A Course in Consciousness

Table of contents :
Table of contents
(With last update date)

Summary: A Dialogue in Consciousness (March 13, 2011)


Foreword (August 13, 2009)


Part 1. Quantum theory and consciousness
Preface to part 1 (April 12, 2000)


Chapter 1. The three major metaphysical philosophies (September 27, 2010)

1.1. The assumption of objective reality, a necessity for survival and for science?

1.2. Materialism (pure objectivity): the philosophy that all is matter, or at least, all is governed by physical law

1.3. Cartesian dualism (objectivity plus subjectivity): the philosophy that both matter and mind are primary and irreducible

1.4. Idealism (pure subjectivity): the philosophy that consciousness is all and all is consciousness
1.5. The teaching of nonduality

1.6. The distinction between Consciousness, Awareness, and mind

1.7. What is Reality not?



Chapter 2. Classical physics from Newton to Einstein (October 11, 2010)

2.1. The scientific method

2.2. Newton’s laws and determinism

2.3. Thermodynamics and statistical mechanics; entropy and the direction of time

2.4. Electromagnetism

2.5. Waves

2.6. Relativity



Chapter 3. Quantum physics from Planck and Einstein to Bohr, Heisenberg, de Broglie, and Schrödinger (October 1, 2010)

3.1. The beginning of quantum physics by Planck and Einstein

3.2. The development of quantum mechanics by Bohr, Heisenberg, de Broglie and Schrödinger

3.3. A striking example of probability measurement

3.4. Uncertainty and complementarity


Chapter 4. Waves and interference, Schrödinger’s cat paradox, Bell’s inequality (August 4, 2010)

4.1. Waves and interference

4.2. Schrödinger’s cat paradox

4.3. Bell's theorem, the Aspect-Gröblacher experiments, and the nonlocality of reality

4.4. Another experimental violation of observer-independent theory



Chapter 5. Conscious mind and free will (Oct. 16, 2010)

5.1. What are the characteristics of conscious mind?

5.2. Extraordinary abilities of the mind

5.3. The unity of the human mind

5.4. Unconscious functioning of the brain

5.5. Is there a test for consciousness?

5.6. Can a machine be conscious?

5.7. What seem to be the effects of consciousness?

5.8. When and how does a child begin to perceive objects?

5.9. The experiments of Libet, et al., and their implication for free will

5.10. Brain imaging experiments on free will

5.11. Free will as the possibility of alternative action

5.12. The origin of the belief in free will

5.13. Is free will necessary for our happiness?

5.14. Freedom as subjectivity

5.15. If there is no free will, how do things happen?

5.16. Speculations on the future in deterministic and probabilistic universes


Chapter 6. What does quantum theory mean? (October 16, 2010)

6.1. The interpretation problem

6.2. The hidden variables interpretation: A purely objective interpretation

6.3. The Copenhagen interpretation: A partly objective and partly subjective interpretation

6.4. What can make a measurement in the Copenhagen interpretation?

6.5. Wavefunction reduction in the Copenhagen interpretation; the forward direction of time

6.6. Nonlocality in the Copenhagen interpretation

6.7. The many-worlds interpretation: A partly objective and partly subjective interpretation

6.8. The similarity between the Copenhagen and many-worlds interpretations

6.9. The astonishing implications of the nonlocality of consciousness

6.10. The interpretation of Christopher Fuchs; a minimally objective, mostly subjective interpretation
6.11. The purely subjective interpretation

6.12. Physics is the study of the mind!


Part 2. The metaphysics of nonduality
Preface to part 2 (October 17, 2010)


Chapter 7. An interpretation of quantum theory according to monistic idealism (October 17, 2010)

7.1. The physics of monistic idealism

7.2. Schrödinger’s cat revisited

7.3. The world in idealism

7.4. The quantum-classical brain

7.5. Paradoxes and tangled hierarchies

7.6. The first identification: The appearance of sentience

7.7. The second identification: The appearance of the "I"

7.8. Further discussion of the unconditioned self, the ego, and freedom

7.9. The disappearance of the ego. The experience of freedom from bondage

7.10. Critique of Goswami's model


Chapter 8. Transcendental realms (February 20, 2010)

8.1. Similarities between the different transcendental realms

8.2. The meanings of the transcendental realms


Chapter 9. Perce iving and conceptualizing (March 13, 2011)

9.1. A review of the physics

9.2. What is the perceived?

9.3. Who is the perceiver?

9.4. Many minds, one Awareness
9.5. Objectification, the body-mind organism, and the primacy of the concept of memory

9.6. The hard problem in consciousness science



Chapter 10. The teaching of nonduality (October 14, 2007)

10.1. The metaphysics of nonduality

10.2. The practices

10.3. The paths

10.4. About death
10.5. Summary diagram


Chapter 11. The functioning of the mind (April 7, 2010)

11.1. The nature of duality

11.2. The appearance of sentience within Consciousness

11.3. Manifestation: The first level of identification

11.4. Objectification: The second level of identification

11.5. Ownership: The third level of identification

11.6. Polar pairs, separation, and suffering

11.7. The victim/victimizer polar pair

11.8. Sin, guilt, and shame--monstrosities of mind

11.9. The thinking mind and the working mind

11.10. Summing up. . .


Chapter 12. Space, time, causality, and destiny (March 4, 2010)

12.1. The concepts of space and time

12.2. Speculations on the concepts of nonlocality in time and space

12.3. The concept of causality
12.4. The nature of laws

12.5. The concept of destiny and God's Will

12.6. We are already here now

12.7. Maya, the divine hypnosis


Chapter 13. Some useful metaphors (November 16, 2009)

13.1. The dream

13.2. The movie

13.3. The puppet and the robot

13.4. The shadow

13.5. The ocean

13.6. The thorns

13.7. Electricity and the appliance

13.8. The gold object

13.9. The dust in a light beam

13.10. The mirror

13.11. The snake and the rope

13.12. The mirage

13.13. The pot and the space in which it exists


Chapter 14. Religion, belief, and nonduality (November 13, 2009)

14.1. The difference between religion and nonduality

14.2. Religion as the belief in a dualistic God

14.3. A nondualistic view of God

14.4. Religion as the belief in objective reality

14.5. Buddhism--religion or not?

14.6. Vipassana meditation

14.7. Zen

14.8. Other nondual teachings


Chapter 15. Free will and responsibility (June 7, 2007)


Chapter 16. Love seeking Itself (April 21, 2010)
16.1. Nondualistic vs. dualistic love
16.2. Self-hatred and self-love

16.3. Affirmation as self-love practice

16.4. Flooding ourselves and others with light

16.5. Tonglen practice


Part 3. The end of suffering and the discovery of our true nature
Preface to part 3 (November 18, 2009)


Chapter 17. How to live one’s life (April 21, 2010)

17.1. The problems with reading the scriptures

17.2. Everything happens by itself
17.3. Meaning and purpose in life
17.4. The will to live/the wish to die
17.5. If suffering is to end, spiritual practice usually happens first
17.6. The rarity of enlightenment
17.7. How is peace realized?
17.8. An exploration of nonvolitional living (1993), by Galen Sharp

Chapter 18. Practices and teachers (August 7, 2010)

18.1. Why practice?

18.2. The importance of being aware

18.3. Some sages and the practices they teach

18.4. Who or what is it that practices?
18.5. Some possibly helpful tips
18.6. Some of the contemporary sages of nonduality



Chapter 19. Surrender, mantra, and trust (December 2, 2009)

19.1. Surrender and mantra practice

19.2. Ramesh's teaching on surrender

19.3. Trusting Awareness


Chapter 20. Understanding by direct seeing (December 2, 2009)

20.1. The role of concepts in Advaita

20.2. What is direct seeing?

20.3. The use of direct seeing to disidentify from the "I"-doer
20.4. The use of direct seeing to disidentify from "mine"

20.5. Because there is no "I", there is no other



Chapter 21. Resistance, clinging, and acceptance (August 6, 2010)

21.1. What are resistance and clinging?

21.2. Repression of emotions creates physical illness

21.3. Resistance, desire/fear, attachment/aversion
21.4. What is Acceptance?

21.5. When resistance ends, life becomes stress-free



Chapter 22. Disidentification from attachment and aversion (January 22, 2010)



Chapter 23. Disidentification through inquiry (January 3, 2010)

23.1. What is inquiry?

23.2. Inquiry into the self: self-inquiry

23.3. Inquiry into the Self: Self-inquiry

23.4. There is no suffering in the present moment
23.5. Inquiry into the manifestation: outward inquiry
23.6. Being Awareness

23.7. Some loose ends gathered


Chapter 24. Disidentification through meditation (December 11, 2009)
24.1. Principles of meditation
24.2. Buddhist meditation
24.3. Inquiry in meditation

Chapter 25. Love finding Itself (December 11, 2000)
Chapter 26. Very short summary (December 11, 2009)

Appendix. My resources and teachers (February 15, 2010)