Models to understanding:  Intelligence and consciousness is now being seen as a fundamental aspect behind and within all living entities or systems.  Emerging models of understanding evolving from science are: (1) self creation as a fundamental definition of life; (2) understanding mutually beneficial relationships between living systems embedded within other living systems; (3) accepting a multilevel reality in which consciousness is an underlying fundamental aspect of reality's framework; (4) recognition of intelligent processes operating in evolution.

Goal seeking:  There seems to be a consistent tendency among developing living things to reach and maintain some kind of ongoing goal.  Such persistent goal-seeking behavior permeates all of physical reality including human mental and behavioral activities.  Even the most primitive forms of life respond to drastic changes in their environment in ways implying problem solving behavior.  There is inherent in living systems a self-regulating constant quality that keeps the system directed toward a definite norm or course.  Even a portion or part of an organism contains within it the knowledge or information necessary to create another complete organism like itself.  We see forms of consciousness and intelligence in the problem solving behavior of microbes, the plant cuttings that form whole new plants, and outbursts of creativity in planetary evolution after mass extinctions.  Intentional, goal-oriented behavior is found everywhere in nature.  There is present in all the organism's living stuff something that represents the natural configuration or structure of the whole organism; in other words, an internal plan toward which development and growth is invariably directed.


Constraints and opportunities:  Physical reality taken as a whole also has embedded within it a purpose or plan which it manifests in the form of physical constraints and opportunities.  These constraints and opportunities are structured intentionally to guide all the elements within itself toward a hidden goal; to guide and integrate all developing forms.  All aspects of physical reality have a controlling influence on how living organisms determine form and actively go about fulfilling reality's ultimate purpose.


WESTERN  WORLD  VIEW


Purpose, spirit, mind, and consciousness have never been part of the Western scientific world view or belief system.  The main purpose of science has always been to reduce everything down to things so simple that humans could control it.  In other words, to use information about the world in order to transform it to human use.  The neutral fact-finding behavior of science was found to be so useful that it has become well funded by public, military, and corporate moneys.  If science were to recognize consciousness and intelligence in nature as a legitimate area of investigation for study and research, mankind would no longer see nature solely as a collection of resources strictly for human use; humans would no longer be able to see themselves as the only intelligent beings on Earth.


SPIRIT


In physical reality it takes a living system to know a living system.  This aspect of consciousness is a fundamental characteristic of nature.  Spirit (the force) is the most refined aspect or ingredient of consciousness.  Consciousness, intelligence and spirit seems to have permeated the cosmos since its creation and probably preceded the known material universe.  The hidden spirit transforms itself into electromagnetic energy, then into matter, and then into changing physical forms of reality.  Spirit or consciousness is equated with the nonmaterial or hidden realm.  Spirit is the hidden driving force that molds and structures experiential reality.  It is hidden behind the great reservoir of energy that paints physical reality.

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11-05-06 (22)

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