Duane Elgin (The Awakening Earth) opened my eyes to reflexiveness. In his frame of understanding the evolution of human consciousness, from a 2 dimension consciousness (Beige-Magenta) to 3 dimension (Red-Blue) to 4 dimension (Orange-Green) to 5 dimension (Yellow-Turquoise), each step forward is brought forth by some kind of “distance” which gives the seer the possibility to see from “above” a more dimensional reality. (Its multi-dimension frame matches perfectly “the four frontier” frame, where each developmental cycle was brought forth by a specific level of consciousness, based on a specific mythology.)

We started to evolve toward a Universe-centered consciousness when we saw for the first time from above our Planet. The distance gave us the chance to see literally “the big picture” and the space to reflect. (see “One Strange Rock” documentary: it promotes the scientific perception of the Universe as an ever-evolving living system)

I don’t know what gave me “the space to reflect”, but from my time of wandering throughout Europe with the bicycle, living in Nature, I started to have a double perspective: I am at the same time an actor, passionately immersed in what I am doing “now and here”, and a spectator, almost magically detached, seeing in the same time the big picture in space and time (for the “big picture in time and space of the living Universe” I am indebted to Brian Swimme, Elisabet Sahtouris, Duane Elgin, James Lovelock, Lynn Margulis etc.)

Once, in one of my kayak adventures along the Sardinian coast, I was in the middle of a storm, with huge winds and waves, cold waters, at the brink of hypothermia, almost exhausted, with no chances to get ashore. I was near unapproachable cliffs and – for who knows – in the neighborhood of the cliffs the waves becomes chaotic. The wind was trying to push me into the cliffs: I was in a real life-danger. And there I was: totally immersed in what I was doing: trying to save my life. But somehow, magically detached, I was contemplating the amazing Cosmic Dynamics which brought forth such an amazing Universe and such an amazing creature, who passionately enjoy kayaking and now is fighting for its life while he is contemplating and amazed by the amazing Cosmic Dynamic which brought forth the sea and the amazing creature! Almost all the time is happening to me so, even when I speak with somebody or I am just cycling through a forest. I cycle and I see the trees, but at the same time, I am really contemplating the marvel of Nature. Somehow all the time I have, beyond the contextual events, conversations and images, the big picture, in time and space, of our amazing Universe. Everywhere I see connections, intentions, invitations, meanings, processes. If I touch a rock, I touch all the history of the Universe. That is why I feel to be grateful when I am touching the rocks. And it is true: it takes a 15 billion year Universe that rock to be and an amazing creature to notice it and through touching it to feel that the Universe is alive. When I dance, I am amazed: trillions of cells managed somehow to unite themselves in such amazing architecture – me – and now are dancing! And even more: are enjoying the dance and somehow are aware they are dancing and enjoying the dance! And what were these cells before? Just swirling star-dust! Which magically started to join together, becoming a molten-rock planet, becoming autocatalytic sets of molecules, becoming cells, becoming flowers and birds and trees and humans, and then just start dancing!

When you manage somehow to reflect, to embrace the big picture in space and time, when you start to feel that you are one with all the Universe and not separated from others, your “life surviving strategies” will change dramatically. You can’t continue to live “as usual”, taking more than your share. You can’t continue to make business “as usual”, ignoring what you know and feel.

But how to evolve a reflexive consciousness?

There is a new concept called “mutual consistency”, “which tells us that the Universe is a dynamic web of events in which no part or event is fundamental to the others since each follows from all the others, the relations among them determining the entire cosmic pattern of events. In this conception: all possible patterns of matter-energy could form, but only those working out their consistency in mutual relation with surrounding patterns will last.” (after Elisabet Sahtouris)

We live in mutual consistency: you can’t evolve a reflective consciousness while you are choosing a selfish perspective and refuse to take time to reflect. You can’t evolve a reflective consciousness as long as you remain clogged in a reductionist worldview.

If you want to evolve a reflective consciousness you have to orient yourself toward all the values that are in a mutual consistency with reflective consciousness. Allow yourself more time for reflection, build with your friends a brotherhood and engage the human society in collaborative and generative ways. Try to have a more consistent dialogue with “the inescapable Reality” (Michael Dowd) and, step by step, this higher understanding “will be granted to you by the Great Goddess of Life as your true gift” (see the Hero’s Journey Map)

(Further readings: here)