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Adventures in Consciousness

Erin Shaw
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Jeff Warren’s recent book The Head Trip: Adventures on the Wheel of Consciousness samples different states of consciousness like lucid dreams, daydreams, parasomnias, trance, “the zone,” and even meditative states like the "pure conscious event."

Although there is a wealth of interesting and pertinent information about the various states of consciousness, it all points to a pretty broad conclusion: only collective consciousness can solve collective problems. This means that the analytic consciousness that has helped us survive as individuals is not suitable to solve the collective problems facing us now, such as exhausted resources, disappearing species, and nuclear war.

Whereas survival called for an “every man for himself” attitude before, our new collective problems require “a consciousness of the interconnectedness of life." It is possible that a better understanding of consciousness, especially trance, neurofeedback, and meditative states, can help us in the effort to solve our collective problems. In the meantime, The Head Trip is a good introduction to the few states of consciousness we understand now.

Comments

thanks Erin!

Submitted by BobbleheadJesus on Tue, 01/22/2008 - 23:48.
When I picked up Breaking Open the Head, the bookstore clerk showed me a hardcover copy of The Head Trip. I think I might buy it. Thanks for the review Erin.

Couple of questions

Submitted by Katlee on Thu, 02/07/2008 - 16:18.
I'm curious about the fact that you say "every man for himself" helped us survive in the past. I think that that type of extreme individualism is what lead to those current problems which you referenced above, not to mention a whole host of others. We were just able to function under the guise of survival for a period of time before the earth began to show signs of the damage we were enacting upon the ecosystem. Also, I find it intresting that you make a distinction between analytic thinking and awareness of our interconnectedness. I'm just wondering about your defintion of analytic... Is analysis purely linear? Because, in my particluar worldview, I would claim that to be aware of the interconnectedness of all things is to engage in a more complicated form of analysis. The reason why our current ecological/economic/socio-political situation is so fucked up is because we failed to realize the connections between all things. Instead of analysis being the problem, it was a lack of analsis that served as the impetus for our current condition. Btw, I'm not being confrontational. I'm really just curious what you're thought on these questions are.

Deeper Analysis

Submitted by Seeker on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 19:46.
Hi Katlee...I am inclined to agree with you that a deeper more complicated form of analysis allows us to realize the connections between all things. I would have to say from my own transformational experience in consciousness that this form of analysis was born from the process. It seems to be a state of awareness that sees all the parts of the whole. I think psychic interconnectedness is the awareness of the inner life and the outer interconnectedness of all things. I did not understand myself in connection to society, history or the world until this state of mind was born!