The Relationship Between Consciousness and Reality

The relationship between consciousness and reality wasn’t something I was planning on writing about today.

But when I sat down to write this morning, it’s exactly what I felt inspired to write about. So here it is!

The aim of this post to further clarify the link between our ‘inner world’ (consciousness) and ‘our outer world,’ (physical reality).

My hope is that this clarity will give us more power to create the reality we would like to experience–whether it is more peace on earth, or greater happiness in our own lives.

Same Thing, Many Names

Before I begin, it might help to point out that although I use the term ‘Consciousness’ in this post, you could just as easily use the words ‘Source,’ ‘God,’ or ‘Spirit’ in its place.

But consciousness is a more neutral word. It’s also one that suits the aim of this post just as well, so I’ll continue to use it here.

Consciousness is the Container

The first and most important point I’d like to make is that Consciousness is the container that holds all of creation.

It is the place in which all of creation resides and takes place.

This idea is perfectly summarised in the following quote from The Kybalion, by the Three Initiates:

‘The All is Mind; the Universe is Mental.’

Technically, though, Consciousness, as a container for all of creation, is not a ‘place’ as such–at least not in the sense of a physical location within our 3D reality.

This is because Consciousness is everything and everywhere. Therefore, It cannot be pinned down to one particular form or location.

But since this is too much even for my own mind to comprehend at this moment, I’d say just imagine that It is some sort of physical container for now.

Consciousness is the Contents

Consciousness is also the stuff in the container.

Everything in creation, including all of the galaxies and beings, is all Consciousness expressed in different forms.

And this brings us to the next point.

Consciousness is the Raw Material

Consciousness is the raw material from which everything in creation is made.

Our current scientific understanding tells us that everything in physical reality is ultimately energy.

Spirituality and metaphysics teach us that physical matter is energy slowed down to a slow and dense vibration.

But they also teach us that energy is a creation of focussed Consciousness. So it is ultimately Consciousness that creates energy, and through it, physical form.

It’s like the same ocean expressing itself as droplets, spray, ripples, waves and icebergs.

Consciousness is the Creator

So far, we’ve worked out that Consciousness is the container, all the stuff that’s in the container, and the raw material from which the stuff is made.

But who makes the stuff? What is the creative force that gives rise to the manifested creation?

You guess it: it’s Consciousness!

Consciousness is the Perceiver

So now, we have a container full of stuff, we know who made it and what everything is ultimately made from.

But why does all of this exist and who is it for?

Yep. It’s that old Consciousness again.

What I have understood from some of the spiritual teachings I’ve encountered is that Consciousness wants to know Itself better and therefore creates things of Itself which can interact with each other and have experiences of their own.

These experiences help Consciousness to experience, learn and understand Itself better.

So the Creator is also the Perceiver, and this makes perfect sense, because our scientific understanding of reality (through quantum physics) suggests that we influence physical reality when we interact with it as observers.

So we too are creators and perceivers.

But Why Bother?

The only question I have about all of this is, if Consciousness is all knowing, then why would It not know itself?

Why would It need to go through all this trouble to do that?

I’m not sure about the answer.

I think it could be, because Consciousness is never still and always in flux. So, there is no final settled state that It can perceive. (See next point for clarification.)

To use a tech analogy, perhaps we’re like the search engine ‘bots’ that Consciousness sends out to ‘crawl’ through the eternally evolving universe (similar to the Internet in this respect) and report back to It, so It can ‘index’ the universe.

Who knows?

Infinite Consciousness, Infinite Possibility

Retracing our steps back to the very first point made above shows us that everything leads to everything else and is on an infinite loop of creation, experience, perception and expansion.

So, Consciousness is infinite, and It is eternally expanding.

And we, as individuated aspects of this One Infinite Consciousness, are at the heart of this expansion, through our thoughts, desires, imaginings and creations.

A Virtual Reality Game?

Someone somewhere (I forget. My apologies.) used a superb analogy that helped me understand things more clearly.

The analogy was that it’s just as if I were a computer programmer and I created a virtual reality game, and then, played it using an avatar or character within that game.

I can enjoy playing this character, creating and living through its many experiences and interactions, within that reality.

I am experiencing playing that character but I am not really that character.

But, and this is where it becomes more interesting, this character, in turn, can choose to do the same!

It, too, can be a computer programmer within that virtual reality.

And it can create a virtual reality game of its own and play it using an avatar.

It, too, can create and enjoy experiences within this newly created virtual reality.

And on and on it goes…

Concluding Thoughts

First of all, thank you so much for sticking with me to the end!

I promise you, the only substance I’ve abused in the creation of this post is caffeine. I’ve just had two cups of coffee so far.

But even in my caffeinated state, these thoughts and ideas are mind-bending, to say the least.

So I can just understand how you must be feeling, if this is your first time encountering any of these ideas!

I don’t know what to do with them, or how to make sense of any of this with my physical mind.

But when I choose to just trust this knowledge with my heart, it gets a little easier.

I can understand that someone much smarter (than me in this physical body and mind) set all of this up. And They would have had a very good reason for doing so.

And I know that They did it to better know Themselves.

This tells me that it would be a good idea for me to know myself as well as I can, and to encourage others to do the same.

It also tells me that since creating and experiencing is the most important thing of all, I don’t need to worry too much about chasing outcomes out here in physical reality.

I am doing my job and adding to the experiences, and therefore serving, All That Is, no matter what I do.

It tells me that I, too, am creative and that I have power to create any reality I want (provided I learn the correct techniques and apply these diligently.)

It’s early days, but I’m working on it!

And lastly, but most importantly, it tells me that since this is all a game, I needn’t take it too seriously.

What’s more, in my soul or spirit, I have someone who is far wiser than I am, to guide the course of my journey within this experience. It/They also have my best interests at heart.

So, there’s nothing I need to worry about.

I can just relax and enjoy the ride!