Because we assume that consciousness is simply a passive reflection of the world, we fail to grasp its real function, to act as a kind of laser beam cutting into reality to reveal its meaning. Plato raised the point that there is the possibility of a greater knowledge accessible to us through an enlargement, an expansion of consciousness. By “meaning” or “knowledge” I am not referring to logos or rational argument or explanation, but the same kind of insights one might experience when one reads their favorite poets. Meaning of this kind is an immediate, unreflective appreciation, like that delicious sense of relief when we are thirsty and feel a cold drink going down our throats. It is essentially a sense of grabbing hold of reality. It communicates to us the insight that the world is interesting, infinitely more interesting than we give it credit for being.
In some ways we passively accept what is known and do not actively pursue and discover for ourselves what is interesting and mysterious about life.
These two prior paragraphs were a rewording of a section of Gary Lachman’s book and discussion of Colin Wilson’s idea of “consciousness”. “A Secret History of Consciousness”
It is often the case that with the vast resource of information available to us we passively accept that the expertise of others is more of an authority of what is known and do not actively pursue and discover for ourselves what is interesting and mysterious about life. We do not seem to realize what is missed in this passive embracing of life.
