mans search for meaning
...is book does not pretend to give the final answer to the question, but is the result of many years of pondering on the nature of Man. Watts uses the technique of questioning the facile "common-sense" assumptions we make about ourselves and our relationship with the World. For instance most people, even atheists, assume that they came into the World rather than arising from it. It is worth reminding ourselves that the ovum in one's mother's womb did not mysteriously come there from heaven or outer space. Having accepted that one is created by the Earth it quickly becomes apparent that there is only an imaginary boundary between onself and the Earth. As the Earth is obviously a part of the Universe, I am then able to say to myself, "I am the Universe", and I am in danger of being certified insane. If the sceptic argues that I have no right to make this claim as I have no idea what goes on in faraway galaxies, I would reply that by the same token he would not be able to say that his own body was his as he had little idea of what was going on in his brain, liver, heart or any other organ at this moment. Our feeling of separation from the Universe may be due to our ordinary state of brian functioning which is "conditioned" (encouraged) by our upbringing. Some researchers, including Watts, have been able to transcend this state with the use of psychedelic drugs. If the reader feels that there is a flaw in this line of reasoning he is welcome to comment in our forum. If I can say that I am the Universe every other conscious being will be able to do likewise, and the overall picture emerges of a "Universe-organism" with numerous sensory outposts each with a circumscribed area of awareness. The alternative conceptualization, that of individual conscious entities, implies either: (a) That each enitity is introduced into the Universe de novo at the time of conception from outside the Universe, a most implausible supposition, or (b) Every conscious entity has existed from the beginning of the Universe. The latter view is consistent with Rudolf Steiner's ideas set forth in his lecture-cycle entitled The Evolution of Consciousness as revealed through Initiation-Knowledge , and is worthy of further consideration. According to him the human "soul" enters the Spiritual World after death, and remains there for hundreds of years before the next incarnation on Earth. This is obviously a dualistic philosphy which envisages the "spirit-germ" of the human being descending from the Spiritual World and uniting with the physical embryo in the mother's womb. While Steiner claimed to actually remember his experiences in the other world, those of us who are less fortunate must remain sceptical. It may be interesting to read The Evolution of Consciousness by Steiner to compare his views with those of Watts, who was not g...