We have identified that the natural state and the singularity are essentially the same thing, however, these words are not in the common lexicon. So, as we continue this journey of discovery, I will now introduce a more appropriate word that describes the same situation but should sit more easily with you.

Being a place that is universal in nature and the place from which all things arise and return, there are probably several words that could be introduced, like, for instance, Spirit, Source, or God. But the word I am going to use, because it is less potentially conflictual and closer to our direct personal experience anyway, is Consciousness.

There has been a lot written about Consciousness over the years and, of course, there are numerous ideas and debates about what it is exactly. Opinion is generally divided between those who support the idea that Consciousness is something generated by the brain (the major implication being that at death of the physical body, consciousness―a person’s life―ceases), and those who see that it is something outside or independent of the brain, implying that Consciousness is something that survives death.

Feeding into the mystery is also the question of what the universal meaning of Consciousness might be, as distinct from human consciousness or self-consciousness. And then there is a state of unconsciousness also, and therefore the very use of this word creates questions and confusion, fuelling the ongoing debate about the subject. But at the end of the day, ‘Consciousness’ is simply a word that points us towards something about the nature of our being, and it is not really possible for us to ever fully understand what it is.

The reason we will never fully comprehend what Consciousness is, is because the tool we use to try and understand it―the human mind, or intellect―is itself a product, or creation, of this Consciousness that we are trying to understand. So, it's a completely impossible task. The situation could be likened to how successful a computer might be if it embarked upon a quest to understand the creative energy that developed it. Even though computers today are highly capable, and we could indeed say 'clever' machines, they are still a product of us as the creator of them. They are mechanisms dependent upon and limited by the data they can collect and process. Similarly, the human mind is a data collecting and processing tool―a creation of the intelligent Consciousness behind its existence. Accordingly, it is―and always will be―something less than the energy that created it, and therefore, will never be able to fully grasp the reality and totality of the situation at hand.

Albert Einstein commented on this kind of conundrum when he stated that, ‘No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it’, meaning that we must always get higher, bigger or beyond anything we are trying to ‘solve’ or understand if we wish to be successful in our quest.

As Consciousness, it may be possible for us to come to an understanding of the human mind and many other things, but it will never be possible for the human mind to completely understand the Consciousness that created it. Further, it is not even possible for Consciousness to fully understand itself because we can never go beyond what we are in order that we may look back and understand it! This is a key point and the reason why life will always be a mystery. By its very nature, life can never get uninteresting because it is an eternal unfolding, exploration, and discovery of itself.

Consciousness is the only thing that you really have when it all comes down to it. Although, it is not a ‘thing’, and neither do you ‘have it’―you simply are it. It is the natural state of your being and its scientific, cosmological name is the singularity.

It is an extremely challenging task, however, to either prove or disprove this inconceivable but obvious reality of Consciousness, and it is one of the most difficult concepts for human beings to grasp. We are so involved in, and attached to, the physical world that occurs in time and space that the idea of us being something out of, behind, or indeed within it, as a dimensionless, timeless reality is incomprehensible, and perhaps also somewhat meaningless.

There is, however, sufficient evidence to support the fact that this is the case, if it is viewed in the right way. To demonstrate; when you stop and do the meditation exercise we discussed earlier―of going in to get a sense of the reality inside you―is it possible for you to measure or estimate how big or small your being is? Are you five metres in diameter, a millimetre long, or several gigalitres in volume?

These are unusual questions of course, but they demonstrate the point clearly: what you are inside has no dimension. Similarly, when have you been, or when will you be? More unusual questions, but again they demonstrate the point clearly. It is self-evident that your being is always here now, there is no time about it. And so here is a clear indication that what you are, as the life within, is a dimensionless and timeless state, which is to say, it is an immeasurable, eternal reality out of, behind, or within existence itself which is something measurable and occurs in space and time.

The notion of Consciousness is steeped in mystery and debate, and although it is still generally considered to be human only, there are now schools of thought emerging that believe some animals have ‘consciousness’ as well. The idea that it is an attribute unique to us as human beings arises from the fact that we have an awareness of ourselves and the world we live in, unlike most or any of the other creatures. This awareness we have forms the basis of ‘the self’.

The reason for our becoming self-conscious, or self-aware, creatures will become apparent later on, when we begin exploring the nature of being human in greater detail. But this human self-consciousness is something quite different in nature to the reality of the Consciousness that lies behind and within everything to appear as the myriad forms in existence.

Consciousness inhabits and animates creation and its creatures not unlike the power that flows through a computer to make it work in accordance with the hardware and software of the device. By this analogy, the specific physical characteristics of a creature’s body constitute the hardware, and the programming of its mind the software.

These things are important to understand because if this conceptual ground is not firm, the model we build from here will not endure, and its potential value will be lost. What all this is pointing to is that what you really are―what we all are―is an eternal, unlimited energy source capable of creating and experiencing events. What you are is this creative source, this Consciousness. Who you are is how this Consciousness works through you to express as something unique in the world.

Powerful creative Consciousness is your true and essential nature, but of course, you experience your life through the limitations of a human body, so it may not seem that you are an all-powerful being at times, or indeed ever. By its very nature, the body exists as some ‘thing’ and is, therefore, a limitation or restriction of ‘everything else possible’, to become something specific and useful―a human being. And then it must be remembered that these bodies we inhabit are a product of Mother Earth, and have developed for good reasons. Although today there are many philosophes, theories and just sheer guesses put forward to explain the purpose of our existence, none of them fully describe or satisfactorily explain the original intention for our emergence.

Some bodies born into this world have, or will develop over time, physical or mental attributes that further alter the creative opportunities and experiences available to them in a lifetime. The influence of our national culture, the general culture of our times, and the impact of our upbringing by parents and other significant people also become major influences that can place limitations on our thinking and power. Other restrictions occur as a result of the pains we might experience in life, the emotions that often get buried in the body as a result, and the accumulating limited beliefs they then give rise to. There is also the concept of ‘karmic debt’ that will limit opportunities, and this too will be discussed later in the work.

The state of your own evolved Consciousness is another factor affecting personal power. All these things limit the opportunities you have in life, and so it can be seen that although your true nature is something quite grand, you find yourself in very limiting circumstances. But it is important to keep perspective. Your essential nature is a free and unlimited Consciousness, a potential capable of eternal creation and experience. And this Consciousness was the reality before the Universe that we know emerged.

Next up we tackle one of the biggest mysteries of all time. How did anything come out of nothing?