But I have never been confident about how this development of consciousness happens - its "cause" or reason.
Barfield (following Rudolf Steiner) regards the evolution of consciousness as a consequence of serial reincarnation; and that it represents a long term process of "learning" from a range of life experiences in very different situations (extending back into pre-incarnate existences) - and that this is, indeed, the underlying purpose of reincarnation.
But I don't think this is right, for various reasons. In particular; since Jesus I think that serial reincarnation has been replaced by resurrection (at least for those who affirm God's creative purpose) yet the development of human consciousness has apparently accelerated.
On the other hand, I have remained uncertain about the matter; which is uncomfortable considering that I regard the DofC as a vital explanatory concept.
It now strikes me that the reason it is difficult to assign causes to the development of consciousness is probably that it is intrinsic, not caused.
In other words; my conclusion is that the development of consciousness is what happens to all Beings, serially, as they continue to exist-in, and interact-with, divine creation.
**
Note: It always seems to be be necessary to emphasize that the development of consciousness is not, not, NOT a matter of "progress" or betterment of a Being. DofC should be regarded as analogous to the biological development of an organism - for example from a fetus to childhood, childhood through puberty etc. An adolescent is not "better" than he was as a child, indeed he is usually worse; but the adolescent is more developed. Likewise modern Man is overall worse than pre-modern Man (not necessarily worse, but mainly by wrong choices and their consequences) but modern man is more developed. Also, as with biological development, spiritual development is linear, cumulative, not-reversible - it cannot be undone, nor made as if it had never happened.
Laeth comments:
ReplyDelete"I think that the offer of resurrection has to have had some consequence on individuation (i've settled on this because TEoC is a terrible name).
"First, it's a radical departure from previous forms of afterlife, and it doesn't seem unreasonable that, even just speaking generally, new possibilities might induce changes in the direction of individuation. more to see, more types of people to see it. like, say, no one wanted to be a filmmaker before film was invented.
"Second, because resurrection is embodied and thus necessarily more individual than a ghost soup.
"And more importantly because the offer is so exclusively individual at its heart. Jesus is speaking to the core of beings. underneath the whole structure of the church, there was still this impulse, that salvation was personal, that God is personal, and wants to have a personal relation with his children. this is probably the primary reason, why this process of individuation was so advanced in western christianity especially, because it both had the story of Jesus, and was more removed from the oriental aspects of religion, of structure, which are all collective, and collectivizing.
"So i agree this development, individuation, is indeed innately possible. not just change as in decay, and not just as impersonal recycling, but purposeful and constructive change for a single being who becomes more itself, rather than less.
"But that Jesus' incarnation and life, as well as his death and resurrection, may have served as a trigger. an indispensable one, most likely. like having the potential to become a musician, and then actually being gifted an instrument."
@Laeth - Very good points, all deserving of consideration!
ReplyDelete@Laeth comments:
ReplyDelete"one thing that came to me, related to this question, as i read about the father of biology (Pliny): the axial age.
"during this time there was an obvious expansion of consciousness, in so many different fields and all over the world. my instinct is that the axial age was a spontaneous happening, and that Jesus saw it, and knew: the time had come to become incarnate, and do what he had to do. again keeping in mind the theme of it being something innate in man, and that Jesus does not impose salvation. in other words, we had to show that we were ready for it. and the greats of the axial age, all over the world, showed it."
@Laeth - Yes, the Axial Age is exactly the kind of phenomenon that would be expected from the development of human consciousness - i.e. similar developments in distant and (probably) unconnected societies.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure about whether there was a timing for Jesus's incarnation. Because I don't know whether he was destined "for sure" to do what he did.
I think it may have been that Jesus had the potential to choose to be - and actually to be - fully-aligned with divine purposes; but that this did not happen until he had matured, and around (or at) the time of his Baptism by John.
I am not sure about this, but I don't think it possible that it could have been fore-destined as a certainty; and that it was necessary for Jesus to choose his role.
I think you make an important point re: the "DofC" as analogous to stages of childhood development.
ReplyDeleteDid Barfield ever discuss the 'DofC' in relation to children themselves (at equivalent 'ages' of childhood development) evolving over time?
My thinking is that a 3 yr old from 3,000 yrs ago was much less psychologically vulnerable than a 3 yr old in current times. Just from the perspective of child psychology, we've seen for decades that even relatively benign (negative, yet not outright abusive) parenting 'styles' can have lasting effects to a child's psyche, resulting in neurosis or character disorders by adulthood.
Been wanting to ask your thoughts on that for years now...
Thanks,
Carol
@Carol - Yes, Barfield does make that point, in a way - referencing the phrase "ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny".
ReplyDeleteThere were no doubt differences in developmental speed between past and present, and indeed between different races even now - but there is the same trajectory in broad terms - fetus, infant, child, adolescent, sexually mature adult... And this unfolds in everybody, if there is not some defect or disease or other interference.