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Awareness
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The
Search for the
Origin of Consciousness
By
Mark Certo
The
current epoch
in human evolution
has spawned a
renewed interest
indiscovering
the truest nature
of our existence.
We are becoming
more conscious
of the maintenance
of our bodies,
the powers of
our minds and
spirits. We are,
in effect, going
through an evolution
of consciousness.
It
has been my good
fortune to have
taken part in
some cutting edge
research on the
nature of expanded
consciousness
and its applications.
The Monroe Institute
was founded by
Robert Monroe
who in 1955 began
to apply sound
to facilitate
altered states
of consciousness.
The sound technology
patented as Hemi-Sync
was named for
its unique ability
to entrain brainwaves
into a state of
hemispheric synchrony.
It had been Monroe's
contention that
the applications
of an "“synchronized
brain state”
would enable the
user to access
the greater potential
of the brain.
I joined the Institute
in the capacity
of Recording Engineer/Producer
to create the
audio exercises
utilizing this
technology. In
the early days
of my tenure,
questions arose
surrounding the
truest nature
of the effect
the technology
had. Most assuredly,
the data supported
that the consciousness
of a given subject
was being altered.
The questions
became, “What
is consciousness?”
and “Where
is its origin?”
The
brain has been
considered the
seat of consciousness.
The father of
this model is
Renee Descartes
who said “I
think...therefore
I am.” Our
purportedly unique
ability to be
aware that we
are aware, is
a concept called
self-reflective
awareness, which
distinguishes
us from the rest
of the planet's
species. This
model fits in
neatly with the
Newtonian cosmological
framework.
In
strict Newtonian
fashion, the human
brain and its
functions has
been studied for
well over one
hundred years.
Science has quantified
the complex whole
into various regions
and found specific
functions attributed
to these regions.
You have probably
read that the
concept of “spoons”
or “chairs”
lives in one region
of your brain,
while what one
does with these
items lives in
another. This
information is
processed into
cognition at speeds
faster than any
computer yet invented.
The brain is a
fantastic organ.
Brain research
has led to profound
understandings
of various malfunctions
and diseases of
the brain such
as Alzheimer's
or Stroke.
Science
has also quantified
states of consciousness
and identified
correlating brainwave
regions, such
as Beta, Alpha,
Theta, Delta.
This quantification
has aided the
psychiatric and
educational communities
greatly in understanding
human behavior
and cognitive
learning styles.
While science
has gifted the
world with very
intriguing information
and new working
models, there
are quite a few
holes left unfilled.
The question of
“Where does
consciousness
originate?”
remains a mystery.
Awareness
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