single psychology of meta-perception

Over its 3000 year history Buddhism has kept alight the candle of consciousness of consciousness (thinking about thinking) (being ‘witness’ to what goes on in the mindbrain).

There have been individuals in various times and places who have broken through their enculturation processes to know a ‘bigger’ reality. All people can break through if only they think about thinking; if only they quieten their monkey mind; if only they brush the mud from the mirror and pull back the veils that prevent them seeing the bigger picture.

‘Enlightened’ individuals from various times and places have contributed to what, in retrospect, might be called an emerging single psychology of meta-perception.

The meta-perception (the bigger picture) is potentially ‘knowable’ by everyone because it is hard wired. But it is obscured by mental chatter and is notoriously ‘unspeakable’. Language did not evolve to deal with the ‘meta-perception’ of the ‘Oneness’. The Tao teh Ching is quite blunt about it - “The reality that can be described is not the real reality”. “Those who know do not speak”, “Those who speak do not know.”

But there have been many ‘spiritual’ pioneers who have tried to spread the ‘word’ using metaphor and analogy rooted in poetry. But the disciples are rarely as ‘enlightened’ as the Masters and in time institutions are created that are full of meaningless mumbo jumbo and rituals that miss the grander point.

So what is the grander point? It is difficult to say! In essence, and to keep things grounded, we can say that there is neural plasticity and that it is never too late for individuals to change their suffering minds. The key technique for this is mindfulness. “Be still and know”.  “Drop off of body and mind.” “Just sit.”

The result is usually punted as something mind bending and spectacular eg enlightenment, liberation, release, Samadhi, Moksha. The illusory nature of the ‘I’ concept is realised and then “no self, no problem”. But, more prosaically, the result is peace of mind, compassion and wisdom.

Arguably, with globalisation and with recent advances in neurology and evolutionary psychology, we are at a turning point in terms of the ‘spiritual’ development of humanity as a whole. Consciousness has been around for a long time but now there is the potential of massed consciousness of consciousness; of many people noticing what is being noticed, and of thinking about what is thought.

Arguably this is a good time for a huge increase in the worldwide community of individuals (Sangha) committed to renunciation of mindless consumerism and to promoting the emergence of a single psychology of meta-perception.

All we are saying
Is give peace a chance