ordinary, planetary, and cosmic consciousness

Among humans, there is ordinary consciousness, planetary consciousness, and cosmic consciousness. We all possess (or, perhaps more accurately, are possessed by) ordinary consciousness: ordinal or linear consciousness allowing us to do the busyness of the human societal world.

Planetary consciousness opens to the understanding that Earth is an alive organism, an interflow of interconnecting life. Planetary consciousness does not just know this as one of many isolated "facts." Planetary consciousness experiences this, sees with the vision of Earth herself.

Cosmic consciousness expands beyond all bounds set by ordinary consciousness. Where ordinary consciousness sees with eyes of flesh, cosmic consciousness sees with eyes of fire (Henry Corbin's apt and accurate terminology). We are either born with cosmic awareness or it is granted to us along the way. Many seem satisfied, satiated by eyes of flesh and seem to never even consider the possibility of this state of consciousness for themselves. For more on cosmic consciousness, see Richard Bucke and see Tom Cheetham.