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From: henrycosh@cix.compulink.co.uk ("Henry Cosh")
Subject: Re: Partial consciousness
Message-ID: <CzMq7D.CvD@cix.compulink.co.uk>
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References: <3a2uua$6p9@ixnews1.ix.netcom.com> <CzBx64.3MM@cid.aes.doe.ca> <3advml$g71@netaxs.com> <3ahd6h$8vm@zip.eecs.umich.edu>
Date: Mon, 21 Nov 1994 18:04:25 GMT
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In message <3ahd6h$8vm@zip.eecs.umich.edu>, kdkd@dip.eecs.umich.edu said:

>In article <3advml$g71@netaxs.com>, Tim Sheridan <sparky@netaxs.com> wrote:
>
>There are a number of causes of semiconsciousness.  Some of the major
>causes are "imagination" and "identification".  Imagination is any kind
>of daydreaming, where one's mind is in the past, future, or in fantasy.
>
>Identification is having one's attention totally captured by an object
>in the immediate environment, like the state of mind of a cat when it has
>just seen a mouse run by.  

I have seen the word Identification used by followers of Gurdjieff. I wish
there was a better word for describing our normal state of day-dreaming. 

>These states actually cause us to forget that we exist, and occur
>far more often than most people suspect.

 Until recently, this was 100% for me.

>They are two of the major
>obstacles to achieving higher states of consciousness.

In earlier posts, I have referred to this 'higher states of consciousness'
as the gap between the thoughts. I dont like the use of 'higher' because
it implies superior/preferable. I just see it as another mode of being
which we have lost in the West (Why?). I would prefer to use the term 'pure
consciousness'.

As a small challenge, how many readers of alt.consciousness can look at any
object for a minute without any other thoughts diverting their mind away?

Henry Cosh

