If we succeed in attaining a higher mode of consciousness, i.e. what I have variously termed primary thinking, direct-knowing, intuition or Final Participation - here I will call it Heart Thinking - that we strive- and hope-for; then what would be the implications?
What might we expect?
Nothing that could 'happen to us in the world' can be of any help to our alienated condition. What happens must happen in us; and furthermore what happens must be a qualitative transformation - quantitative change in consciousness does not suffice.
What needs to happen is a change in our basic relationship with The World (including other people).
This new and distinct way of being-in-the-world is heart-thinking
If an apprehension of new-ness is driven by heart modes of thinking; then new phenomenon (which we observe in The World) are Not perceived by those who do Not share this new heart-based mode of thinking. So, when higher consciousness does happen, it is scary - as well as exciting, because - being qualitatively distinct - it sets us apart.
Nothing that is perceived by 'everyone' can be a part of the higher thinking. Objective and putatively 'paranormal' phenomena (such as UFOs or Crop Circles) cannot be a part of the new heart consciousness, precisely because they are observable by everyone.
Anything which can be observed by everyone is Not what is needed.
This means that heart-thinking, qualitatively higher modes of consciousness - must and will appear psychotic (delusional, hallucinatory) to those who do not share that new mode of thinking.
In sum: qualitative heart-thinking implies that we will experience qualitatively distinct, non-'objective' phenomena - insights, clarifications, knowings; perceived only by those who are heart-thinkers (therefore perhaps only ourselves, so far as we know).
Furthermore, it is the nature of this mortal life on earth that we can attain higher modes of thinking only relatively briefly and intermittently.
Therefore, the heart-thinking phenomena (resulting from higher consciousness) are going to be imperceptible for most of the time. Imperceptible, even to those who are able to live in the higher mode of consciousness.
In other words, when I am living in a lower mode of consciousness - when I am Not heart-thinking, which is going to be most of the time - then I cannot at that time know-by-experience what I know-by-experience at times when I Am heart-thinking.
And this, in turn, implies that I must choose to be guided by that which I have-known in my highest mode of consciousness - those times of intuitive heart-thinking.
Therefore, I think this is the way that we need to proceed in tackling what may be the primary task of this era for Christians; which is to become heart-thinkers. In the first place, heart-thinking is done actively and by conscious choice; and it must be discerned from the other - more obvious and distracting - types of thinking.
And then there is a further decision to regard heart-thinking as primary - despite that it isn't forced upon us (nor yielded-to passively, often unconsciously); as happens with the dominant modes of 'objective'/ universal sensory perceptions, the compelling and pervasive ideologies of public discourse, or our biological instincts.
(When we are passive, unconscious, automatic, yielding, accepting, surrendering, submitting - when we are thinking in terms of expedience, pragmatism, being-sensible - then we are not the mode of heart-thinking.)
Following which, we need to be prepared to live-by the direct-knowing attained during heart-thinking (our insights, clarifications, knowings) - even through those times (which is most of the time) when we are unable to live in the mode of heart-thinking.
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