Can we develop a new kind of consciousness right now, in this lifetime? Some would argue that people are doing it all the time with meditative practices. This is a good example, and meditation may even be a part of the process I envision. But my goal here is to suggest a new way to recreate one’s consciousness in a more active way.

We see the difference between our human consciousness and that of other animals. Some claim that our consciousness gives us nothing superior to animals in terms of happiness, peace of mind, spirituality or even long-term survival. True or false, that is a separate issue. With or without any value judgments–without calling it superior–we can plainly see that our conscious life is very different from that of a chipmunk or a lizard.

What is the reason for that difference? How did this human consciousness evolve to become what it is? If we can answer this, even in part, we have some clues as to what we can do to develop our consciousness even further.

A worm feels its surroundings, perhaps tastes them as well, and senses vibrations. All of these ways of relating to the world cause it to react in a pre-programmed kind of way. Wetness causes it to crawl out of the ground, for example, but it cannot learn that crawling onto pavement makes it likely to be run over or stepped on. It cannot reflect on how that happened to other worms, and so choose to do something different next time. If we can say that it is conscious at all, we certainly would ascribe a very limited kind of consciousness to it.

A mouse, on the other hand, has a less limited consciousness. It can learn where danger is and avoid it. It has a much more developed nervous system. It certainly feels pain, and perhaps has rudimentary emotions.

A dog certainly has emotions, as anyone who has had one for a pet can tell you. It is able to learn a wide range of things. It can keep track of people and their “reputations” (I hurt my mothers dog by accident once, and it avoided me for weeks). Dogs dream, and though we do not know what their dreams are about, it does indicate a basic ability to imagine things. The consciousness of a dog is certainly different and less limited than that of a mouse or a worm.

Then there are the apes and other primates, our closest cousins in the animal world of which we are a part. One famous one, Koko, has been studied for over 30 years, and has learned to speak American Sign Language. In addition to the 1300 signs she knows, she also understands 2000 words of spoken English. She does not merely recognize words, like a dog responding to commands, but invents new sentences on her own.

If we look at all of the examples in nature, we see a kind of evolution of consciousness, which culminates in humans. I say that it culminates in humans because our particular type of consciousness appears to be the most complex and the most adaptable. No other animal has as many ways to respond to things, to interact with the world.

This is not a function of our opposable thumbs, nor even of our brain capacity. Large brains alone do not guarantee the kind of conscious relation to the world that we are capable of. Other animals with large brains do not think like we do (as far as we can tell), do not reflect on their lives and change their plans for the future. It is not what we have for a brain, but how we use it.

I continue exploring this subject here:

Is Consciousness a Metaphorical Creation?

And here:

Adam And Steve – A Look at Consciousness