Self-consciousness is that form of consciousness which enables the ego to become aware of himself as distinguished from other selves or the Not-self; the Omnipsychic or Communal Consciousness is that form of consciousness from which arises the realization by the Thinker of his oneness with all other thinkers and with other forms of life. Mikrocosmic consciousness denotes a still higher form of consciousness, as that which enables the Thinker to become conscious of his living identity with the life of the world or the planet on which he lives. It represents a stage in the expansion of consciousness when it becomes one with the consciousness of the planet upon which it may be functioning. Makrokosmic consciousness accomplishes the awareness of the Thinker's unity with the life of the kosmos or universe. The space-mind and the consciousness which constitutes it enable the Thinker to comprehend the originality and the terminality of kosmic processes. It is archetypal so far as the life-cycle of the universe is concerned because the beginning, the intermediate portion and the ending of the kosmos are encompassed within it. Divine consciousness is that form of consciousness which arises upon the unification of the Thinker's consciousness with that of the manifest deity; it is, in fact, omniscience. The kathekotic consciousness belongs to the ultimate plane of reality; to kosmic origins and chaogeny, and therefore, pertains to the plane of non-manifestation.
Fig. 20.—Kosmos and Conciousness
The implications are that in comparison with the sensorium, the Thinker's consciousness is a mere point in space. It is, in reality, so small and insignificant that the extensity of the physical world or universe seems unlimited, unfathomable in meaning and infinite in extent. But as his consciousness expands, as it passes, in evolutionary succession from one plane of reality to another and higher one, the illimitability, the incomprehensibility and infinity of the universe grow ever smaller and smaller, until the plane of divine consciousness is reached. Then the previously incomprehensible dwindles into insignificance, lost in the real illimitability, infinity and unfathomability of consciousness itself. Kosmic psychogenesis, as exhibited and specialized for the purposes of the evolution of the Thinker, can have no other destiny than the flowering forth as the ne plus ultra of manifestation which is nothing short of unification with the highest form of consciousness existent in the kosmos.
It is not to be considered really that the scope of space is diminished but that the growing, expanding consciousness of the Thinker will so reduce the relative extension of it that illimitability will be swallowed up in its extensity. Consciousness, in becoming infinite in comprehension, annihilates the imaginary infinity of space. Accordingly, that which now appears to be beyond mental encompassment undergoes a corresponding diminution in every respect as the consciousness expands and becomes more comprehensive. The mystery of space decreases as the scope of consciousness increases. As the Thinker's consciousness expands the extensity of the manifested universe decreases. Thus the mystery of every aspect of kosmic life lessens, and fades away, as the intimacy of our knowledge concerning it becomes more and more complete. There is no mystery where knowledge is. Mysteriousness is a symbol of ignorance or unconsciousness, and that which we do not understand acts as a Flaming Sword keeping the way of the Temple of Reality lest ignorance break in and despoil the treasures thereof.
Figure 21 is a graph showing a sectional view of consciousness on all planes represented as seven concentric circles. This describes the analogous enveilment of the consciousness when it ensouls a physical body or when bound to the purely objective world of the senses. The overcoming of the barriers of reality, represented by the circumscribing circles is the work of the Thinker who is forever seeking to expand and to know. For only at its center, as symbolized here, is the consciousness at one with the highest aspect of kosmic consciousness and there alone is the mystery of space despoiled of its habiliments.
Fig. 21.—Septenary Enveilment of Consciousness
Accordingly, as consciousness or the Thinker is more and more divested of carnal barriers and illusions there develops a gradual recognition of the unitariness of spatial extent and magnitude; there arises the certain knowledge that space has but one dimension and that dimension is sheer extension. The Thinker's sphere of awareness is represented as if it begins as a point in space and develops into a line which divides into two lines, the boundaries of the space cones. Thus it may be perceived that the ancients had a similar conception in mind when they symbolized kosmogenesis with the dot (.), the line, and the circle with diameter inscribed, which together represent the universe in manifestation.
We realize the impossibility of adequately depicting the full significance of the inverse ratio existing between the extensity of space and the increscent inclusivity of consciousness by means of graphs; for neither words nor diagrams can portray the scope and meaning of the conception in its entirety. Yet they aid the intellect to grasp a ray of light, an intimation of what the Thinker sees and understands interiorly.