Online series with Jackie McInley, January 31, 2026

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We continued our inquiry from the last session into the whole topic of consciousness. Is consciousness the description of a dimension far beyond what we can possibly comprehend; or is consciousness the term used for our conscious and unconscious living state which has been conditioned over time? Is the field of consciousness built from a framework of time and conditioning? What does is mean to be conscious under these circumstances and what exactly exactly are we “conscious” of?
 
Our conversation went on to examine the content of consciousness such as fear, desire etc. Are we conscious of this content actually operating in us, or do we merely psychologically acknowledge the surface reactions; perceiving with all kinds of ideas and projections about the nature of reality? We then asked if we avoid mental disturbance and head towards comfort. Are there inward disturbances occurring outside of our awareness which are equally being avoided and inevitably lead to a whole psychological outlook? Does this avoidance generate patterns of behaviour as well as incubate unresolved issues over time. Disturbance is registered consciously or subconsciously and the patterns that are shaped, in turn, create more disturbance.
 
The group continued exploring into these various questions. Is part of the framework of consciousness (as we experience it on the everyday level) to seek goals? Is one of our goals to improve the state of our consciousness? Is there a model of consciousness that is “all one”, “whole”, “peaceful” or “enlightened”? Whilst we are projecting an ideal version of consciousness, isn’t our actual divisive and self centred consciousness still there? We asked whether we realise the “conflict machine” that our minds seem to be?Our conditioned consciousness seems to be in utter disorder and creating more disorder as it functions. However is the mind awake to its own disorder? Do we act out from an empirical impression of order which keeps our minds from seeing its own disorder? Is what is comfortable for the mind believed to be orderly? And is what is uncomfortable, registered as disorderly and so usually avoided or corrected.
 
Is there a totally different order of the mind beyond all this?
 
 
  • Jackie McInley