Is there a universal consciousness?

Question

Are we all somehow connected? Can people read minds? What is common sense? Is it possible to know a person's past and the choices they have made simply by looking at them?

Answer 1

Yes there is a Universal Consciousness, just as there is Individual Consciousness and Social Consciousness.

We all are interconnected through energy cords and we draw our own energy from the same source i.e. Universal Life Force.

People can read minds. The third chapter of "YOGA-SUTRAS" mentions that when one has explored one's own sub-conscious to a great extent, one is able to read others' minds as well. But if you haven't explored your own sub-conscious to the fullest, i.e. to the level of Nirvana, you will be judgmental about others' psychological processes/ you may start using this knowledge for money, power etc. And in doing so, you move your attention from self-awareness to other-awareness, which distracts you from your real goal of knowing yourself.

I think your basic intention, in this regard, should be to know yourself rather than reading others' minds. In doing so, you'll anyway to know about others' minds, as we all are interconnected.

Also, according to the third chapter of "YOGA-SUTRAS", when one concentrates on how time progresses, one can find out about past, present and future of all beings and situations.

You may want to read this book of "YOGA-SUTRAS", written by Indian sage, Patanjali, around 5000 years ago. And this scripture is readily available on many yoga web-sites and yoga institutes that teach "Astanga Yoga".

I also know some people who practice meditations especially to gain such supernatural powers, and in my experience as their goal is too limited, their progress stops after a while. Or that, they may use it for selfish purposes which somehow takes them away from them their Universal source. And as a result, after some time, they lose their ability to read minds or to see past and future.

Have you read the famous novel "Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho; this story depicts the journey of a boy who has material as well as spiritual aspirations, which speaks about such Universal Consciousness.

Answer 2

I believe we are. The thing is that we are all connected on a much deeper, sub- or unconcious level of our minds, that's why we can't telepathically communicate with other people at will or know what they are thinking or have thought.

I think maybe we have the ability to reach this connection when we sleep and our minds slip into a deeper level of conciousness. Dreams, are perhaps, other people's memories, or thoughts mixed with our own.

Some might be more connected than others. That would provide a plausible explanation for things such as empathy, telepathy, and other psychological occurences. Like perhaps knowing who was calling before picking up the phone, or feeling someone else's embarrasment.

Common sense is nothing but little details that we have learnt from others throughout the years.

Answer 3

If there is a universal consciousness, I don't know about it... Oh No!!!

Yes, all people are connected.

Yes, some people can read some other people's minds.

Common sense is practical logic.

It may be possible to know a person's past and the choices they have made by looking into their eyes.. I haven't experienced that, outside of any common experience, but everything is possible.

;)

Answer 4

Wow, what a lot of questions. Interesting. Yes, there is a link between us all. We are all descendants from the exact same gene pool. We are related as a species. Therefore, we have the ability to connect with one another not only emotionally and physically, but mentally as well. I have what used to be called esp and is sometimes called psychic ability now. Basically I get images in my mind which I pick up like a receiver from other people, even over some long distance or time. I believe we all have that ability but it is still evolving. Within a million years we will be using telepathy to communicate.

Answer 5

The entropy of life is too capricious to not have a common origin. All living things are connected and the spark of life that animates our forms is eternal and will one day return to bond with consciuosness of all life.

Why would you want to read someone else's mind? Only when you completely understand yourself should you worry about reading others.

Common sense is the pool of accepted knowledge that old people are tired of explaining to the young. It isn't all that common or sensical.

Your life is written in your memories, your eyes, your aura, your posture, your voice. Every choice you have ever made has left an indelible print on your existence that is as plain as day. But then most of us are doomed to repeat our mistakes so to know someone's past you just have to observe their present.

Answer 6

Possibly

Answer 7

The universal consciousness is God's consciousness. We are conscious of our bodies, but the Lord is conscious of everything that is happening in all of existence. He is all-pervading by His various energies and knows what is happening everywhere. We can be connected to the universal consciousness by love and devotion. This is called bhakti-yoga in Sanskrit. It isn't an imposition that has to learned, but actually our original consciousness is God consciousness and we only have to reawaken it by removing the coverings of material consciousness. Now we are in material consciousness because we are misidentifying ourselves as material beings -- the gross body and subtle mind. We are not the body or the mind. We are eternal, spirit soul, part of the spiritual energy of the Supreme Lord. When our consciousness is purified and we know our spiritual identity, we can be eternally linked to the Lord and to all of existence.

Answer 8

When I meet someone for the first time, I emit vibrations which correspond to thoughts in my mind, which, if the person is trained in understanding such vibrations, is able to interpret them as the symbols of a conscious intent to convey meaning.

In other words, I say "Hi, I'd like to introduce myself." If they understand English, they give me their attention.

Until you reflect upon it and realize that this is an ability which no animal has, we are apt to overlook this truly commonplace miracle, and take it for granted. We have the ability to take ideas in our minds and put them into other people's minds without any scientific equipment or mystic rituals.

It is truly amazing. There is no need to go looking for some other power of nonverbal communication, because we do not bother to fully use the one we have. Sometimes we don't even bother to adequately use it.

Answer 9

We are connected socially but not psychically. Humans can pick up limited social cues almost at the level of the subconscious, that tell us certain things about others, but it doesn't appear to be psychic. Common sense is just socially accepted sense---it's often wrong. As for psychic stuff...when some evidence arises, I will consider it. For now, I see the evidence for it as pretty weak.

Answer 10

Yes, I believe we are all connected somehow. Yes, there is a universal consciousness!