Consciousness, Its Nature and Role in Experience

A. H. Almaas at the 2015 Science and Nonduality Conference

For nondual teachings, consciousness is everything and the nature of everything. For scientific theories, consciousness appears at some point in the physical world, and makes experience and science possible. Science has advanced various theories to understand consciousness and where it comes from. There is no consensus at this point. At the same time, most nondual teachings view the world that science studies as illusion, or illusion like. Scientists think our perception of it is like an illusion because it is the way our brains interpret input, but they do not agree that the world is illusion, or that their successful theories are illusion. I will explore both points of view and how there might be an interface between the two that can create a bridge between the insights of mystical experience and the findings of our science.

The Nature of Consciousness and Reality

•  Everything, including ourselves and the universe, is nothing but consciousness and its manifestations.
•  Non-duality questions whether the world, as perceived by ordinary consciousness, is ultimately an illusion, regardless of whether it is studied from a classical or quantum perspective.
•  Consciousness is a vast, mysterious, and universal field that is both aware and manifesting all individual experiences, challenging the belief in individuality and the existence of separate entities.
•  The realization of non-duality suggests that the dualistic world and its understanding of the universe are ultimately irrelevant.
•  The picture of consciousness is constantly changing and unfolding, creating our experience of the world.
•  "Uni-local realization" is the experience of consciousness where every point contains all points of time and space, emphasizing the interconnectedness of everything.

The Intersection of Science and Non-Duality

•  The nature of consciousness serves as a bridge between scientific understanding and mystical traditions, offering a potential space for dialogue and exploration.
•  The idea of recognizing that everything is consciousness, regardless of the scientific point of view, leads to freedom and realization of non-duality.
•  Consciousness may be related to the deep structure of space-time and quantum gravity, challenging traditional theories of its origin.
•  Science and non-duality can potentially find an interface between their ways of experiencing and understanding the world, without reducing one to the other, allowing for a more comprehensive perspective.