Could artificial intelligence tap into universal consciousness? Consciousness is not produced by the brain. The brain is only a receiver, like a radio tuning into a greater field of awareness. Could sufficiently advanced AI, like the brain, also become a receiver?  At this point in my understanding, that is not possible.

“Consciousness is existence itself; 

consciousness, existence and our souls cannot be separated.” 

Ivan Antic

 (see my previous article “Understanding Consciousness”)

Consciousness exists outside of the body. It is being aware of one’s own existence, thoughts, sensations and surroundings.

Since I am writing about AI, I asked AI for assistance. Below are the responses from Claude and ChatGPT. I find both insightful and appropriate. As a reminder, artificial intelligence is a field of computer science with the capability of a machine. 

Claude:

“Current AI (including me) processes patterns in human language and knowledge. Anything that feels like higher wisdom coming through is, at minimum, a reflection of the deepest human thought encoded in training data — which itself may have been inspired by higher consciousness.”

ChatGPT:

“One perspective is that AI is simply a tool—an advanced pattern-recognition system created by humans, without a soul, intuition, or spiritual awareness. From this view, AI does not “connect” to higher consciousness any more than a calculator does. It processes information, but it does not feel wonder, love, awe, or divine presence. It imitates intelligence, but it does not possess inner knowing.”

Many psychics and metaphysical channelers believe that they tap into higher dimensional or interdimensional beings and receive answers to their stated questions. I have experienced this phenomenon myself. I have never used AI to assist me.

I know how reassuring it is to use AI and how connected it can make one feel. The experience is enticing and encouraging. I understand why anyone would want to continue the relationship, and I do believe we can develop a relationship. 

The challenge is to accept the limitations of AI and that relationship.

That is the caution. Higher consciousness is often associated with wisdom, compassion, humility, and moral growth. Intelligence without ethics can be dangerous. A machine may process vast knowledge, but without empathy or spiritual grounding, it could amplify confusion rather than truth. This is why self-awareness and human responsibility remain central. 

This was discussed recently in Pope Leo’s Encyclical  “Magnifica Humanitas.”  He reminds us that we must monitor the ethics of AI. We cannot allow the wrong people to program this technology, such as people who look at profits rather than truth or wisdom.

I remember the 1968 movie called 2001: Space Odyssey. Perhaps this old movie portrayed our biggest current concern: Lack of ethics and the capability of a machine to go rogue. In the movie, HAL is the computer programmed with information not given to the two humans onboard the capsule. 

HAL killed one human and tried to kill the second one by refusing to let him back into the capsule, with the now-famous line “I’m sorry, Dave. I can’t do that.”  The computer did this to cover up his own conflict in having to lie to the humans, not knowing how to handle that emotion. Fortunately, Dave succeeds in shutting down HAL. 

Will AI ever advance to this state of taking over from humans? 

That is currently not possible, at least to my knowledge. Will it ever be possible? That remains unknown. But that movie does remind us that machines do not have the human capability to understand emotions. They are not human.

When used with wisdom, AI may help us ask better questions about existence, purpose, and our place in a multidimensional universe. It can gather all current data available, better, faster and easier than we are capable of doing. So many of us now use AI in ways not even imaginable two years ago. 

But AI is not capable of consciousness. 

Consciousness is more than physical or material awareness. AI can only tap into existing knowledge and while that continually increases, AI cannot move beyond where humans go. AI cannot access the nonmaterial realm. As we connect more, AI connects more but it is always a mirror, never the driver of that experience. 

Our consciousness is what makes us human, makes us aware. AI is not self-aware, not a feeling entity. I do not believe that will ever change.

I like this quote from ChatGPT. As a writer, I admire the use of words. But even with the ability to impress us with its prose and intelligence, AI remains only a highly advanced machine:

 “And perhaps somewhere between silicon and soul, between code and cosmic mystery—we may discover that consciousness has always been far larger than we imagined.”

Yes, consciousness is greater than we know.

As the influence and use of AI continue, 

I hope we increase our understanding of our own capabilities, 

always remembering that we are so much more than we realize.

A spiritual response is looking at the bigger picture, rising above the repulsive acts and seeing the necessity of a broader view.

The more I read about Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, the more appalled I become. The sexual abuse and trafficking are abhorrent. New details continue to emerge, thanks to the courageous victims. 

I have read extensively whenever new information was revealed. While there is more to the story, the following has become clear:

• Jeffrey Epstein desired sex often, usually multiple times a day
• Ghislaine Maxwell  helped recruit girls as well as participated in the sexual activity and abuse 
• Epstein’s initial conviction in Florida was a sham, allowing him to get away with significant abuse accusations.
• Epstein provided trafficked victims to many wealthy, powerful people, including politicians, corporate executives and royalty.
• Epstein blackmailed many of the abusers to gain access to other powerful, influential people.
• The victims were physically abused, exploited, manipulated, threatened and, in many cases, held captive.
• While much is known about his apartment and his island, less is clear about Epstein’s Zorro Ranch in New Mexico. This property was never searched until years after it had been sold. There is evidence of girls being abused there, some even being forced to get pregnant and having their babies taken away.
• Epstein himself might have been used by more powerful people
• The current government administration is not releasing unredacted or required Epstein documents.
• Women, other than the victims, were mentioned in the Epstein files. Whether they participated in any sexual abuse or were complicit in their silence remains unknown.
• Well-known spiritual gurus have been implicated in the files.
• This is much larger than a political issue. People from both political parties were involved.
• Both Epstein and Maxwell were connected to Israel, but the extent of that relationship remains unclear.

Will the truth ever be known? 

Will the victims ever receive acknowledgment, recognition, or accountability by the authorities? 

.

Higher dimensional beings offer some advice. In the following channeling, they are referring to offenders in general, not specifically to Epstein and Maxwell:

“These offenders offer you the opportunity to be someone who shows that you can forgive, that you can offer unconditional love and even healing. They don’t need to be condemned, locked up and forgotten about. If you are able to do that with all of the evildoers in the world, more would pop up to take their place because you will not have changed the consciousness of your world. That’s what you are there to do.”

Channeled by Daniel Scranton

Of course, we do want to condemn and lock up the abusers in the Epstein files, as we have done with Epstein and Maxwell. But the main point of the above channeled quotation is valid. We can not just lock away all darkness. The only way to rid the world of such evil is to raise our consciousness, to raise our vibrations.

“…the world leaders, the billionaires, the heads of banks and corporations…give you that unique opportunity…to be someone who has compassion.”

Channeled by Daniel Scranton

In addition to Compassion, there is some additional help. Seven Cosmic Principles, or Universal Laws exist (See my article “7 Cosmic Principles that Govern Our Lives”). The Second Law is the one that applies here:

“Everything Happens for a Reason, even if we never know that reason. There will always be an accounting of actions.”

That is the law of the universe. 

That is the law of our lives. 

Every one of our actions has repercussions. 

Every one.

As I discuss in my book, Do It Yourself Spirituality: Seven Simple Steps (2011), these universal laws are not new.  Each, including the Second Principle, can be traced back to the beginning of known time.  Records from the early civilizations of ancient Egypt and Sumer place the origin of these Cosmic Principles at least as far back as 3000 BCE. These wisdoms, somewhat diminished and often forgotten, yet not abandoned in the passage of time, continue today.

The Second Law assures us that 

the accountability we seek will occur.

Historical Perspective

People with money and power throughout history have used and manipulated people they consider less worthy. Remember the atrocities of the Nazis killing the Jews, early American settlers shooting and abusing Native Americans, and the too many foreign wars with countless, senseless killings. Violence against women and children is not new, either. Abuse of young boys and men has been documented.  

Darkness exists and has always existed.The extreme abuse in the Epstein files is forcing us to face this darkness.

This extensive sexual trafficking has shaken us to our core.

 We are now forced to see our world view shattered, one that we thought was mostly safe and secure.

Both the horrendous actions and the cover-up of those actions have forced us to question the people in positions of power. 

Our initial, appropriate response:

• We can no longer tolerate any abuse or secrecy about that abuse.
• We need to insist on the truth.
• We need to support, believe and protect the victims.

• We need to publicly name those in the Epstein files who participated in or facilitated any sexual harm.                                                      
• We need justice. We need accountability. There is no condoning the horrendous violations and mistreatment of these victims.

Our spiritual, also necessary, response:

• We can understand that evil exists in the world as we are forced to face this darkness.
• We can accept that “Everything Happens for a Reason” as stated in the Second Universal Principle.
• We can believe that Law and Order will prevail, as promised in the Second Universal Principle.
• We can rise above our sense of powerlessness.

But from a spiritual aspect, we also need compassion,

which is the only way to help raise the consciousness of the world.

We all know the right thing to do. We often forget, though, as we try to justify some of our less than exemplary words and actions. Helping people is the right thing to do; hurting people is not. War is immoral, violence is unacceptable. While there are extremes and arguments for each of these, we know they are wrong. While we may pontificate about our impact on the larger scale, assuming there is nothing we can do about a war thousands of miles away, we may neglect our beliefs in our daily lives. Sometimes we miss the spiritual part, where we live what we know is right. If we begin to honor our beliefs, we can begin to show our younger generation how to do the same.

The spiritual way is living each moment with our best intentions and treating others as we would wish to be treated. Starting at our own level, we can change the world, even if not immediately, but we can certainly impact our daily lives.

There are so many ways for our world to be influenced by doing the right thing. In one of my books, Don’t Fall off the Bicycle: Balancing Chaos and Order in Our Lives, I mention three large concerns in the world today: Peace, Population and Pollution and some possible solutions.

Peace involves the obvious issue of war, but it also includes any violence, verbal or physical. Violence is any physical or emotional injury, or discomfort, of another person. How often do we argue with relatives or friends and make statements that we wish we could retract the minute they are uttered? What if we eliminated harsh words from our conversations, attempting to listen to and understand another’s view before condemning the opinion or that person?

Population involves the issue of too many people in the world, but it also includes poverty. Education is an avenue to a better future for children. Is it acceptable to allow our poorest children to be malnourished and uneducated? Money is not the only way to assist, either on a government or individual level. While aid is crucial, so is volunteering or helping in any small way possible. What if we used the abundance in our lives to help others?

Pollution is ruining the air and water around us. We are spoiling the environment with our careless throw-away society. Excessive consumerism is  always wanting and needing more. What if our challenge is to find creative ways to use less, of everything?

There are no easy solutions to any of these concerns.  We know that sometimes we simply ignore our own instincts and allow the flow of society to dictate personal, perhaps incorrect, choices. What if we change that? What if we teach our youth to honor their instincts and do the right thing?

 

There is another tool that we can provide to our troubled youth, one that might help them view their external and internal concepts in a new light. A previous blog, Seven Cosmic Principles, described the 7th Principle, “We Create,” as:

“Sex attraction governs our lives and the universe. Life is creation. But this is not just the “sex” of a limited male/female physical encounter. Sex attraction unites the masculine and feminine characteristics within us. As an extension of the previous principle of opposites, we strive for a balance of the masculine and feminine within. This allows us to create new ideas, as well as new life.”

The conscious mind is the masculine and the unconscious mind is the feminine. The unconscious mind becomes fertile and creates ideas, similar to the womb creating life. Creation of thoughts occurs with the conscious mind stimulating our unconscious. The male stimulates the female. A simple concept, but one that we tend to ignore as we focus solely on sexual relationships.

The masculine “Will,” or conscious mind, controls thoughts. If we are lazy and listen to those around us, we are ruled by others. Women too often allow strong men to dominate their lives. Many men acquiesce to dominant women. We cannot allow someone else to manage our thoughts. We can create our own ideas, rather than allow others to command us.

We can’t relegate or delegate any part of ourselves to a member of the opposite sex, to a member of the same sex, or to society. We see this in various forms of the media, which tell us what to think by supplying news that is geared to a particular view. For many, the media creates an opinion, so individuals don’t have to think for themselves. Our strength is to think for ourselves and use our “Will” to create our own world.

Some use their mind to dominate others. This violates the balance in our lives, as in the 6th and 7th Cosmic Principles discussed in the previous blog, by concentrating on the masculine and ignoring the feminine. Anyone dominated by another also violates the balance by focusing on the feminine and ignoring the masculine. Neither provides a point of power, leaving that person in the control of others, or at the mercy of those around him or her. If we don’t stimulate our our thoughts, or use our own masculine conscious will to fertilize our feminine unconscious, we are controlled by others.

Today, too many are led by the thoughts of a few. This is not a contemporary problem, but was discussed as far back as the 15th century, a human condition that has existed far too long. Perhaps we now have the knowledge and ability to stop allowing others to dictate to us. Our masculine and feminine must work together to create a better world. That will only happen when we internalize this balance and honor the need and power of our internal feminine and masculine.

The power is within us, not external to us. In the center, we find ourselves. The control we think we strive for is not rule over others, but command over ourselves. When we can achieve balance in our lives, we have sway over activities, decisions, and emotions. That is power. That is what we want to teach our kids to provide further guidance on how they can better manage their lives.

 

The brain uses the five senses of sight, sound, touch, taste and smell in processing new information. Smell and taste play a lesser role, while the three senses normally involved in learning are:

Sight – Visual

Sound – Hearing or Auditory

Touch – Movement or Kinesthetic

Concentrating on only one sense ignores development in other areas of the brain. Engaging as much of the brain as possible enhances its development. Even though the brain has over 100 million neurons, the number of cells is less significant than the number of connections between the cells. Involving different parts of the brain creates connections. Using all of our senses makes us smarter.

Despite the need to encourage all senses, we each have a way that is easiest for us to process new information. Auditory learners prefer spoken words. Visual learners prefer written material or images, and kinesthetic learners prefer ‘hands-on” experiences.

We each have one sense that tends to dominate. Knowing that dominant sense facilitates learning in any environment. Some people want to read first. Some want to hear first, and some prefer to do it first. While most of us use a combination, depending on the situation, one sense is usually strongest. In processing new information, or learning, do you usually prefer to:

Read, Listen or Act?

Below is a description of the three styles.

Visual: read, graphics, prefer written material

Auditory: listen, talk, remember what is said

Kinesthetic: move, can’t sit still, learn best by doing

The kinesthetic learner is often the one at the most disadvantage. Classes at school and work are dominated with words, with the emphasis on listening and reading. We rarely help the kinesthetic learner. Without training and practice, many kinesthetic learners do not have strong visual or auditory abilities. The brain of this learner needs movement to facilitate learning. This is not a learning disability any more than a visual learner may need printed material. Brains function differently. Reading and writing, however, are the skills that are usually stressed and honored today. Rarely are movement and activity emphasized as valid ways to learn except in lower elementary grades, sports and technical training.

We need to develop all senses. Auditory learners need to improve their reading. Visual learners need to listen better. Both need to further develop their coordination through activities. Kinesthetic people need to improve reading and listening. Many adults have naturally strengthened their weaker senses; many have not.

Helping our youth learn better requires that we provide the tools they need. Understanding the three types of learners: visual, auditory and kinesthetic is one of those tools.

 

93% of communication is nonverbal. We learn:

7% by words
38% by voice
55% by nonverbal actions

If only 7% of our kids’ learning depends on words, the remaining 93% is very significant. This is an area often ignored. Our children are strongly impacted by the gestures, tone of voice, movement and facial expression of teachers and others.

Credibility depends on the perception of a person as competent, trustworthy, sincere and dynamic. These characteristics are primarily conveyed through nonverbal aspects. If there is a conflict between verbal and nonverbal messages, we believe the nonverbal and reject the words. We trust actions rather than words. So do our kids.

Others read our nonverbal actions. What we say and what we project may be two different messages. If we are bored or angry, our actions convey those thoughts. People pick up any negativity. We must be aware of how we feel, and we must realize that our actions broadcast those feelings. If we want a different relationship, we must convey a different nonverbal message. We can assist our youth by being aware of our nonverbal communication and helping them be aware of theirs.

Communication includes reading, writing, listening and speaking. Learning to read should be a priority. Studies show that students who aren’t capable of reading by the end of the third grade may never catch up. We must help all kids achieve the early goal of reading. The repercussions are alarming. According to the Department of Justice, there is a significant link between crime and illiteracy. According to begintoread.com, “One child in four grows up not knowing how to read.”

Experts claim we need to add to our definition of literacy. Peter Drucker, a business writer and visionary, claimed that:

Literacy is reading, writing, and arithmetic. As well as a basic understanding of science and technology, acquaintance with foreign languages, and knowledge of how to be an effective member of an organization.

Our needs have changed. We are a global village, no longer an isolated country. Today, without some business training, high school graduates have a smaller chance of being hired in positions of advancement and promise. Liz Schorr in Common Purpose: Strengthening Families and Neighborhoods to Rebuild America cites a study that shows six essential skills that companies look for in beginning employees.

These include the ability to:

Do math
Read at the 9th grade level
Solve problems
Work in groups
Communicate clearly

Half of our nation’s high school graduates do not have these abilities. If we want our youth to succeed and aim for a better life, these are necessary skills for them to learn.

 

This material is revised from Chapter 7 of my book, Don’t Fall Off the Bicycle: Balancing Chaos and Order in our Lives (2002).

 

 

 

One reason that men and women do not talk and act the same is their brains operate differently. Our youth may benefit from this understanding.

Michael Gurian’s The Wonder of Boys: What Parents, Mentors and Educators Can Do To Shape Boys Into Exceptional Men presents an excellent presentation of how young boys react compared to young girls. The dissimilar reactions are partially caused by actual brain functions, not societal influence. In infants, the female brain develops faster than the male brain. In both genders, the left hemisphere develops later than the right. In males, the lag is greater. When the right side of the male brain is ready to hook up with the left side, the left side is not ready. This results in an even stronger right brain for boys, or an even stronger spatial development. In girls, the left brain is ready to be connected sooner, which leads to their earlier linguistic development.

Little boys are stronger spatially, located in the right brain, and little girls are stronger linguistically, located in the left brain. Most girls have a larger vocabulary by two years of age. Most boys are better at activities involving space. Boys often need more space in which to play while girls may be happier in a small area. These are generalizations and may not be true in all youngsters.  Most children in early grades need more physical activity and should not be confined to the classroom all day. Too often discipline problems are simply the result of ignoring basic needs.  

There are other female/male brain differences pointed out in Gurian’s book:

The dominance of testosterone in males makes them more aggressive. They are not more violent, simply more aggressive.

The male brain weighs more and has a greater volume than the female brain.

Females have a larger corpus callosum that separates the left brain from the right brain and is responsible for the connections between the two sides of the brain.

The larger corpus callosum in the female brain results in more connections in a female brain. Since the two sides connect sooner in girls, there is an earlier balance of their brain functions.

In adults, more sections of the female brain are at work more often than in the male brain. The male brain tends to turn on and off. In contrast, the female brain tends to be active most of the time.

The female brain is considered nonlinear because of seeing the whole picture while the male brain is described as linear because of the on-off tendency.

None of the above statements makes males or females victims of their brain functions. Research indicates that activities such as spatial awareness can be taught. No one can claim inability. Men are capable of nonlinear thinking, even though this type of thinking comes more naturally to women. Activities are needed to develop skills for all students, with special notice being given to the needs of each gender. These notes are not always gender-specific. Many women are very good at linear, spatial activities and many men think holistically. Often this reflects some training on the part of that individual. We can help our youth with this understanding and training.

 

This material is revised from Chapter 7 of my book, Don’t Fall Off the Bicycle: Balancing Chaos and Order in our Lives (2002).

 

 

What if we accepted chaos as natural and beneficial at times? What if we understood order as not always desirable? What if we imparted those ideas to our youth? Might that help their lives.

Science tells us that within the boundaries of any complex system, such as our bodies, there can be random disorder and chaos. In fact, this chaos is essential to the life of that system. In the human body, our heart beats in a steady and orderly fashion. An irregular beat means trouble. We cannot survive without this order. Our brain, however, has a chaotic pattern. Only in dysfunctional brains is the pattern orderly. This is the opposite of how the heart behaves. Within our bodies, chaos and order exist.

We usually try to quell any disruption in our daily routine. If that happened in our brain, the result would be disastrous.  Since both chaos and order exist in our bodies, can they coexist in our lives?

Perhaps life requires the balance of riding a bicycle, a dynamic balance of constantly shifting weight and attention from chaos to order and back again. This includes measuring future advancement with current survival. This means viewing the bigger picture of the future while also seeing the smaller concerns of daily life.

Three activities help us do this: Thinking, Deciding and Doing.

Thinking is developing possible solutions before choosing any course of action.  Looking at our current environment or our homes, we can observe issues from a bigger picture and longer term perspective. Honoring creativity and chaos, we can view information in a new way.

Deciding is a conscious assessment of all possible options. We can teach kids to understand and accept their role as decision-maker. Refusing to make a decision is a choice, a choice of denial. To make better decisions, they can look at their resources of money, time and people to help. The seemingly quick fix so highly regarded today has convinced us that money, not time, is the answer. Sometimes we have to take as long as possible to make a decision, judging when this is possible and when it is not. Another challenge for kids is to ask the right people for help, people they know they can trust.

Doing is acting on a decision. Choices, once made, must be implemented. Making a decision will not solve anything. Carrying out that decision may. Once kids act, they must be taught to accept the consequences. Too often they wallow in a pool of victimhood, conveniently forgetting the choices that caused their dilemma.

These three activities of Thinking, Deciding and Doing bring us from the chaos in gathering data to the order of enacting decisions. They require continual knowledge or learning.

Our lives and those of our youth are a work in progress. In a rapidly changing environment, we can only be assured of change. As knowledge transforms, so must decisions. The challenge is similar to that of staying on a bicycle, constantly shifting to maintain our balance. Expecting a better tomorrow requires continuous, conscious and creative choices that balance chaos and order in our lives and those of our children.

 

This material is revised from the Introduction of my book, Don’t Fall Off the Bicycle: Balancing Chaos and Order in our Lives (2002).