Consciousness and the New Age: A Paradigm Change Perspective

[Peace Portal]

The human family is in the midst of the most significant transformation of consciousness since its emergence in Africa over one hundred thousand years ago.
Consciousness has been evolving for billions of years from the first cell to us. We are becoming aware that through our own consciousness the universe can know itself. This awareness reveals incredible new potential for our individual and collective humanity.

Simultaneously, we are the first species on this Earth aware that we can destroy ourselves by our own action. This may be the greatest wake-up call to the evolution of consciousness since the origin of Homo sapiens.

We now realize that we are affecting our own evolution by everything we do. This knowledge awakens in us the aspiration to become more conscious through subjective practices including meditation,
reflection, prayer, intuition, creativity, and conscious choice making that accelerate our evolution in the direction of unity consciousness and inspire us to deeply align our collective vision.

THE CHALLENGE
At this juncture in human history urgent global crises challenge us to learn to live sustainably, in harmony and gratitude with one another and with the living universe. The changes required of humanity are broad, deep, and far reaching. Only by acting swiftly and creatively can we birth a planetary culture that will bring well-being to every form of life in the Earth community.

The good news is that a compelling new story of our potential as a whole human species is emerging–a story of collaboration, citizen action, dialogue and new understandings propelled by unprecedented
levels of democratic freedom, multicultural exchange, and access to communication technologies. It is nothing less than the story of our collective evolution.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR ACTION
We recognize that the inner and outer aspects of life evolve together. A dramatic awakening in consciousness will involve an equally dramatic shift in outward aspects of our lives. In particular, we see the following as vital opportunities for our conscious evolution, both personally and collectively:

Cultivating a Paradigm of Aliveness: We regard the universe as deeply alive and conscious by nature. In a living universe, our sense of subtle connection and participation with life around us is the basis
for a compassionate and cooperative approach to living.

Educating for an Evolving Consciousness: Awakening consciousness is the foundation for all the change we seek to see in the world. We can work to elevate our capacity for conscious reflection and creative
action in our personal lives as well as our collective lives as communities. We must support research and educational strategies that optimize human capacities and explore the nature of consciousness.

Restoring Ecological Balance: The balance of planetary ecosystems is fundamental to our survival. We must reverse the pollution of our global commons–the water, air and soil that nourish all life. We must
encourage the proliferation of clean, renewable energy sources and expend all necessary resources toward mitigating the effects of climate change.

Encouraging Conscious Media: We must find innovative ways to use the new electronic media as the mirror of our positive evolutionary story, investing in their capacity to reach across differences of generation,
culture, religion, wealth, and gender to build a working consensus about our collective future.

Engaging in Social and Political Transformation: More sustainable ways of living will require the support of a more conscious democracy and vibrant civil society from which more enlightened leaders will emerge.
All individuals should be encouraged to use their gifts to create participatory, responsible and compassionate models of governance.

Working for Integrity in Commerce: Conscious businesses that are aware of the scope, depth, and long-range impacts of their actions are key to achieving sustainability. Business must become an ethical steward of the Earth's ecology and consciously establish an economic basis for a future of equitably shared abundance.

Promoting Health and Healing: The science of mind-body-spirit health has demonstrated the profound connection between the health of a whole person and the health of the system in which he or she lives. Whole systems healing, respecting both traditional knowledge and modern sciences, must be supported in physical, social, and spiritual domains.

Building Global Community: The new story is about all of us who share this planet. Together, we can create a culture of peace that eliminates the need for armed conflict, respecting and appreciating the glorious diversity of our human family.

YOUR PARTICIPATION IS VITAL
Our group has done its best to articulate possibilities for the evolution of consciousness at this crucial moment in time. Please reflect on this document, feel what resonates in your being and calls forth a response on your part. We invite you to discuss it with others, continuing this global conversation by adding to it the wisdom that is uniquely your own.

Together, let us co-create a new narrative of conscious evolution that is a call to individual and collective action, birthing the most significant transformation of consciousness in history.

[Christian Binek]

Interesting statement. I enjoy many aspects of it. Here are some thoughts and words of caution that we should resist the temptation of being carried away by enthusiasm. Here is what I mean:
- is there anyone who can tell me what consciousness is in such a way that I can evidence or disprove that someone or something else has or has not consciousness?

"Consciousness has been evolving for billions of years from the first cell to us." Do you think that a single cell can have consciousness and, if so, can a virus have consciousness or even a prion, a molecule or just an atom? I don't think so. Without knowing what it is, I am convinced that it requires complexity beyond an individual cell.
"...we are the first species on this Earth aware that we can destroy ourselves by our own action." says who? I could easily see that, e.g., higher mammals are able to realize that humans are a problem. Assuming that this is impossible is nothing but human arrogance. Also we look at everything with our human perspective. What if individual insects in a colony act similarly to our individual brain cells and while acting together have a consciousness. After all termites build amazing houses while it is likely that the individual termites have no clue what or why they are doing what they do. The fact that the colony seems not intersted in communicating with us means nothing. The Chinese were once the leading culture for a long periode of time but simply not interested in exploring and conquering outside their realm while at the same time knowing about it. They insects for instance could be aware that they potentially have the power to take over or destroy the world but don't want to.
Long story short arguments become very defeasible when they are based on something that we even cannot define. Sorry for being somewhat unromantic here, but perhaps it is just the contrary. We as human species are very arrogant. I am friend with a squirrel visiting me daily and I can tell you there is so much more going on in these little brains than we can imagine ;-)
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