Consciousness and Value-Based Education

Introduction to Scientific Studies of Mind, Matter, Spirit, and Consciousness

• The course aims to provide knowledge to help individuals answer questions about achieving full potential, happiness, and contentment in life.

Evolution of Consciousness

• Consciousness refers to the state of being aware of one's surroundings and responsive to them.
• The concept of a spectrum of consciousness has been discussed by yogis, mystics, and Western psychoanalysts like Carl Jung and Ken Wilber.
• The spectrum of consciousness spans the subconscious mind, consciousness, and the superconscious realm.

The Three Bodies

• The three bodies that make up all life forms, including human beings, are:
  • Physical body (made of flesh and blood, associated with matter)
  • Subtle body (also known as the astral or mental body, associated with energy and vibration)
  • Causal body (also known as the soul, associated with the absolute state of nothingness, the substratum of existence)
• Evolution in human beings occurs in the subtle body, which is the middle layer that needs to be transformed during self-development.

Relaxation

• Relaxation is the first of the four core practices of Heartfulness, enabling available consciousness to expand and evolve from mundane consciousness to divine consciousness.
• The purpose of relaxation is to unwind physically, calm down, and free the body and mind for meditation.
• The steps for relaxation involve gradually relaxing different body parts, starting from the toes and moving up to the top of the head.### The Three Gunas
• The three gunas in Vedic philosophy are tamasic, rajasic, and sattvik, which describe the connection between the bodies.
• A sattvik person has a subtle body that can move freely, while a tamasic person is more rigid and less connected.

Meditation

• Meditation is a process of shifting from thinking to feeling.
• It reveals the true nature of the object of meditation, which is felt rather than thought.
• Meditation involves focusing on an object, which can be anything, and the goal is to become what we meditate upon.
• Heartfulness Meditation uses the thought "The source of divine light already present in my heart is drawing me inwards" as a doorway into a vast inner universe.

The Subtle Body

• The subtle body is a vibrational field that can be turbulent and complex or still and peaceful.
• The heart is known as the field of action for the mind in yogic philosophy.
• The subtle body has four main functions: consciousness (chit), thinking and feeling (manas), intellect (buddhi), and ego (ahankar).
• These functions work together to make up the mind.

Evolution of Consciousness

• Consciousness expands and evolves through meditation and the refinement of the intellect, ego, and thinking and feeling processes.
• The evolution of consciousness requires the regulation of the mind and the development of wisdom.
• Wisdom is the ability to utilize all faculties at their best, with minimum input and maximum output.
• The ego plays a vital role in the evolution of consciousness, and it must be refined and used wisely to achieve humility and expand consciousness.

Heartfulness Meditation

• Heartfulness Meditation involves sitting comfortably, closing the eyes, and relaxing.
• The focus is on the heart, and the thought "The source of divine light already present in my heart is drawing me inwards" is used to attract the attention inwards.
• The meditation is practiced for 15-20 minutes, and then the condition is observed and savored.

The Role of Transmission

• Transmission is the active catalyst for transformation in Heartfulness Meditation.
• It removes inner complexities and cleans the spiritual centers or chakras.
• Meditation with Transmission helps to transcend from one level to another level, and to dive deeper into the subconscious depths of the mind.

Cleaning Practice

• The Cleaning practice is a mental detoxification that helps to clear the field of consciousness and create stillness in the mind.
• It removes the impurities, complexities, and emotional heaviness that accumulate during the day.
• The practice involves guided cleaning followed by meditation.

The Importance of Humility

• Humility is essential for the evolution of consciousness and the refinement of the ego.
• Humility helps to transcend the ego and expand consciousness.
• The philosophy of humility is to think that the other person is greater, and to maintain humility at all costs.### Heartfulness Cleaning
• Thought-seeds planted in the subconscious are called impressions
• The emotional content of thoughts gets planted, not the thought itself
• The cleaning method works directly on the subconscious, like weeding a garden
• Impressions left unaddressed will continue to sprout as thoughts and emotions
• Practice Heartfulness Cleaning at the end of the day, ideally before sunset, for 15-20 minutes
• Steps to Cleaning:
  • Sit comfortably with intention to remove impressions
  • Close eyes, feel relaxed, and imagine complexities leaving the system
  • Accelerate the process with confidence and determination
  • Focus on the inner lightness and connection with the Source

Meditation and Neuroscience

• Meditation improves stress management, sleep, decision-making, emotional intelligence, and relationships
• Meditation alters brainwave frequencies associated with individual consciousness
• Brainwave frequencies:
  • Gamma waves (31-120 Hz): hyper brain activity, learning, and problem-solving
  • Beta waves (13-30 Hz): active conversation and activities
  • Alpha waves (8-12 Hz): relaxed, contemplative, and absorbed
  • Theta waves (4-7 Hz): drowsy, dream-like, and deep subconscious states
  • Delta waves (0.5-3 Hz): deep sleep and deep meditation
• Meditators experience expanded spectrum of brainwave frequencies

States of Consciousness

• Alert wakeful state: Gamma waves, learning, and problem-solving
• Relaxed state: Alpha waves, relaxation, and contemplation
• Dream-like state: Theta waves, drowsy, and drifting into sleep
• Deep sleep state: Delta waves, deep sleep, and deep meditation
• Turiya state: expansive awareness, encompassing all states, and accessible through Heartfulness meditation
• Turiyatit state: awakened consciousness, transcending all states, and carrying the meditative state into daily life

Creating a Meditative State

• Receive spiritual nourishment through meditation
• Preserve and retain the new condition through sensitivity and efforts
• Acquire, enliven, imbibe, and become one with the spiritual nourishment
• Secure and merge with the condition to make it a part of oneself

Practical: Inner Connect and Meditation

• Practice Inner Connect to expand consciousness and connect with the Source
• Use the Heartfulness Prayer to connect with the Source before sleep and meditation
• Observe and hold onto the meditative state with open eyes, carrying it into daily life