Unity Metaphysics 1 (Tan Book)
09 Consciousness
9A EVOLUTION OF CONSCIOUSNESS:
"When men evolve spiritually to a certain degree, they open up inner faculties that connect them with cosmic Mind, and attain results that are sometimes so startling that they seem to be miracle workers. What seems miraculous is the action of forces on planes of consciousness not previously understood. When a man releases the powers of his soul, he does marvels in the sight of the material-minded, but he has not departed from the law. He is merely functioning in a consciousness that has been sporadically manifested by great men in all ages." (Charles Fillmore Prosperity 64)
Evolution of consciousness is individual, not collective. Although the whole of humanity may benefit from certain changes brought about by evolution of others, evolution itself is experienced only through individual effort. All of the Unity teachings are about making those right efforts. In regard to miracles, it is good to remember that there will always be a level of consciousness above whatever level we are on at any given moment. The higher levels of consciousness generate higher types of energies. These higher types of energies can accomplish things on lower levels which can only be described as miraculous.
9B THE "I AM"
"The I AM is the polar star around which all the thoughts of man revolve. Even the little, narrow concept of the personal "I am" may be led out into the consciousness of the great and only I AM by filling its thought sphere with ideas of infinite wisdom, life, and love." (Talks on Truth 25)
What Mr. Fillmore here designates as the "little, personal I am" is actually our human sense of I am. You and I cannot do anything with our true I AM. We cannot change it, add to it, or take from it. But the case is different with our sense of I am. We can do practically anything with it. And it is what we choose to do with our sense of I am which determines the type of existence we have.
9C BALANCED (FOUR-SIDED) CONSCIOUSNESS:
"The fleeing of Moses to the wilderness represents the discipline that we must undergo when we seek the exalted One. Horeb means 'solitude;' that is, we have to go into the solitude of the within and lead our flock of thoughts to the 'back of the wilderness,' where dwells the exalted One, the I AM, whose kingdom is good judgment. There we are in training forty years, or until we arrive at a four-sided or balanced state of mind." (The Twelve Powers of Man 121)
This "four-sided or balanced state of mind" can be understood metaphysically as an evolutionary prerequisite to the development of Christ Consciousness. It would indicate a consciousness in which all four functions (sensation, intuition, thinking and feeling) are at least somewhat developed and functioning. Numbers are often used as important symbols in the Bible. The number forty is one of these. Four is the symbol of balance and sufficiency. Zero always symbolizes "unlimited or unspecified." So the symbol forty would stand for "a sufficient, but unspecified" period of time or state of consciousness.
9D 1) SENSATION:
"To be born into the Spirit is to come into an entirely new and different state of consciousness. This has a mighty meaning back of it. What makes up your present consciousness? Is it not largely the things of sense?" (Talks on Truth 80)
"The ten virgins represent the senses. The senses are five in number but have a twofold action—five in the inner realm and five in the outer world... Each (outer) sense has an inner counterpart, which is connected with the one life, from which it draws its 'oil' or life current. There is a soul eye and a soul ear, and these on their inner side are in direct contact with Spirit. But their outer side is in touch with the intellect and through the intellect with the formed organ of sense in the body." (The Revealing Word, Virgin)
Everything that exists has its counterpart on all discernable levels of being. As Mr. Fillmore points out, this is also true of our senses. Each of our five outer senses has a corresponding dimension in our inner world and it is through these "inner senses" (intuition) that inspiration and insight can come into consciousness.
9E 2) INTUITION:
"Intuition—The natural knowing capacity. Inner knowing; the immediate apprehension of spiritual Truth without resort to intellectual means. The wisdom of the heart. It is very much surer in guidance than the head. When one trusts Spirit and looks to It for understanding, a certain confidence in the invisible good develops. This faith awakens the so-called sixth sense, intuition, or divine knowing. Through the power of intuition, man has direct access to all knowledge and the wisdom of God." (The Revealing Word, Intuition, p.108)
Intuition is the name of the very highest function of human consciousness. It is not Divine Mind, but it is our connection with Divine Mind. Intuition receives directly from Divine Mind, but such knowledge is not in the form of words. It comes in the language of Spirit, which is not words, but pure knowing and feeling.
9F 3) THINKING:
"Thinking—The formulating process of mind ... The thinking faculty is the inlet and the outlet of all your ideas. It is active, zealous, impulsive, but not always wise... The thinking faculty in you makes you a free agent, because it is your creative center; in and through this one power you establish your consciousness—you build your world." (The Revealing Word, Thinking, p.192)
"Some persons confound the realm of knowledge about things formulated through the intellect with pure knowledge. Intellect and its plane of activity are not pure mind as the realm of matter is not Spirit. The same essences of being enter into both, but wisdom is sadly lacking in the intellectual realm. Intellect has formulated its conclusions from the sense side of existence instead of from the spiritual side, and these two sides are divergent." (Atom-Smashing Power of Mind 89)
Thinking should not be equated with such terms as "knowing," "wisdom," or "divine ideas." Divine ideas just ARE and have no dependency on thinking. Knowing (understanding) is a divine idea, and thinking does not change it. Wisdom is the ability to discern the MEANING of any knowledge. Thinking is a process which occurs mainly in the area of the mind called intellect. The intellect can observe, express, and remember thoughts. Thoughts can be based upon divine ideas or on outer sense impressions. Divine idea thoughts are always true. Thoughts based on sense impressions are always risky; they can be true or false.
9G 4) FEELING:
"Feeling is external to thought; behind every feeling or emotion there lies thought, which is its direct cause. To erase a feeling, a change of thought is required." (The Revealing Word, Feeling, p.73)
"Words and sounds are attempts to convey a description of emotions and feelings, while by the language of mind emotions and feelings are conveyed direct. But again you must transcend what you understand as emotion and feeling in order to interpret the language of God. This is not hard. It is your natural language, and you need only return to your pristine state of purity to achieve it entirely." (Jesus Christ Heals 33)
Metaphysical teachings pretty much agree that feelings and emotions are mostly subjective. They are generated by thoughts. They follow the trend of our thinking and, with sufficient practice, they can be brought under control by right thinking. In Bible symbolism the male (thought) appears first. Female (feeling) is called a "help mate" to thought. This is not to say that feelings and emotions are not vitally important to a human being. They are. ("And God said, it is not good that man (thought) should be alone. I will make a help mate (feeling) for him.") (Gen. 2:18) We are wise to always try to maintain some conscious control over feelings and emotions within ourselves. Right thinking is the safe way.
9H RACE CONSCIOUSNESS:
"The beliefs that you and your ancestors have held in mind have become thought currents so strong that their course in you can be changed only by your resolute decision to entertain them no longer. They will not be turned out unless the ego through whose domain they run decides positively to adopt means of casting them out of his consciousness, and at the same time erects gates that will prevent their inflow from external sources. This is done by denial and affirmation; the denial always comes first." (The Twelve Powers of Man 154)
Mr. Fillmore is referring here only to the undesirable content of race consciousness which needs to be detected and rejected. Not all of race consciousness is negative or undesirable. There is also much good in it. Spiritual discrimination and good judgment enables us to discern the difference between true and false, positive and negative. And our illumined will enables us to make the right choices. Our consciousness can say "no" to the unwanted elements in race consciousness. Our faith can affirm "yes" to the true and useful. Race consciousness poses no real barrier to one who is functioning in awakened spiritual awareness.
Transcribed by Sheri Owen on August 10, 2015.
