WHAT MIND MEANS

'Revolution of Consciousness'

While I was thinking to initiate writing on ‘Mind’, a news items attracted my attention.

Russel Brand was the guest editor of NEW STATESMAN 24^th October 2013 issue. The theme he chose was 'Revolution of Consciousness', and his high-profile presence has already guaranteed that the issue got noticed and splashed on prime time British TV. In his appeal he says before we change the world, we need to change the way we think.

Russell Edward Brand (born 4 June 1975) is an English comedian, actor, radio host, and author. His bio-data on WIKI reflects a controversial personality. But such controversial screen figures are often popular in fans. As we know in India, fans of film stars like M.G. Ramchandran (MGR) and B Jaylalitha have constructed their temples; later both became popular political leaders. Sanjay Dutt, Bollywood hero, the person right now in prison for punishment, is popular for his filmy Gandigiri.

Lynn Mctaggart, (As per WIKI Lynne McTaggart is an American journalist, author, publisher and lecturer, now living in London. According to her author profile, she is a spokesperson "on consciousness, the new physics, and the practices of conventional and alternative medicine". McTaggart is the author of six books, including The Intention Experiment and The Field.) In her recent News Letter Lynn sites Brand’s appeal. She mentions:

Brand and the many other contributors in this issue – Alec Baldwin, Naomi Klein, David Lynch, and many others – essentially argue what Albert Einstein argued a century ago: we cannot reform a world with the same mindset that created it. And we can’t heal the current paradigm with any sort of Band-Aid. As Jamie Kelsey-Fry says, quoting Howard Zinn: ‘Civil Disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience.’  And Brand:  ‘We require a change that is beyond the narrow, prescriptive parameters of the current debate, outside the fortress of our current system.’

Brand says that we need to create a new revolutionary movement and revitalize the traditions of civil disobedience: ‘Our young people need to know there is a culture, a strong, broad union, that they can belong to, that is potent, virile and alive. . . .Take to the streets together with the understanding that the feeling that you aren't being heard or seen or represented isn't psychosis; it's government policy.'

Lynn continues: ‘I applaud Brand, Baldwin and all the celebrities in this issue for putting this issue front and center as a talking point on the international stage. But what’s missing in the magazine (and in most discussions of evolution) is a map for how all of us can participate, individually and as a group, in an organized system of evolutionary change. The biggest problem we face is our false sense of powerlessness. We are the most powerful generation, ever. We have a free and simple means, via the Internet to organize the entire planet in a system beyond the scope of any political party.

Here are a few preliminary thoughts of my own about what's really necessary’:

·       Making a revolutionary change of heart in each one of us, which truly recognizes on some visceral level, that we– friend and foe alike – are ultimately connected and that nature has designed us to cooperate, not compete.

·      Rejecting the mental hard drive we have all been programmed with that applauds and encourages the ‘I win/you lose’ mentality – competitive individualism at another’s expense.

·      Learning to see holism and to relate in holism.

·      Learning to organize in small and large groups.

·       Organizing all those yearning (deep desire with sadness) for change over the Internet as one vast consumer body, which will do the following 

·         Get political. Identify and vote out any politician supportive of the corrupt economic system that is killing the planet and denying you access to life-supportive foods and natural medicines.

·         Vote with your purse. Stop buying and supporting any product that is harming the planet or other living things, including dangerous or ineffective prescription and non-prescription drugs, processed or GM foods, refined sugar, tobacco products and various toxic chemicals

·         Get the true story.  Stop believing the lies of the corporate media.  They’re in the pocket of industry. Create a new one.

·         Join together all the ‘dots’ – all the many hundreds of thousands of smaller groups wedded to evolutionary change but presently small and powerless

·         Create a unified, highly organized non-violent movement over the Internet that empowers everyone with the tools for peaceful rejection of the current system and peaceful evolution to a safer, fairer, healthier and more inclusive society.

·         Ask celebrities like Russell Brand to help put up the cash to create what amounts to a kind of revolutionary LIVE AID.

With this, she invites people views and proposals to assist her to take the movement off the ground. Besides Brand and Lynn others too are raising such concerns. Among many we shall see concerns of some prominent persons.

Bruce Lipton in his book ‘Spontaneous Evolution’ expresses concern for the wrong base of the science in view of the latest research findings.

Bruce Lipton is American developmental biology best known for his research in epigenetics and biology of Belief. The following questions reflect his concerns.

What are the pillars of Western thought that are crumbling – what you call the Four Myth-Perceptions of the Apocalypse – and why are they crumbling?

• The four fundamental beliefs about our world that until recently have been the foundation of the scientific paradigm, have now been profoundly revised by the latest scientific discoveries.
• These crumbling pillars include:

1. Newtonian Physics
2. Genetic control of life
3. Survival of the fittest
4. Notion of random evolution

Because these radical new conclusions haven’t reached the general public, society’s institutions continue to navigate by these “burned out stars,” and thus are taking the world in a misguided direction.

With all the knowledge and information we have now, how could it be that much of what we know is wrong?

• While we have access to more content than ever before, content must be seen in the proper context in order for information to be used wisely.
• Unfortunately, the current context for holding information is based on scientifically disproved beliefs.
• We have accepted dis empowering programming as “truth and with new and more accurate knowledge comes empowerment.

If the Four Myth-Perceptions have proven untrue, what keeps them in place nonetheless?

• Just as surely as it took more than a century for the world to accept Copernicus’s proof that the earth revolves around the sun, world-shattering beliefs meet with resistance because most people don’t want their worldview shattered.
• Institutions founded on these now-disproved principles have a vested interest – i.e., their own survival – in keeping the old beliefs in place.
• Those organizations (religion, health care, banking, etc.) are not run by awareness but by profit. So the short answer what keeps it in place? Money, or more accurately, the unquestioned belief that money has the right to rule.

Why do so many of our institutions, from health care to banking, all seem to be failing at once?

• These institutions were founded to support, enhance and complement the structure of civilization based on prevailing beliefs of that time.
• Where once these beliefs adequately addressed the perennial questions, their answers are no longer accurate.
• As science is telling us, life operates as entangled whole, not merely as separate parts. Consequently, the failure of our institutions to integrate new understandings is system-wide, and so all systems seem to be failing at once.
• As we are seeing particularly in the above-mentioned institutions, patching up the old system cannot work. Because there has been a change in the core beliefs of society, fundamental systemic change is required.

DALAI LAMA while inaugurating the Washington 2009 conference of Mind Life Institutes expresses the formulating global education policy to eliminate the present problems.

Everybody wants happy life at least less disturbances. Everybody has that basic right. Basic mover of Evolution is this desire. For this we have to preserve this planet. In 20th century marks many new things. Technology, science, new concept, health, education, tremendous advance is seen. But this is also a century of bloodshed. More than 200 million of human being killed according to some experts. There was relatively more violence in first half. Second half was relatively better. 1st half (early part) of 21st century is in continuation of 20th century. No immediate threat of nuclear hazards is seen. Hopefully this should be less violent century.

Formal education is much developed world over but depression, mental problems are increasing. Japan is deep in depression. China’s financial condition is improving but children of rich parents are reported restless in their minds.

As long children play together, no much problem. Quarrels; but within minutes play together. Elders have more knowledge, more ambitions, more dis-trust and more stress. Brain dominants the heart. Positive emotions remain subdued and negative emotions prove prominent. Problems are experienced in families, society and also nations as the rulers, politician are also nurtured in such climate. Therefore education has to be improved, made more effective for positive emotions nurture.

Be wise selfish not foolish selfish. More compassionate mind reduces stress, anxiety, anger it also improves physical health Marriage, external beauty imp, but inner beauty more important so troubles in marriages would be lesser. We have reached a stage when the material based happiness is seen reaching limit. Prayers alone can ensure no guarantee for satisfied attitude.

Modern education system, does it meet its requirements? We have to think as a world community and formulate education policy to prepare responsible world citizens for the 21^st century.

My Comments: As already mentioned such concerns about world situation are being expressed by many thinkers and creating proper collective conscious is often a suggested solution. Consciousness is person's mind and thoughts. knowledge that is shared by a group of people. (Merriam Webster)

Thinkers are deeply concerned about the decline of morality and ethics and express desire for correcting measures. Brand expressed his desire to initiate revolution and Lynn Mctaggart probably wishes to lead this revolution as already engaged in similar projects. The task involves revolution of the thoughts/minds. The intended revolution is expected to bring about the improvement in responsible behavior. Behavior is the expression of mind. Is it really clear what ‘MIND’ which is the thing to be revolutionized means? So far at least no such all accepted definition is known. The thing to be transformed is not defined. 

Vijay R. Joshi.

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