Why is it that we in the modern West seem to know so much about the Cosmos but very little about consciousness? I think the answer is simple. The material cosmos is studied as a collection of observed objects “out there.” These objects in space are measured, and their behaviour can often be controlled and predicted with mathematical models. Not so with consciousness. When we study or try and understand consciousness, what is essentially happening is that consciousness is attempting to become conscious of consciousness. The mirror is trying to mirror, become aware of itself.
Significantly, the mirror is a classical trope of comparative mystical literature in both the West and Asia.
Jeffrey Kripal: The Flip
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