What is Cellular Consciousness?

Cellular Consciouness is an approach to consciousness based on the Metabolism of Time.  It explains consciousness as the process through which a being ''digests time'', (or perhaps that it arises as a necessary result of the digestion of time).  In this model consciousness is understood to include:

- your apprehension of possible futures and the way in which your actions have consequences that go beyond your immediate sphere of awareness
- your perception/understanding of your immediate environment
- your awareness of the way in which you analyse that environment and respond to it as well as specific awareness of specific analyses and responses
- your awareness of your awareness (for most people this feels like it sits behind the front of your skull)
- the faculties of remembering, forgetting and your memory

Through cellular consciousness we understand that our awareness of our self, our environment and that which is beyond our perception as described above is extremely similar to a cell's awareness.  Its potential and ability to affect its environment are ultimately under the dominion of the nucleus, this nucleus is contained in the cytoplasm which becomes the perceived environment of the nucleus, this cell is then separated from other cells and the body at large by a membrane - from the ''bloodstream of time''.

I used the following diagrams to explain how the cell's experience mimics our own:

This image represents our experience of our physical body and maps it over to the DNA

This image represents the limits of our physical influence and maps over to the nucleus which the DNA does not leave.

This image represents the limits of our sense perception and maps over to the cytoplasm of the cell.

This final image represents the limits of our mental perception and maps over to the cellular membrane.  All perception, awareness of our physical reach and our actual physical body occur within the larger sphere of the Mind.  All experience is mental experience.  This is the essence of the teaching of Plato's Cave.

The DNA spiral being at the centre of this cell is then subsequently mapped over to the Metabolism of Time diagram itself  - thus the ''head'' of the being is the thing mainly concerned with anticipating and planning for the future, the chest of the being (heart, lungs) are the ''present'' (beating, breathing) and the lower part of the being is involved in dealing with the past (digestion, elimination, excretion and reproduction - our genitals store ''the past'').

There are a great number of posts on this at the beginning of the Blogos which explain the links to molecular developmental biology, endocrinology, etc as well as providing all sorts of useful tips for physiognomy and other more ''esoteric'' applications.

I agree that is necessary to clarify terms and try to be as specific as one can be otherwise communication is impossible - terms like consciousness and ''soul'' are definitely subject to such criticism*.  To suggest that the biological sciences are useless in the pursuit of magick is absurd as genetics is clearly embedded in the ancient mysteries that have been handed down to us and its scientific theories and ideas are of both theoretical and practical value. All science is of use to the magician but you must return its ''heart'' - I agree that Science as a sociological phenemonena and institution allied to the military industrial complex and various corporate bodies has a lot to answer for.  If people are struggling to understand what I mean by any of the terms used in the Hermetic Lessons please ask me questions and I will attempt to be as precise as possible.

BIBLIOTECHA HERMETICA, AMSTERDAM

*''Energy'' is the one that gets my goat.