Global Shift: New Perceptions for a New World

A global shift is happening around the world. As the established economic, political and cultural institutions of our planet meet increasing upheaval, humanity is moving toward the next stage in its history. This new stage is as different from what went before as the Renaissance was from the Middle Ages. It involves many new ways of seeing ourselves, our world, and each other.

This global shift is happening on many levels. It consists of:

* New ways of perceiving the world and the nature of reality

* New ways of seeing ourselves

* New ways of seeing each other, with major consequences on how we treat one other

* Practices and actions we can undertake to heal ourselves and help the planet

A NEW WAY OF LOOKING AT THE WORLD: Perceiving the universe as a multidimensional system organized by consciousness.

The Universe is Conscious on All Levels

Consciousness is not confined to the minds of humans and animals. Anything that maintains itself as an organized whole is conscious. Organs and cells within the body are conscious. Even atoms and molecules are conscious. So are solar systems and galaxies. Does that mean they have minds and thoughts like we do? Probably not. Consciousness is understood as an intrinsic property of the universe capable of being self-organizing, self-maintaining, and resistant to entropy (entropy is a general tendency in the universe for things to move from order to disorder).


There are not two worlds—an objective world of science and a subjective, personal world grasped by religion, art, and the humanities.

There is one world or universe that can only be fully grasped by both science and spirituality—both the physical senses and intuition. One universe with both outer aspects revealed by the senses and inner aspects revealed by intuition. To separate these two aspects is an artificial distinction we humans make based on the dubious assumption that only empirical knowledge of the senses (scientific knowledge) is valid.

IMPLICATION: If there is only one universe that has both an outer, objective and an inner, spiritual aspect- and if it's conscious on all levels- then we come to see it as much more than a neutral, purposeless object for scientific investigation. We come to view our earth and the universe at large as a conscious, living being, something we regard with reverence and awe. We treat the environment as a matrix that supports and nurtures us — not as a commodity to be exploited for profit.


A NEW WAY OF LOOKING AT OURSELVES

Each of us is connected — deep within our being - with the consciousness of collective humanity and the Cosmos at large. "To thine own self be true" means to align yourself with these larger fields of consciousness.

Being true to your deepest, innermost self is to align with intentions that lie beyond your personal ego. These intentions reside in your soul. Your soul, in turn, connects with the collective consciousness of humanity and ultimately the universe at large. The more you act from your soul (instead of your ego), the more you begin to express purposes and intentions larger than yourself. Although this idea may seem radical, it is not a new idea. The old way of saying it is "to do the Will of God."

IMPLICATION: There is more to life than ego. If the deepest intentions of our soul reflect the intelligence of collective humanity and the cosmos at large, then each of us will - sooner or later - feel "called" to do something more than just fulfill our personal ego needs. Each of us has a personal mission or "calling"—perhaps several—where we give back and contribute to something or someone beyond ourselves. It doesn't matter how large or small this is. Doing a menial job well could be what we have to contribute. It is the quality of consciousness, the spirit of giving, that we bring to our mission that counts.


A NEW WAY OF LOOKING AT EACH OTHER

All minds are ultimately One. This is reflected in the saying, popular since the sixties: "We are all one."

At depth, our seemingly separate minds are simply different aspects of the same universal consciousness. Thus we are deeply interdependent, more than our conscious egos recognize. So much so that our consciousness is influenced by the consciousness of those we care about and love, no matter how far apart we are in space. When a loved one far away feels joy or sorrow, we register it somewhere in our psyches, even if we do not recognize it consciously. Everyday happenings illustrate our interconnectedness. We may find ourselves thinking about a friend, and then suddenly they call us. We may feel sad for no obvious reason, and then find out later that someone dear to us had a bad experience around the time we felt sad. In short, we are not isolated, autonomous units. Each of our minds is a node in an interdependent network of many other minds, some of which we may not even know, and perhaps some of which may not even be embodied.

IMPLICATION: The realization that we are, in truth, all one as a common humanity helps to erode the barriers our egos create to separate ourselves from others: racial, religious, ethnic, national, gender, age, and so on. Beneath the surface we are ultimately the same in our basic needs and aspirations. The Golden Rule: "Do Unto Others as You Would Have Them Do Unto Yourself" is not just a lofty moral injunction, it reflects the actual structure of reality ( all seemingly separate minds are aspects of a common consciousness). To grasp this idea fully means you begin to recognize that whatever you do to another, you ultimately do to yourself.


PRACTICES TO HELP ALIGN WITH THE GLOBAL SHIFT

A global shift in consciousness takes place one person at a time. Ultimately it begins with each of us cultivating healing and peace in our personal lives. Each of us is a microcosm of the planet as a whole. The planet's current travails are suffered in an endless variety of ways by each of us individually. The "body" of humanity begins to heal as each "cell" in that body heals. If we are all deeply interconnected, then working on our personal peace and healing is a gift to the whole of humanity. Our own healing can have a ripple effect that we can't even imagine. As each of us develops more harmony in our life, we become an example for others to follow the same path. Then, from that centered place in ourselves, we have the clarity and inspiration to lend our help to healing the planet, whether it's a simple act like recycling paper or getting involved with a local community organization that helps feed the homeless.
Beyond personal healing, there are numerous practices and actions each of us can engage in to support the global shift. Just a few examples might include buying our food locally and eating a more vegetarian diet, recycling and using recycled goods, driving less and buying a fuel-efficient vehicle, learning to listen to others and respect their differences, contributing to organizations dealing with climate change or global poverty, socially responsible investing, or learning to think outside the bounds of our ethnic and national identities—becoming a "global citizens."

Edmund Bourne, Ph.D. is a psychologist who has specialized in the treatment of anxiety disorders and related problems for twenty-five years. For more information on how you can make a difference for our world, go to Global Shift or read the book. How a New Worldview is Transforming Humanity.