| Evolution of Consciousness
Combining the tiered and left-right models gives the following sketch. Our distant ancestors used mostly implicit forms of cognition. These were instinctual and habitual patterns of action that enhanced their chances for survival. Actions and mannerisms that succeeded in this task, were perpetuated and hence, accentuated. Since then, humans have gradually evolved from dealing only with such basic survival issues to more abstract social problems. This reflects the ascendancy of the left brain. Its ability to represent discrete episodes and events produced the needed fuel for language and civilisation to spring forth. As a species, we are now captives of our thoughts. Our cultures and values revolve around the self or ego which is a by-product of left brain function. And the left-brain runs riot with thoughts. It is constantly generating both wanted and unwanted thoughts and ideas which in turn key in their corresponding emotions and sensations. Early in human evolution this may have been a useful skill for survival. By having the mind ever on the move, it would have been easier to remain alert for changing conditions in the surroundings such as the approach of a tiger.
The self, or ego, results from the self-reference of this endless torrent of thought. What we commonly hold as our sense of self is, upon closer inspection, found to be groupings or bundles of thought, feeling, and sensation. That is, the ego is a temporal effect of the left-brain's ability to think about itself. At any given moment, the ego is a collection of present and recent mental, emotional, and sensory cues to oneself. Metaphorically what happens is this, the ego needs to know that it is still ok and intact so it says to itself "I think and feel this about that", and then it waits listening. The next instance certain emotions and thoughts naturally arise in response to the comment. The ego hears and feels them and says, "Ah, good, good, I'm still here and things are about the same as they were just a little while ago." These bundles of feedback to the ego are rather like smeared or blended groupings of experience. It is the constant rush of these signals of "its ok, I'm still thinking, feeling, and moving about", that constitutes the ego. In effect the ego is a left-brain artefact.
To summarise, mental function rides on a sea of incessant, random thought. Normally, we have very little control over this tumult and hence are prey to its chaotic nature. Our subjective experience of this is filtered or smoothed somewhat so that we experience a more stable mental climate. But a certain level of this noise spills over into our mentality. It is an open question whether this is good or bad, but the actual track record of human culture throughout history shows that personal consciousness which progresses no further than this level is, on average, at best a lead-in to instability and harm at the social level. The endless wars, crimes, misery, and misunderstanding that are our inheritance are ample witness to this fact.
Tests with split brain patients have shown that both sides of the brain can have separate consciousness. A further step in human evolution is the reintegration of the older right-brain wisdoms into our thoroughly left-brain saturated society. This harmonisation of left and right brain activity leads to a balanced human perspective which upholds the needs of both individual and group. In metaphysical circles an even further step is the reintegration of spirit ( the soul ) with the body, heart, and mind.
In fact, Buddhism has observed for millennia that normal, adult psychology and behaviour only partially fulfils its potential. The ability to move beyond the limited bounds of personality and ego has been scarcely acquiesced, much less attempted, by the average person. It is just as hard, though, to lead a partially fulfilled life as it is to steer to one that is mostly self-actualised. This amazing fact results from the power of unconscious conditioning. A power that sets the course for all of our actions.
The Unconscious Mind
Modern academic psychology recognises two distinct types of memory and action, explicit and implicit. Explicit activities are those that we can consciously experience and direct. In contrast, implicit activities are more automatic and do not interact with the ordinary waking mind. Popular psychology takes this one step further and posits the existence of a semi-autonomous unconscious mind that in part is responsible for much of human implicit behaviour. Mostly in agreement with this popular notion, mystical teachings do, however, vary on the amount of emphasis they place on the autonomy of the unconscious mind. Nevertheless, they all underscore the great importance of learning to harness its power. Habits are prime examples of implicit actions. It is no exaggeration to say that they can easily make or break a person's chances for happiness in this life. Thus, mystic teachings are in accord with pop psychology in stating that much of the decision for the outcomes in one's life rests on one's own shoulders. What we think, say, and believe do have enormous pull in shaping the course of our lives.
The preliminary stages of all spiritual traditions are primarily oriented toward reworking the way in which an aspirant thinks and believes. In short, their goal is to remove bad mental habits such as anger, fear, greed, and dullness, and instill better ones such as consideration, courage, equanimity, and determination. All these mind states are simply habits that have been etched into the implicit ( unconscious ) mind through the force of repetition. That is, when something occurs again and again, it becomes ingrained into our nature. And as we all know, once a habit is in place, it takes some real work to change it. The key to such change is knowing that habits are impersonal. That is, they were developed through a mechanistic process and so they can be reworked or overwritten through just the same mechanistic process.
The unconscious mind ( as well as the deeper layers of reality ) does not play favourites. This means that we, as individuals, are responsible for our own well-being and the well-being of others. All mystical teachings emphasise this fact. A secular catchword from the Hindu tradition goes: "Your efforts count for 25%, your spiritual teacher's efforts on your behalf count for 25%, and God's gracious acceptance of you counts for 50%." This is a classic spiritual attitude. It accepts that without the Divine, nothing can happen, but that we also have responsibilities to act in a mature fashion.
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