10/17/97 8:09 PM SIMULTANEITY AND THE ECOZOIC CULTURE Modern trends in science indicate that there is hope for

the survival of the human species. Fritjof Capra has summarized some the recent history of science in terms of system theories, dissipative structures and autopoietic systems. He provides what he presents as a grand synthesis as a foundation for the emerging global culture. Theodore Roszak has provided a less technical account focusing in the science of eco-psychology. Both authors see a new science breaking radically with the mechanistic worldview that was essentially undermined with the advent of quantum physics nearly a centiry ago. Rupert Sheldrake has aslo discussed the new trends in science with a broader view focusing on morphic fields in biology and living systems, and a fairly thorough account of evolution of theological traditions. Sheldrake too presents what he appears to belief is a major finding in science that will serve as a basis for the new culture. They are not alone. Willis Harman, Thomas Berry, Elisabet Sahtouris, David Spangler. Bill Thomsom, Hazel Henderson, Marilyn Ferguson and others have written about the end of the old mechanistic, reductionist based culture and the emergent holist eco-culture. In formulating a scientific basis for theculture of the solar age, for the Ecozoic-Planetary culture, simultaeity provides an intuively based simplification in understanding the transformation now in its early stages in business, media and politics and in everyday lives of us all, around and upon Gaia. In the realization by direct experience of the simultaeity of psyche - consciousness all arguments about causality, teleology, purposefulness vanish instantly. According to Roszak for example, Freud showed some interest in what he called the oceanic feeling in reference to the spontaneous realization by mystics of all culture of the fundamental unity of all. Could this be where the motive force for

a theory of everything originates; along with unified field theories and grand sytheses of all kinds? We have from James Redfield, The Celestine Prophecy which also incldes an eloquent version of the transformations in science and other traditions in quasi-fictional, poetic form, more readable to non-technically inclined readers in which the author suggests that mystical insight is the key to the development/evolution of the emergent culture. He even suggests that mystical experience, rather than being exclusively spontaneous can be consciously intended by a knowledge of the eight or nine or more insights he offers for consideration. How are we to communicate the varieties of mystical experience? Its said that Siddartha Gautama, the Indian Prince of the Sakkya people, who later became the Buddha; the enlightened one, following his mystical enlightenment experience under the Bodhi (enlightenment) tree, felt compelled to keep his experience to himself, feeling that it could not be communicated and that should he attempt to share it, people would not understand. Apparently in time he felt it neccessary to share his realization and as a result we have a Buddha dharma tradition now some twenty five hundred years old or more. A recipe in effect for the attainment of mystical experience. The eightfold path. Redfield offers a recipe that is acceptable to many more who seek fulfillment and joyfulness in their every-day lives. It requires no monastic seclusion and no homelessness and impoverishment. It requires only insights that are provided in written form but which the author advises as destined to occur spontaneously in increasing numbers of people around the world. Sounds a bit like Teilhards Omega Point or some elses Mega-Satori. The insights of the Buddha dharma and also the Celestine recipe are invaluable guides to the growing number of us humans together facing the mllenium, who feel drawn to experience something more than life as consumers and viewers of television.

What appears to be missing, at least in the less esoteric texts of both philosophic, spiritual and scientific traditions, is a consciousess of the simultaneity of psyche-consciousness. There is a reason for using the conjuction of the two words; psyche and consciousness. The reason is ambiguities that have grown up with these words. The meaning intended here might best be communicated by ingtroducing the third word Tao. In the unity of the three emerges the meaning which might be best furthers described as self nature. English translations of Buddhist texts, especially the writings of the eloquent japanese Buddhis scholar, D. T. Suzuki frequently use the word consciousness to refer to self nature, or the true identity. Ancient Greek philosophies such as those of Plato, most often used the word psyche to refer to the same self nature. Unfortunately. the word psyche is most often translated into English as soul which has come to conjure up obscuriities as a result of the dualistic tendency to see soul as other than the body as in the Cartesian view of reality. Modern psychology, since Freud, has reinstated the original Greek word into the English language. However, as used by psychologists, tghe word psyche refers to the integrated whole of the conscious and the unconscious. The unconscious as envisioned by Freud however is a relatively limited region of the Platonic psyche, or the Buddhist self nature. What we are struggling with here in the emergence of the new culture is a new view of self nature, of our true identity. The senescent culture has as a fundamental belief a description of the self nature as dominated by the physical body with a few remnanats of psyche, a thin layer of consciousness and a much vaster demonic realm of the unconscious. In practice however, the widely held view of the self nature is predominantly that it is the physical body in the now moments with a vague awareness of a consciousness which is restricted mostly to physical desires and their satisfaction via consumption of products. We use the terms consumerism and materialism to describe this cultural miscarriage of consciousness.

In the arousal of a widely held consciousness of the self nature as psyche-consciousness-tao-self nature, the realization of the simultaneity of psyche, past.present and future is a key to the global awakening that has been termed mega-satori. It is quite essential to the emergence of a human culture and human activity patterns that are harmonious with the global Gaian eco-system the requirement for the survival of the evolving human species, evolving huamn consciousness and perhaps to the survival of life on earth in view of the capability of nuclear weapons to sterilize the biosphere. There is a growing awareness that a massive cultural transformation is underway and that rather than the apocalyptic visions of past decades, it is now coming to be envisioned in terms of the self perfection, the self organization, autopoietic, teleological and purposeful ongoing evolutionary development that we see in the kosmos at large and in psyche within whish the ancient kosmik process is simultaneously and nurturingly embraced, past present and future. Could this be what Dr. Albert Einstein experienced? It is said that he imagined what it would be like to travel at the speed lof light and he must have a mystical experience. Try it and see what happens. Imagine the evolution of the entire cosmos. Imagine evolving throught the last fifty thousand years of human experience. Imagine. Imagine experiencing enlightenment. Imagine that everything that happens has a purpose and that all that happens to us is full of intelliegence.