COSMIC CONSCIOUSNESS

Jerusalem
Plate 95

A book published in 1901 by Richard Murice Bucke is titled Cosmic Consciousness. It is an exploration of a "higher form of consciousness than that possessed by the ordinary man." The bulk of the book is devoted to describing the life and work of individuals who achieved cosmic consciousness. Bucke includes William Blake among such men.

Burke refers to three levels of consciousness through which man passes as he progresses through development: simple, self and cosmic. This section begins on page 75:

"The passage from self to cosmic consciousness, considered from the point of view of the intellect, seems to be a phenomenon strictly parallel to the passage from simple to self consciousness.

As in the latter, so in the former, there are two chief elements: 

a. Added consciousness; 

b. Added faculty.

a. When an organism which possesses simple consciousness only, attains to self consciousness, it becomes aware for the first time that it is a separate creature, or self existing in a world which it is apart from it. That is, the oncoming of the new faculty instructs it without any new experience or process of learning.

b. It, at the same time, acquires enormously increased powers of accumulating knowledge and of initiating action.

So when a person who was self conscious only, enters into cosmic consciousness -

a. He knows without learning (from the mere fact of illumination) certain things, as, for instance: (1) that the universe is not a dead machine but a living presence; (2) that in its essence and tendency it is infinitely good; (3) that individual existence is continuous beyond what is called death. At the same time:

b. He takes on enormously greater capacity both for learning and initiating."

Page 79

..."briefly and explicitly, the marks of the Cosmic Sense:

a. The subjective light
b. The moral elevation
c. The intellectual illumination.
d. The sense of immortality.
e. The loss of fear of death.
f. The loss of sense of sin.
g. The suddenness, instantaneousness, of the awakening.
h. The previous character of the man - intellectual, moral and physical.
i. The age of the illumination.
j. The added charm of the personality so that men and women are always (?) strongly attracted to the person.
k. The transfiguration of the subject of the change as seen by others when the cosmic sense if actually present.

---

These are quotes from Blake's work which Bucke gives in support of his inclusion of Blake among those who had achieved cosmic consciousness.

Vision of Las Judgment, (E 555)
"This world of Imagination is the World of
Eternity it is the Divine bosom into which we shall all go after
the death of the Vegetated body   This World of Imagination is
Infinite & Eternal whereas the world of Generation or Vegetation
is Finite & [for a small moment] Temporal    There Exist
in that Eternal World the Permanent Realities of Every Thing
which we see are reflected in this Vegetable Glass of Nature"

Vision of Last Judgment, (E 562)
"We are in a
World of Generation & death & this world we must cast off if we
would be Painters Such as Rafael  Mich Angelo & the
Ancient Sculptors. if we do not cast off this world we shall be
only Venetian Painters who will be cast off & Lost from Art" 

Vision of Last Judgment, (E 565)
    "The Player is a liar when he Says Angels are happier than
Men because they are better   Angels are happier than Men &
Devils because they are not always Prying after Good & Evil in
One Another & eating the Tree of Knowledge for Satans
Gratification"

Vision of Last Judgment, (E 565)
   "The Last Judgment is an Overwhelming of Bad Art & Science." 

Vision of Last Judgment, (E 565)
 "Some People flatter themselves
that there will be No Last Judgment & that Bad Art will be
adopted & mixed with Good Art That Error or Experiment will make
a Part of Truth & they Boast that it is its Foundation these
People flatter themselves   I will not Flatter them Error is
Created Truth is Eternal Error or Creation will be Burned Up &
then & not till then Truth or Eternity will appear It is Burnt up
the Moment Men cease to behold it I assert for My self that I do
not behold the Outward Creation & that to me it is hindrance &
not Action it is as the Dirt upon my feet No part of Me. What it
will be Questiond When the Sun rises  do  you  not  see  a  round 
Disk of fire somewhat like a Guinea O no no I see an Innumerable
company of the Heavenly host crying Holy Holy Holy is the Lord
God Almighty I question not my Corporeal or Vegetative Eye any
more than I would Question a Window concerning a Sight I look
thro it & not with it."  

Vision of Last Judgment, (E 558)
"Between the Figures of Adam & Eve appears a fiery
Gulph descending from the sea of fire Before the throne in this
Cataract Four Angels descend headlong  with four trumpets to
awake the Dead. beneath these is the Seat of the Harlot <namd>
Mystery in the Revelations.  She is [bound] siezed by
Two Beings each with three heads they Represent Vegetative
Existence.  it is written in Revelations they strip her naked
& burn her with fire    it represents the Eternal Consummation of
Vegetable Life & Death with its Lusts The wreathed Torches in
their hands represents Eternal Fire which is the fire of
Generation or Vegetation it is an Eternal Consummation Those who
are blessed with Imaginative Vision see This Eternal Female &
tremble at what others fear not while they <despise &> laugh at
what others fear"

Letters, To Butts, (E 724)
"I am not
ashamed afraid or averse to tell You what Ought to be Told.  That
I am under the direction of Messengers from Heaven Daily &
Nightly but the nature of such things is not as some suppose.
without trouble or care."