The Living Universe - Duane Elgin [77]
What Difference Does It Make? (see Introduction)
How will our lives be different with one perspective versus another? What difference does it make if we think the universe is unconscious and indifferent to humanity or else aware and non-interfering? Would we act differently if we knew that our actions and intentions were forever woven into the invisible ecology of a living universe? Would we look at our personal lives and time on this Earth differently if we were to regard the universe as a living and learning system that supports our awakening, in freedom, to ever greater aliveness and creative participation?
What Is the Life Stage of Humanity? (see chapters 7 and 8)
This is a great question to explore.2 (See my website for a short video, ongoing survey, and writing on this theme.) There are no right answers, but there is often a very high level of agreement that surprises everyone. I begin by asking people to discuss the life stage of our species as reflected in our collective behavior. After five to ten minutes, I ask them to come up with a “social average” and choose among these four stages for the species: toddler, teenager, adult, and elder. An overwhelming majority of the groups vote that humanity is in its adolescence. Interestingly, the reasons given are much the same around the world. Then I ask them to consider a second question: What was most important for you in making the journey from adolescence to adulthood?—the premise being that what was important for you at a personal level is probably going to be relevant to the human family at a global level. This conversation reveals that, as important as, for example, a new energy policy may be for humanity’s future, even more important are efforts to awaken a new level of collective maturity that includes a more conscious relationship with the living universe.
Where Are We on the Hero’s Journey? (see Chapter 7)
Instead of viewing ourselves as villains who are destroying the Earth, can we see ourselves as evolutionary heroes? Can we regard ourselves as a pioneering species that is on an epic journey of awakening? Around the world, people understand the hero’s journey; it is a classic journey with three major stages: separation, initiation, and return. A powerful conversation can emerge by asking people where they think we are as a human community relative to these three stages. Are we still separating from nature? Are we encountering a supreme test and a time of species initiation? Have we already turned the corner and begun a journey of return?
Are We an Observing Species? (see Chapters 7 and 8)
How fully are we living up to our species name? Our name expresses our potential: we are Homo sapien sapiens, the beings who “know that we know.” We have the ability to reflect upon ourselves, to see ourselves in the mirror of our own consciousness. How well are we using our tools of collective observation and reflection—the mass media—to assist in responding to the many challenges of our times? To what extent are the media awakening us to the world and to what extent are they distracting and deadening us? If there were a great emergency and threat to the Earth, could we collectively “wake up” and have a shared conversation as a species? If you had a minute or two of air time on global television, what story or vision for our species would you want to tell?
Are We a Cosmic Species? (see Chapter 8)
At the heart of this book is the insight that we are not separate from the flow of the ever-arising universe. This reality is so subtle that it is difficult to discern or describe. However, as we develop a literacy of consciousness and the ability