A Course in Consciousness
From 1992 through 1995, I taught several seminars on reality and consciousness according to quantum theory for humanitie
157 108 2MB
English Year 2012
Table of contents :
Table of contents
(With last update date)
Summary: A Dialogue in Consciousness (March 13, 2011)
Foreword (August 13, 2009)
Part 1. Quantum theory and consciousness
Preface to part 1 (April 12, 2000)
Chapter 1. The three major metaphysical philosophies (September 27, 2010)
1.1. The assumption of objective reality, a necessity for survival and for science?
1.2. Materialism (pure objectivity): the philosophy that all is matter, or at least, all is governed by physical law
1.3. Cartesian dualism (objectivity plus subjectivity): the philosophy that both matter and mind are primary and irreducible
1.4. Idealism (pure subjectivity): the philosophy that consciousness is all and all is consciousness
1.5. The teaching of nonduality
1.6. The distinction between Consciousness, Awareness, and mind
1.7. What is Reality not?
Chapter 2. Classical physics from Newton to Einstein (October 11, 2010)
2.1. The scientific method
2.2. Newton’s laws and determinism
2.3. Thermodynamics and statistical mechanics; entropy and the direction of time
2.4. Electromagnetism
2.5. Waves
2.6. Relativity
Chapter 3. Quantum physics from Planck and Einstein to Bohr, Heisenberg, de Broglie, and Schrödinger (October 1, 2010)
3.1. The beginning of quantum physics by Planck and Einstein
3.2. The development of quantum mechanics by Bohr, Heisenberg, de Broglie and Schrödinger
3.3. A striking example of probability measurement
3.4. Uncertainty and complementarity
Chapter 4. Waves and interference, Schrödinger’s cat paradox, Bell’s inequality (August 4, 2010)
4.1. Waves and interference
4.2. Schrödinger’s cat paradox
4.3. Bell's theorem, the Aspect-Gröblacher experiments, and the nonlocality of reality
4.4. Another experimental violation of observer-independent theory
Chapter 5. Conscious mind and free will (Oct. 16, 2010)
5.1. What are the characteristics of conscious mind?
5.2. Extraordinary abilities of the mind
5.3. The unity of the human mind
5.4. Unconscious functioning of the brain
5.5. Is there a test for consciousness?
5.6. Can a machine be conscious?
5.7. What seem to be the effects of consciousness?
5.8. When and how does a child begin to perceive objects?
5.9. The experiments of Libet, et al., and their implication for free will
5.10. Brain imaging experiments on free will
5.11. Free will as the possibility of alternative action
5.12. The origin of the belief in free will
5.13. Is free will necessary for our happiness?
5.14. Freedom as subjectivity
5.15. If there is no free will, how do things happen?
5.16. Speculations on the future in deterministic and probabilistic universes
Chapter 6. What does quantum theory mean? (October 16, 2010)
6.1. The interpretation problem
6.2. The hidden variables interpretation: A purely objective interpretation
6.3. The Copenhagen interpretation: A partly objective and partly subjective interpretation
6.4. What can make a measurement in the Copenhagen interpretation?
6.5. Wavefunction reduction in the Copenhagen interpretation; the forward direction of time
6.6. Nonlocality in the Copenhagen interpretation
6.7. The many-worlds interpretation: A partly objective and partly subjective interpretation
6.8. The similarity between the Copenhagen and many-worlds interpretations
6.9. The astonishing implications of the nonlocality of consciousness
6.10. The interpretation of Christopher Fuchs; a minimally objective, mostly subjective interpretation
6.11. The purely subjective interpretation
6.12. Physics is the study of the mind!
Part 2. The metaphysics of nonduality
Preface to part 2 (October 17, 2010)
Chapter 7. An interpretation of quantum theory according to monistic idealism (October 17, 2010)
7.1. The physics of monistic idealism
7.2. Schrödinger’s cat revisited
7.3. The world in idealism
7.4. The quantum-classical brain
7.5. Paradoxes and tangled hierarchies
7.6. The first identification: The appearance of sentience
7.7. The second identification: The appearance of the "I"
7.8. Further discussion of the unconditioned self, the ego, and freedom
7.9. The disappearance of the ego. The experience of freedom from bondage
7.10. Critique of Goswami's model
Chapter 8. Transcendental realms (February 20, 2010)
8.1. Similarities between the different transcendental realms
8.2. The meanings of the transcendental realms
Chapter 9. Perce iving and conceptualizing (March 13, 2011)
9.1. A review of the physics
9.2. What is the perceived?
9.3. Who is the perceiver?
9.4. Many minds, one Awareness
9.5. Objectification, the body-mind organism, and the primacy of the concept of memory
9.6. The hard problem in consciousness science
Chapter 10. The teaching of nonduality (October 14, 2007)
10.1. The metaphysics of nonduality
10.2. The practices
10.3. The paths
10.4. About death
10.5. Summary diagram
Chapter 11. The functioning of the mind (April 7, 2010)
11.1. The nature of duality
11.2. The appearance of sentience within Consciousness
11.3. Manifestation: The first level of identification
11.4. Objectification: The second level of identification
11.5. Ownership: The third level of identification
11.6. Polar pairs, separation, and suffering
11.7. The victim/victimizer polar pair
11.8. Sin, guilt, and shame--monstrosities of mind
11.9. The thinking mind and the working mind
11.10. Summing up. . .
Chapter 12. Space, time, causality, and destiny (March 4, 2010)
12.1. The concepts of space and time
12.2. Speculations on the concepts of nonlocality in time and space
12.3. The concept of causality
12.4. The nature of laws
12.5. The concept of destiny and God's Will
12.6. We are already here now
12.7. Maya, the divine hypnosis
Chapter 13. Some useful metaphors (November 16, 2009)
13.1. The dream
13.2. The movie
13.3. The puppet and the robot
13.4. The shadow
13.5. The ocean
13.6. The thorns
13.7. Electricity and the appliance
13.8. The gold object
13.9. The dust in a light beam
13.10. The mirror
13.11. The snake and the rope
13.12. The mirage
13.13. The pot and the space in which it exists
Chapter 14. Religion, belief, and nonduality (November 13, 2009)
14.1. The difference between religion and nonduality
14.2. Religion as the belief in a dualistic God
14.3. A nondualistic view of God
14.4. Religion as the belief in objective reality
14.5. Buddhism--religion or not?
14.6. Vipassana meditation
14.7. Zen
14.8. Other nondual teachings
Chapter 15. Free will and responsibility (June 7, 2007)
Chapter 16. Love seeking Itself (April 21, 2010)
16.1. Nondualistic vs. dualistic love
16.2. Self-hatred and self-love
16.3. Affirmation as self-love practice
16.4. Flooding ourselves and others with light
16.5. Tonglen practice
Part 3. The end of suffering and the discovery of our true nature
Preface to part 3 (November 18, 2009)
Chapter 17. How to live one’s life (April 21, 2010)
17.1. The problems with reading the scriptures
17.2. Everything happens by itself
17.3. Meaning and purpose in life
17.4. The will to live/the wish to die
17.5. If suffering is to end, spiritual practice usually happens first
17.6. The rarity of enlightenment
17.7. How is peace realized?
17.8. An exploration of nonvolitional living (1993), by Galen Sharp
Chapter 18. Practices and teachers (August 7, 2010)
18.1. Why practice?
18.2. The importance of being aware
18.3. Some sages and the practices they teach
18.4. Who or what is it that practices?
18.5. Some possibly helpful tips
18.6. Some of the contemporary sages of nonduality
Chapter 19. Surrender, mantra, and trust (December 2, 2009)
19.1. Surrender and mantra practice
19.2. Ramesh's teaching on surrender
19.3. Trusting Awareness
Chapter 20. Understanding by direct seeing (December 2, 2009)
20.1. The role of concepts in Advaita
20.2. What is direct seeing?
20.3. The use of direct seeing to disidentify from the "I"-doer
20.4. The use of direct seeing to disidentify from "mine"
20.5. Because there is no "I", there is no other
Chapter 21. Resistance, clinging, and acceptance (August 6, 2010)
21.1. What are resistance and clinging?
21.2. Repression of emotions creates physical illness
21.3. Resistance, desire/fear, attachment/aversion
21.4. What is Acceptance?
21.5. When resistance ends, life becomes stress-free
Chapter 22. Disidentification from attachment and aversion (January 22, 2010)
Chapter 23. Disidentification through inquiry (January 3, 2010)
23.1. What is inquiry?
23.2. Inquiry into the self: self-inquiry
23.3. Inquiry into the Self: Self-inquiry
23.4. There is no suffering in the present moment
23.5. Inquiry into the manifestation: outward inquiry
23.6. Being Awareness
23.7. Some loose ends gathered
Chapter 24. Disidentification through meditation (December 11, 2009)
24.1. Principles of meditation
24.2. Buddhist meditation
24.3. Inquiry in meditation
Chapter 25. Love finding Itself (December 11, 2000)
Chapter 26. Very short summary (December 11, 2009)
Appendix. My resources and teachers (February 15, 2010)
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