# Discovering the Universe Within: Expanding Consciousness Together
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Chapter 1: The Journey Begins
The truth about yourself is often more profound than you realize. A pivotal experiment transformed my understanding of consciousness in ways I never expected.
Prologue
As a child, I was quite the bookish enthusiast. I became a member of the Finnish Association of Hypnosis when I was just 12 years old. My determination was so strong that I convinced my parents to let me travel solo to Helsinki for meetings. My caring but anxious mother could do nothing to dissuade me. Those long train rides were exhilarating, filled with discovery and joy.
Although I was deeply curious, I often found it perplexing that my peers had little interest in topics that fascinated me. While my classmates focused on skiing and ice hockey, I delved into the works of Freud and Jung. I imagined myself wandering through the renowned Parisian hospital where groundbreaking doctors utilized hypnosis to expand the boundaries of medicine and psychology, with Sigmund Freud being my idol.
Charcot, a pioneer in treating hysteria with hypnosis, intrigued me. I thought to myself, "This is perfect," as I viewed most people around me as bordering on hysteria themselves. My awareness of consciousness and the subconscious grew, and I believed that hypnosis, psychology, and psychiatry would provide the tools to comprehend both myself and others.
This curiosity led me to embark on experiments that could have ended badly, but more on that later. My mind became a tangled mess, much like the mythical Gordian Knot. As I matured, I immersed myself even deeper into the mysteries of the mind, reading extensively and observing both others and my own ever-changing thoughts.
Despite being hyper-aware, I struggled to grasp the nature of my consciousness. I had an intuitive ability to see through the facades people presented, but that clarity often felt more chaotic than enlightening. My reading list expanded to include I-Ching, astrology, and Tarot—everything you could think of. Yet, the more I explored, the more confused I became, blending science with pseudoscience and New Age concepts. The refrain "Let the sunshine in," from the musical Hair, echoed in my mind, yet beneath my own tangled thoughts, I felt an increasing emptiness.
My quest for understanding took me from a twelve-year-old with questions to a thirty-four-year-old man seeking the answer to his existential crisis. I realized that I needed to channel my inner Alexander the Great to find resolution.
On a dark evening in October 1990, I found myself at a meeting, skeptical but desperate, having already lost nearly everything, including hope. Life felt like a dimly lit, constricting tunnel. As I stood at the meeting's entrance, summoning the courage to ring the doorbell, my glasses fogged up from the drizzle, and my hands were chilled. I almost turned back.
Then, I heard a melodious chant emanating from within, compelling me to enter. Upon crossing the threshold, the sound of chanting illuminated my surroundings, revealing that I was not trapped in a tunnel after all. Though my vision was obscured, I noticed a light I had never experienced before—it was emerging from within me. Suddenly, I found myself in a universe brimming with boundless opportunities.
This moment brought me a sense of immediate relief. Since then, I have engaged in daily chanting, often multiple times a day, for over three decades. The act of chanting became my inner Alexander, and the knots in my soul were untangled.
I opened the door to the universe and stepped inside, not through magic but through practice.
Section 1.1: Understanding Consciousness Through Buddhism
Nichiren Buddhism offers a profound perspective on consciousness. Neuroscience and quantum mechanics have long circled the enigma of consciousness without fully addressing it. Is it localized in the brain, or does it exist beyond? Is it the soul or merely the mind?
Dean Radin states, "Quantum mechanics reminds us that the universe is ultimately a holistic, tightly integrated web, and thus it is not out of the question that no signals need to pass between brains… From a holistic perspective, all brains are already connected to everything from the get-go, and not just through space. Through time too."
We've often been blinded by the notion of a singular truth rather than embracing the entirety of existence. In Nichiren Buddhism, inclusivity is essential: we are part of a universal life while also existing as individuals. The universe and we are distinct yet interconnected, forming a singular essence.
In this belief system, we don't possess just one consciousness but rather nine, which together shape the entirety of the universe.
Subsection 1.1.1: The Nine Consciousnesses
The first five consciousnesses arise from our sensory organs and senses—smell, taste, sight, hearing, and touch—each providing unique insights into the world around us. These senses sift through the web of meaningful stimuli, drawing connections relevant to their functions. For instance, the eye focuses on light wavelengths, ignoring odors entirely.
The sixth consciousness is where our brain synthesizes information from these senses, akin to pattern recognition. It ensures we don’t mistakenly combine incompatible objects, like a stove and a chair.
Then comes the seventh consciousness, the realm of self. This includes our emotions, thoughts, and subconscious mind. While psychology has dissected this consciousness, it often leads to confusion. The more we learn about the components, the less we grasp the whole picture.
If the seventh consciousness dictated our lives, we would face dire consequences, as evidenced by wars, climate change, and societal unrest—illustrations of the perils of an ego-centric existence.
The eighth consciousness serves as a repository for our experiences, known in Buddhism as Karma. It accumulates our actions—positive and negative—shaping our interpersonal relationships and our connection to the environment. This consciousness acts as a bridge, allowing us to recognize our shared humanity.
Finally, the ninth consciousness embodies universal life, connecting us all while affirming our place within it. This consciousness fuels our potential and choices, representing the essence of the Mystic Law. It transcends intellect and requires experience, belief, and an open heart to truly understand. This law offers limitless hope, guiding us to discover our individuality as part of the greater whole.
That's why SGI-Nichiren Buddhism emphasizes practice. Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo (the Mystic Law) acts as a tool to penetrate the layers of Karma, unlocking life's infinite potential.
On that rainy October night decades ago, my encounter with this mystic possibility wasn't a grand religious revelation but a flicker of hope cutting through my negativity. Over the years, that light has grown stronger and more consistent.
Enlightenment involves integrating that ninth consciousness into daily life, serving as a guiding light toward true happiness. It’s not about isolation or ceasing to exist; it’s about living fully and helping others realize their potential.
The power of consciousness is boundless if we transcend the confines of the seventh consciousness and allow life to guide us. This path is challenging, requiring us to take responsibility while utilizing compassion, wisdom, and courage as our navigational tools. In SGI Buddhism, consistent practice is vital, as it shields us from the negativity that seeks to hinder our progress.
"Earthly desires are enlightenment, and sufferings of birth and death are nirvana." — Nichiren Daishonin (1222–1282)
Chapter 2: The Experiments That Shook My Understanding
The first video, Alan Watts: Cosmic Consciousness and Your True Self, explores the intricate connection between consciousness and our authentic selves. It offers profound insights into how we can transcend our limitations.
The experiments I conducted during my teenage years involving hypnosis revealed just how complex consciousness can be. At around 15, I became increasingly fascinated with hypnosis and began experimenting on my classmates. My enthusiasm grew as I learned from the Hypnosis Association and their various experiments.
One day, I decided to put my knowledge to the test. With three classmates present, I had previously hypnotized Rille, who was capable of entering a deep state of hypnosis. The others acted as my assistants.
While Rille was in a trance, I instructed her that I would place a glass of water in her hand, and any sensations of pain would transfer into that water. I asked her to indicate her pain level through whispers or screams.
After placing the glass in her hand, I handed it to another classmate, who took it across the room. I then retrieved a sharp needle from my pocket and pressed it gently against the water. Rille whispered, “Ouch.” When I pressed harder, she screamed, startling my classmates.
I quickly brought Rille out of her hypnotic state, shaken by the experience. She had no recollection of the incident, while my classmates appeared pale and bewildered. I realized I had been tampering with something far beyond my understanding. This episode remains etched in my memory as a reminder that consciousness encompasses far more than we often acknowledge.
It wasn't until 1990 that I began to grasp the significance of that experiment. Consciousness connects us across various levels, existing beyond physical boundaries and enabling us to explore our potential as a species.
Modern science is now making significant strides in areas that Buddhism has understood for millennia. Life—and consciousness—are eternal, manifesting in forms that may elude our intellect but can be experienced on a spiritual level.
The second video, Take a Journey Beyond Your Limits: A Guided Meditation for Expanding Consciousness, invites viewers to explore the depths of their consciousness and expand their self-awareness.
Throughout this journey, I utilized various sources to enrich my understanding: works by Dr. Dean Radin, J.D. Gilbert, Daisaku Ikeda, Richard Causton, and William Woollard.
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