our social and cultural forms, and not by avoiding them.
Developmental change on a large
scale can occur by creating conscious change from within our daily lives and
within our social systems, and not outside of them.
By just walking on this planet,
holding the focus and intention, we create incredible energy – energy that is
shared.
We are creating change by just being
alive.
That is why being without fear is so
important.
We need not create a black and white
film in our heads when in reality we are creating color.
We can make use of the tools that
are already available to us, and within us.
There is an exponentially increasing
mass of individuals worldwide who are now awakening to the connected
empowerment of empathic consciousness.
Recent de-stabilizing social events,
such as in our financial and political spheres, have drawn people’s focus to
the dysfunction of many of the systems that we once gave our trust to.
Even the focus on religious
extremism in the media has drawn people’s attention not only to the deficit of
spiritual values in our major religions but also to how religion is being used
as a tool for furthering social, political, and emotional control.
This trance-like grip on our
collective consciousness is now being stripped away as people awaken to the
knowing that there is so much more to our lives than that of a materialistic
and consumer-based lifestyle.
Yet don’t become frustrated if
things don’t happen tomorrow, but trust that changes and shifts are happening
over time.
The necessity of inner knowing,
intuition, self-trust, and integrity, is now critical.
And let us remember that humans are
biased for compassion and empathy.
The awakening of our empathic mind
is our natural inheritance.
The Awakening of a Planetary
Consciousness
The accelerating changes occurring
across our planet right now will have no alternative but to force a mind-change
on a global and individual level.
We are coming together as a global
species like never before; despite what we have been shown and told by the
mainstream media.
We need to view this in both the
immediate and the bigger picture.
Due to our relatively short human
life span we rarely reflect beyond a generation or two in front of us.
We have evolved as a species that
reacts to immediate concerns.
This served us well in the past when
we had survival needs in a restricted world of limited horizons.
Yet now we need a perspective that
is global at the very least – and even possibly beyond!
If we now look at the bigger picture
we will see that a different type of consciousness has been emerging over the
past 150 years.
That is, since the dawn of the
Second Industrial Revolution.
The new technologies of the Second
Industrial Revolution – the telephone, radar, cinema, automobile and airplane –
called for a new reorientation of human perspective.
A new perception of the dimensions
of space and time began to birth a psychological consciousness – one that
wanted to look beyond the borders and horizons of the physical frontier.
The 3rd Industrial
Revolution, if we wish to call it that, will be a convergence of digital
communications combined with a young generation that is more globally aware.
This has the potential to catalyze
upon this planet a risingempathic, integral
consciousness.
Also, our global communications will
encourage new relations in our extended connectivity.
That is, increased multiple
relations are likely to stimulate a connected, collaborative consciousness;
rather than stepping back into an older consciousness of conflict and control.
A planetary citizenry is likely to
emerge that will exhibit greater empathy, and which will create a different
planetary society within perhaps two generations.
Humanity already contains the seeds
of these momentous potentials.
Many social changes within the
upcoming years will emerge from the creative engagement and innovation of
individuals and collectives worldwide – a shift catalyzed within the hearts, spirit,
and minds of the people.
Externally we may seem like a vast,
distant, and separate collection of individuals yet in truth the human family
is an intimate, closely entwined species comprised of various cultures.
Many of the younger generation now
are waking up to this fact.
Youngsters the world over are
growing up accustomed to having networks of hundreds, perhaps even thousands,
of friends across the planet; sharing intimacy and empathizing easily with an
international social group of like-minded souls.
This younger generation is
manifesting, whether conscious of it or not, a non-local level of human
relationships.
This expanded connectivity is
impacting and affecting a change in our psychology and consciousness.
We are now being impelled to live in
ways that enable all other people to live as well.
We are also being compelled to live
in ways that respect the lives of others and that respect the right to the
economic and cultural development of all people; and to pursue personal fulfillment
in harmony with the integrity of nature.
These traits may constitute what I
refer to as an integral-ecological consciousness: a person acting and behaving
as both an individual and as a part of the greater connected whole.
Such multiple relations form a more
varied, rich and complex life; they also provide a more diverse range of
impacts and opportunities to develop the self.
As well as providing challenges for
developing new skills and learning, our diverse networks can form new
friendships and add extra meaning to our lives.
Many young people today are
comfortable in expressing themselves with strangers; they explore and express
their inner thoughts, feelings, emotions and ideas with hundreds of unknown
persons online, from various cultural backgrounds.
More and more daily interactions are
empathic as we react and share news, stories, and emotional impacts from
sources around the world.
Empathy is one of the core values by
which we create and sustain social life.
Exposure to impacts outside of our
own local and restrictive environments helps us to learn tolerance, and to live
with experiences that are richer and more complex, full of ambiguities, and
multiple perspectives.
It is a mode of connecting that
allows diverse people worldwide to construct a new form of planetary social
capital.
We have the resources to co-create a
planetary human society where once again the focus is on social benefit rather
than profit.
We can see many examples of this
today, such as in online collaborative tools and in the proliferation of local
and global projects.
The online global community is a
model for the new paradigm that illustrates how sharing can work above the
individual motive for profit.
The values and ethics of communal
sharing might seem odd or out-of-place to the old capitalist-consumerist
mindset, yet these are the very values that will be on the rise within the
coming generations.
The spectacular rise in global
communication technologies (Internet and mobile phones especially) reflects a
new form of participatory consciousness, especially among younger people.
This new model is a distributed one;
in other words, it connects people through networks rather than through
hierarchical structures.
It also represents a more feminine
energy that seeks to nurture relationships, and to collaborate, rather than
compete and conquer.
It is this emerging feminine energy
that underlies the rise in global empathy.
Furthermore, since people are
connecting amongst themselves in multiple relations it impels them to have an
active engagement.
For those individuals brought-up
within the older generation of communication technologies (radio, television,
fixed phones), the interaction was either two-way or, for the most part, one
way.
In this era people were passive
receivers, targeted by information they could not engage with.
This has now shifted so that the
receiver of the communication can be both the user and the producer.
Individuals today are shifting from
being consumers to prosumers.
We have learnt to democratize our
engagement and to activate choice through online social networks, phone
messaging, video channels (e.g. You-Tube), and various other broadcast mediums.
The younger generation is waking up
quickly and learning how to set-up inexpensive, or free, radio sites
(podcasts), home websites, newsletters, and are managing their own forms of
self-expression.
This new model is changing our
thinking and behavior patterns.
We are now getting used to dealing
with multiple connections rather than single ones; and to becoming immersed in
diverse relations and not just one-on-one dialogues.
We are also being exposed to a
myriad of viewpoints, beliefs, identities, and experiences.
Within these new arrangements we are
being asked to respond and engage with the outside world not in fear or with
anxiety but with healthy, creative, and positive energies.
The Arrival of 3 Billion New Minds
We are going to witness a young
generation expressing their desire for human betterment through intensified
action for social, political, and ecological change.
More and more young people are
growing up experiencing social relations that transcend space and time, as well
as cultures, national boundaries, and local ideologies.
This may account for the increasing
numbers of young people in developed nations becoming involved in community and
social projects and NGOs; such as taking a year out to help in another culture
abroad, to learn, experience, and to offer assistance.
Volunteering among the young,
despite what appears to be the contrary, is on the increase.
Young people are even putting
themselves into dangerous situations – in conflict zones – to stand up for
values of peace, justice, equality, and human rights.
Across the world young minds are
demanding fair and equal access for all peoples to engage in open communication
and free speech.
And it appears that many more
creative minds will be joining the global conversation as our current
generation(s) increasingly ‘wake up.’
In 2012 the planetary population was
around 7 billion and the number of registered internet users was 33%, a rise of
over 500% from the previous decade.
By
2020 world population is set to be 7.8 billion and internet users worldwide is
estimated to be 66% – that’s a little under 3 billion new people plugging into
the global conversation.
In other words, nearly 3 billion new
minds will be tapping into the information flows – and that’s many millions of
new creative problem solvers, innovators, and visionaries.
What is more, the majority of these
new minds will be coming online from Asia, the Middle East, and what we refer
to as the developing countries.
These will be mostly young minds;
and minds with necessities, with the urge for social betterment.
Can we imagine the collective
potential of these creative new minds; many of them thinking outside of the box,
and outside of the old patterns?
It is significant that in times of
relative social stability, human consciousness plays a lesser role in the
behavior of society.
However, when a society reaches the
limits of its stability then social-cultural systems are sensitive and
responsive to even the smallest fluctuations in the consciousness of its
citizens.
In such times, changes in values,
belief sets, perceptions, etc, hold great sway over the future direction of the
social situation.
Human consciousness becomes a
significant stimulus and catalyst for change during these times of social
instability (see the history of social revolutions).
That is why it is imperative
humanity be collectively focused upon positive development and betterment
rather than to be coerced, or conditioned, into a fear-based security that
resists change.
We should not underestimate the
capacity for the human mind to adapt and evolve according to social and
environmental impacts and influences.
Our modern sense of self-awareness
has clearly evolved to root us in our social world: a world of extended
relations and social networks.
Humanity, it can be said, has been
biologically hard-wired to tap into extended social connections and human
communication networks.
We are also hard-wired to adapt
physically in response to experience – new neural processes in our brains can
come into being with intentional effort, awareness, and different patterns of
concentration.
This
capacity to create new neural connections, and thus new mental skill sets through
experience, has been termed neuroplasticity.
The human brain of today has to
respond to the incredible amount of energy and information that is flowing
through our environments and embedded in our cultural experiences.
Thus, how we focus our attention and
awareness greatly shapes the structure of our brains.
Further, the ability to grow new
neural connections is available throughout our lives and not only in our young
formative years.
This knowledge encourages us to
nurture our mindfulness, our self-awareness, and our empathic relations with
others.
Neuroplasticity
also encourages us to be more reflective over our human networks, and to
develop those social skills that underlie empathy and compassion.
These new ‘wired connections’ are
exactly what are becoming activated as individuals increasingly ‘wake up’ to
what is happening within our communities, our societies, and upon the planet.
Such distributed connections breach
cultural and national borders and force us to self-reflect on our identity,
values and ethics.
The opportunity is here for change
and betterment like never before in our recent history.
This means that the responsibility
is also here; and these two factors may never be present again at exactly the
right moment when they are so badly needed.
What the human species may now be
witnessing during these years is the rise of intuition, empathy, greater
connectivity to the world and to people, and a sense of ‘knowing’ what changes
need to be made.
Furthermore, within each person is a
growing sense of the greater cosmic whole: the realization that humanity exists
and evolves within a universe of great intelligence and meaning.
This serves to impart within
humanity a more profound spiritual impulse.
As a new global empathic mind
emerges, people worldwide will grow up with new expressions of mindfulness that
are more caring, relational, and compassionate.
The 21st century is
likely to be the era that births and nurtures such an evolving consciousness.
Many of the younger people across
the world do not accept the social conditioning of anger, fear, and insecurity
of their past generations.
They want to reach out for change
and betterment.
Around the world there are examples
of young people rejecting the conflict mentality of their elder generations.
In conflict zones especially, where
young minds are conditioned into unconditional hatred of fixed enemies, there
is a backlash against this old programming.
Younger
people are reaching out across artificial borders to engage with the so-called
‘enemy’ and to start a new dialogue of peace and reconciliation.
Such minds realize that the conflict
mentality has no future, and will be left behind if it cannot accept change.
Whereas many of those from the older
mindset thought that a future meant putting up borders, and viewing the
‘others’ with suspicious eyes; many of today’s young minds see differently.
We can see this in youth movements
worldwide as there is change emerging in the mindset of young people
everywhere.
This is especially so in Middle
Eastern territories where restrictive regimes are now encountering rising
youthful demographics who are not accepting the old mentalities and old ways.
A lot of the young people today want
the same thing – peace, justice, equality, freedom, etc.
There is a new spring in the step of
young, tech-savvy, energetic minds that are by-passing the old models.
In these years ahead – at least for
the next two decades – we will increasingly see the signs of the changing of
the old guard (the dinosaurs!).
And this time they will not be replaced
by those with the same consciousness.
With generational change we will see
the gradual transition to an era of individuals who think differently, feel
differently, connect differently, and who will want to work toward a different
world.
Yet we also need to acknowledge that
this transition may not be a smooth one – the shifting of one mindset to
another rarely is.
We have seen this play out many
times; think of the scientific revolution as one example.
The reaction of the status quo has
always been to strengthen its ruling apparatus.
In the case of today, this means
increased physical and digital surveillance; increased militarization of the
state; and violations of individual privacy.
And the first wave response from
people is generally to fight back – head on.
I contest, however, that this form
of response also constitutes the old mind.
The newer consciousness does not
seek conflict.
Rather, it seeks to create ways
around the current blockages.
Or, in the words of Buckminster
Fuller – “You never change things by fighting the existing reality.
To change something, build a new
model that makes the existing model obsolete.”
Over time, the old models will fight
their way into obsolescence.
Those who express the ‘newer mind’
must be patient, positive, and incredibly creative.
In summary, a new narrative is
emerging, one where each person is integral to the larger picture; the journey
of each one of us being a part of the journey as a whole.
This new story informs us that the
possibilities are open for humanity to engage in consciously creating its way
forward – with harmony, balance and respect to all.
This new narrative is part of
humanity’s evolving empathic mind and which compels us to seek greater
connectivity and meaning in our lives.
This most recent human story is one
where we create the story of the future.
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