Consciousness {As Above so Below}

High-res version

The Ark in Time Network has built a new pillar titled: consciousness. This site explores the potential of consciousness in man, distinguishing it from the function of awareness which man shares with the animal world. It defines consciousness as self-awareness, and adopts an esoteric approach to the Biblical story of Creation to outline the means by which man may become self-conscious.

Furthermore, man’s consciousness has degrees (outlined in detail on the page levels of consciousness), ranging from the most subjective state of sleep, wherein dreams are taken to be real, to the most objective state of clarity where man perceives the unity in multiplicity: as above so below. He sees the truth about himself and his relation to the world as it really is.

Consciousness – As Above so Below

The Ark in Time Network is founded on the claim that all ancient wisdom pointed to the attainment of such consciousness. One of the earliest known expressions of wisdom occurred in Ancient Egypt, known for its grand symbol of the pyramid. The pyramid can be seen as an expression of unity and multiplicity; its base is made of a multitude of bricks, and these diminish in number as we climb towards the top, until we find a single, unified crown.

Thus, the journey from the base of the pyramid towards its summit expresses the inner journey of man from the state of sleep and illusory multiplicity towards awakening and inner unity. Man perceives that all he sees without can also be found within: that all cosmoses are modelled on the same objective pattern of his own cosmos is yet another mirror.

Hermeticism, after all, is Egyptian, so we needn’t be surprised to find expressions of the adage As Above so Below and As Within so Without in Egyptian art and architecture. The Great Pyramids of Giza are one such expression – perhaps the most well-known one – proving that Egyptian art and architecture were made to teach, and not merely to adorn, and that the principles of Hermeticism may still be observed by a keen and knowledgeable eye.