Vladimir Antonov, Ph.D. (in biology)

What Is Consciousness?

Translated from Russian
by Vladimir Antonov.
Corrector of the translation —
Hiero Nani.

        What is consciousness?
        Someone will say that it is the same as the mind, intellect...
        Also — in the "soviet" time in Russia, the term "public consciousness" was common, i.e., the generalized opinion of "the human masses"...
        But, in fact, the meaning of the word consciousness is closely related to the phenomenon of self-sensing, the real feeling of oneself not as the body or the mind (in fact, the mind is not able to feel itself; thinking is only one of the functions of consciousness) but namely the living energy — thinking, having a memory, emotions, etc. — which can be fastened to the material body to one degree or another, or to be completely free from the body in unembodied status.
        The word consciousness is equivalent to the Sanskrit word buddhi. And namely in this sense, it is used in spiritual literature.
        Also there is the word soul (in Sanskrit — jiva). Souls are incarnated by God into material bodies — relatively small bundles of living energy, which should develop themselves while living in these bodies. Each soul undergoes a long series of incarnations. In the most typical case, this occurs in a sequence of embodiments in bodies of plants, animals and then later — people. The reason for this is the qualitative and quantitative development of souls, for, in the end, they achieve the Divine Perfection and Merge with the Creator, enriching Him with themselves.
        At the human stage of development, a soul (jiva) — when it is already ripe for this by developing its mental function (intellect) — may begin to become consciousness (buddhi).
        ... A soul should grow and develop itself — in each incarnation in a material body. But at the stage of being the consciousness (buddhi), a person exceeds the body in size and naturally learns to live outside it.
        Many people tried and try to learn how to "leave the body", to stay out of it — at their earlier stages of development, when the soul is not ready for this yet. To do this, they use drugs or poisons, for example — urine. This leads to distortion of the development and disruption, weakening, primarily, of the intellectual function.
        But the most important thing is that the embodied soul must develop primarily the intellect.
        A significant stage in the development of a soul is the accommodation of basic religious knowledge. It is called faith — faith in God's existence. For further development — faith is needed. But the faith must be correct. And this depends on the possession of the appropriate knowledge and the ability of the individual to adapt this knowledge, to adequately include it in one’s world outlook.
        An extreme difference between the faiths of different people can be observed. High and higher levels of spirituality can be — and, on the other hand, primitivism, consisting of hatred and enmity towards all who, for whatever reasons, are different from me or from "us" (that is, conformation of people of the same level of development — like a type of religious sects).
        Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita told about the existence of the methods included in the section of spiritual knowledge, which is called Buddhi Yoga [4-12]. All the Divine Teachers of humanity reached Their status through the methods of Buddhi Yoga.
        Much information about this can be got from our books and films; the list of which is given in the end.
        Buddhi Yoga is the upper stage in the methodology of spiritual development.
        And it is very desirable that its complicated techniques not be taught to yet foolish people, because it can damage them. (This is what I talked a lot about in my other books and articles). The cause — the inability of currently young souls to accommodate the ethical principles, which are suggested to us by God, as well as the difficulty in integrating and differentiating various forms of methodological knowledge.
        That is, only the methods of development of the spiritual heart can be offered for the positive development of all, including children. These methods could do no harm, rather they will provide the basis for further successful spiritual growth, perhaps after the years or even much longer, when favorable conditions for this will be.
        ... Achieving the proper levels of a) refinement (subtling) of the consciousness, and b) its quantitative growth — on the background of stainless ethical purity — permits one to learn the clear direct perception of the Holy Spirits. Since that time, They become personal Divine Teachers for such spiritual devotees, and lead them into the Abode of the Primordial, to merge with Him.

* * *

        I will say a few words about the unembodied existence of people of different levels of development.
        "Postmortal" fate of each one is determined by two main factors: a) the quantity (and the closely related level of active capacity), and b) the level of coarseness — or refinement.
        Those, who have developed in themselves rough emotional qualities, are in hell; there they are tortured by beings of their own sort.
        Souls, who have accustomed themselves to the refined tenderness, gain paradise: life among those similar to themselves — in a gentle caress with them and taking care of the worthy of embodied beings.
        Between these two, there is a number of intermediate possibilities of life — in the layers of the so-called "astral plane".
        The most primitive souls — regardless of their religion, rituals, and prayers — after the death of their material bodies can continue to identify themselves with those corpses, suffering from their rotting. Or — such souls are in a grotesque horror during the burning of their dead bodies in a crematory...
        But those, who have achieved the Perfection, are accepted by the Creator in His Abode. They merge there forever in the Universal Love with Others Who have attained. Then They reveal Themselves to incarnate beings — as the Holy Spirits. Or They may even reincarnate in human bodies: to help embodied people more efficiently. So They become Divine Preachers and/or the Wonderworkers, demonstrating to people their (people’s) spiritual potential.
        And each person has a choice: which direction to steer through life to...

        Recommended Literature
        1.    Akinfiev I.Y. — Vegetarianism from Biological Standpoint. Ekaterinoslav, 1914 (in Russian).
        2.    Antonov V.V. (ed.) — God Speaks. Textbook of Religion. “Polus”, Saint Petersburg, 2002 (in Russian).
        3.    Antonov V.V. (ed.) — Spiritual Heart: Path to the Creator (Poems-Meditations and Revelations). “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2007 (in Russian).
        4.    Antonov V.V. — The Bhagavad Gita with Commentaries. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2008.
        5.    Antonov V.V. (ed.) — Tao Te Ching. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2008.
        6.    Antonov V.V. — Spiritual Heart — Religion of Unity. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2008.
        7.    Antonov V.V. — How God Can Be Cognized. Autobiography of a Scientist Who Studied God. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2008.
        8.    Antonov V.V. (ed.) — How God Can Be Cognized. Book 2. Autobiographies of God’s Disciples. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2008.
        9.    Antonov V.V. — Sexology: Development and Regulation of the Reproductive Function. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2008.
        10.    Antonov V.V. (ed.) — Forest Lectures on the Highest Yoga. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2008.
        11.    Antonov V.V. (ed.) — Spiritual Work with Children. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2008.
        12.    Antonov V.V. (ed.) — Classics of Spiritual Philosophy and the Present. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2008.
        13.    Antonov V.V. — Ecopsychology. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2008.
        14.    Antonov V.V. — The Original Teachings of Jesus Christ. “New Atlanteans”, 2013.
        15.    Antonov V.V. — Life for God. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2014.
        16.    Antonov V.V — Anatomy of God. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2014.
        17.    Antonov V.V — “Bubbles of Perception”. “New Atlanteans”, 2015.
        18.    Antonov V.V. — God-Centrism. “New Atlanteans”, 2015 (in Russian).
        19.    Antonov V.V. — To Understand God. “New Atlanteans”, 2016 (in Russian).
        20.    Antonov V.V., Zubkova A.B. — Taoism. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2013.
        21.    Harmony through Vegetarianism. “Society for Vedic Culture”, Saint Petersburg, 1996 (in Russian).
        22.    Zubkova A.B. — Story about Princess Nesmeyana and Ivan. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2007.
        23.    Zubkova A.B. — Divine Parables. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2008.
        24.    Zubkova A.B. — Dialogues with Pythagoras. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2008.
        25.    Zubkova A.B. — Dobrynya. Bylinas. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2008.
        26.    Zubkova A.B. (comp.) — Book of the Born in the Light. Revelations of the Divine Atlanteans. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2008.
        27.    Zubkova A.B. — Parables of Lao Tse. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2011.
        28.    Zubkova A.B. — Divine Stories of Slavic Lands. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2013.
        29.    Zubkova A.B. — Parables about the Elder Zosima. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2013.
        30.    Zubkova A.B. — Story about Knyaz Dmitry and Volhva. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2013.
        31.    Zubkova A.B. — Sufi Parables. “New Atlanteans”, 2014.
        32.    Zubkova A.B. — Lessons of Pythagoras. “New Atlanteans”, 2016.
        33.    Zubkova A.B. — Fairy Tales of Kindness, “New Atlanteans”, 2016.
        34.    Zubkova A.B. — Saga of Odin. “New Atlanteans”, 2016.
        35.    Panova V.F., Vahtin YU.B. — Life of Muhammad. Moscow, “Politisdat”, 1990 (in Russian).
        36.    Spalding B. — Life and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East. “DeVorss & Co”, 1924.
        37.    Tatyana M. — On the Other Side of the Material World. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2012.
        38.    Teplyy A.B. (comp.) — Book of the Warrior of Spirit. “New Atlanteans”, Bancroft, 2008.
 
        Video Films
        Antonov V.V. — Spiritual Heart. 70 min.
        Antonov V.V. — Sattva. 60 min.
        Antonov V.V. — Sattva of Mists. 75 min.
        Antonov V.V. — Sattva of Spring. 90 min.
        Antonov V.V. — Art to Be Happy. 42 min. (HD-video).
        Antonov V.V. — Practical Ecopsychology. 60 min. (HD-video).
        Antonov V.V. — Keys to Mysteries of Existence. Obtaining the Immortality. 38 min. (HD-video).
        Antonov V.V. — Bhakti Yoga. 47 min. (HD-video).
        Antonov V.V. — Kriya Yoga. 40 min. (HD-video).
        Antonov V.V. — Yoga of Krishna. 80 min. (HD-video).
        Antonov V.V. — Yoga of Buddhism. 135 min., two parts (HD-video).
        Antonov V.V. — Yoga of Taoists. 90 min., two parts (HD-video).
        Antonov V.V. — Psychical Self-Regulation. 112 min., two parts (HD-video).
        Antonov V.V. — Yoga of Sathya Sai Baba. 100 min. (HD-video).
        Antonov V.V. — Yoga of Sufies. 128 min., в 2-х частях (HD-video).
        Antonov V.V. — Yoga of Ancient Russians. 105 min., two parts (HD-video).
        Antonov V.V. — Yoga of Atlanteans. 82 min. (HD-video).
        Antonov V.V. — Yoga of Pythagoras. 75 min. (HD-video).
        Antonov V.V. — Laya Yoga. 48 min. (HD-video).
        Antonov V.V. — Kundalini Yoga. 45 min. (HD-video).
        Antonov V.V. — Yoga of Don Juan Matus and Other Native American Spiritual Chieftains. 147 min., two parts (HD-video).
        Antonov V.V. — Yoga of Jesus Christ. 128 min., two parts (HD-video).
        Antonov V.V. — Agni Yoga. 76 min. (HD-video).
        Antonov V.V. — Advaita Yoga. 47 min. (HD-video).
        Antonov V.V. — Ashtanga Yoga. 60 min. (HD-video).
        Smirnova Е.Yu. — Immersion into Harmony of Nature. Path to Paradise. (Slide-show). 90 min. (on CD или DVD).
 
        Wildlife videos on www.ru.spiritual-art.info
        Zubkova А.B. — Harmony of a Morning.
        Zubkova А.B. — Family of Water Hens.
        Zubkova А.B. — Little Sparrows.
        Zubkova А.B. — Blackcock’s Display.
        Zubkova А.B. — Sattva of Ducks.
        Zubkova А.B. — Scaups.
        Zubkova А.B. — Lapwing’s Babies.
        Zubkova А.B. — Great-crested grebes.
        Zubkova А.B. — Gophers.
        Zubkova А.B. — God Has Created the Beauty Just for You!
        Zubkova А.B. — Joy of Winter Forest!
        Zubkova А.B. — Come to love!
       
        Other materials:
        www.new-ecopsychology.org
        www.path-to-tao.info
        www.swami-center.org
        www.spiritual-art.info
        www.encyclopedia-of-religion.org