the Current Policitcal process and other writings
The interest in expanding consciousness occurs in all eras and shows up often in the art, poetry, dance, and
music of the time, as well as the philosophical and literary writing of the day. It also is manifested in the lives of
significant individuals. Certainly Plato was writing about expanding conscious awareness in The Meno,
recognizing that we are not the constructs of our mind. His analogy of the cave shows this in a very
illuminating way. Dostoevsky moved into a powerful exploration of the deeply entangled mind in order to come
to grips with his larger personal existence. The poetry of Rimbaud, Baudelaire, Verlaine, and Mallarme' all
engage us in a vast exploration of consciousness through the penetration of emotion. The paintings of El
Greco, coming when they did, clearly challenges the structure and perception of the day and lead, centuries
later, to the paintings of Cezanne and to the expanding view of reality that the Impressionists, Cubists, and
Expressionist finally move towards. The musical exploration of Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Ravel, Debussey,
Stravinsky are calling for us to grow into a wider more cosmic musical life. The dance of Isadora Duncan and
Nijinsky manifest what the body can contain and express as consciousness. History is peppered with
individuals who exemplify this expanded awareness in their personal existence: Lao Tzu, Gautama Buddha,
Jesus Christ, Mary Magdalene, Gandhi, Saint Theresa of Avila, Swedenborg, Zarathustra, Walt Whitman, Joan
of Arc, William Blake.
The modern interest in wholistic consciousness coming after World War II seems to be the first attempt to
extend these experiences beyond the confines of the community of artists and special people and into the
larger community, though there certainly has been a roll back recently, this still goes on; young people are still
on the quest. And yet other cultures may have integrated such a move many centuries ago. The Balinese
people seem to have such an integration of the spiritual and esthetic; the paleolithic cultures of old may have;
the contemporary aboriginal cultures of Australia and the shamanic cultures of Latin American may have. Allen
Ginsburg's reference to India in this regard is quite interesting. "Indians, really sophisticated as far as letting
everybody be as crazy as they want and taking it as formal personal method of relating to Gods, all very
proper and dignified."1
The question of the nature of consciousness and its significance to the culture's life has been much debated
along with the method of attainment, particularly around the use of mind-altering drugs. But it seems clear that
people will use a wide variety of methods in order to re-establish the link to a sense of unity that is at the basis
of the quest for expanded consciousness; legislating what can and can-not be used has little impact on what in
fact will be used. The benefit to a culture is exemplified in the reverence we show to those individuals who
have embodied this sense of the unification of life. Also there is a curious tension between the experiential
aspect and the presentational aspect. If the unitary nature of consciousness is likewise the central aspect of
being, can that aspect of being be transmitted through art, poetry, music, dance, philosophy? If no, then what
are there purposes; if yes, to what extent and to what end.
Lao Tzu was reluctant to write anything down, Christ and Buddha did not, yet we have their words. Poets and
artists are reluctant to explain their work and music is peculiarly experiential in a way other arts must strive for.
The experience of dance can really only be had by the dancer. Philosophy seems to be the furthest from the
experience yet it may have the most impact on how cultures have organized themselves, for better or for worst,
consider Plato, Aristotle, Confucius, Hegel, Marx, Lock and Jefferson.
Mind altering drugs have convinced artists at times that the product of art is superfluous because we cannot
convey through any medium the true nature of the spiritual experience. Ginsburg went through such a period,
unsure whether he should write poetry any longer. And yet poets are intrigued with "in the beginning was the
word" as a recognition of the power of words, the voice, music, and sound as the generators of reality. Artists
in general are particularly enthralled by the work itself, less so it can be said, by the profession of art.
Through the writing of a poem, the painting of a picture, the production of music, the experience of higher
consciousness is had; to this extent art of all so
