Consciousness and identity through encompassing "con"

Embodiment of Identity in Conscious Creativity (Part #3)

The argument to be made here is that the emergence of effective, sustainable integration (in contrast with "integration lite") necessitates a comprehension of "con" in all its aspects. This is relevant to:

mirroring: consciousness and identity then understood as the ability to encompass and "know" the "con":
- perhaps best understood in terms of the mirror test of self-consciousness -- as applied to animals to determine whether they either possess or lack the ability to recognize themselves in a mirror.
- the development of this capacity is evident as a stage in the cognitive development of children.
- the argument can be extended speculatively to a potential requirement for species maturity (Self-reflective Embodiment of Transdisciplinary Integration (SETI): the universal criteria of species maturity? 2008)
- the argument can be developed further as presented by Yair Neuman (Mirrors Mirrored: is that all there is? S.E.E.D. Journal (Semiotics, Evolution, Energy, and Development), 2004) with respective to recursive-hierarchical (multi-level) systems that constitute their systemic closure through recursion.
" seeing through " a confidence trick: an extension of the previous point, and notably a requirement in response to many forms of advertising and marketing, and of special relevance in response to some forms of political rhetoric, especially "spin" (Transformation of Global Governance through Bullfighting, 2009; Complementary Bullfighting Metaphors of Global Governance, 2009). The latter note the depiction of Hathor as a goddess who personified the principles of feminine love, motherhood and joy -- being one of the most important and deities throughout the history of ancient Egypt. Hathor is commonly depicted as a cow goddess with head horns in which is set a sun disk -- effectively housing or enclosing Horus as a sun god (as shown in the animation below). Hathor is "the Mother of Light". For Freemasonry, Hathor is a symbol of an enlightened and flexible mind, giving that which is desired.
appreciation of humour: as evident in the capacity to "see the joke"
wisdom and illusion: as implied by the capacity to recognize and engage fruitfully with illusion, as exemplified by the Maya of Hinduism and Sikhism, namely the principal concept which manifests, perpetuates and governs the illusion and dream of duality in the phenomenal Universe (The Isdom of the Wisdom Society: embodying time as the heartland of humanity, 2003)
strategic capacity: as implied by ability to take appropriate advantage of an array of strategies (see Table of Confidence Ploys, 1995; Typology of 12 complementary strategies essential to sustainable development, 1998; Wang Xuanming, 36 Stratagems: Secret Art of War, 2003)
contemplation and meditation: the stages in the taoist meditative focus are described in terms of "circulation of the light" (Circulation of the Light: Essential metaphor of global sustainability? 2010). These suggest an intriguing correspondence to the stages in the CNO cycle.
environmental recycling: increasing recognition of this strategic necessity can be seen as dependent on encompassing what are readily framed and rejected as problematic processes
circular breathing: a technique used by players of some wind instruments to produce a continuous tone without the interruption of conventional breathing. This is achieved by breathing in through the nose while simultaneously blowing out through the mouth using air stored in the cheeks. It is used extensively in playing many traditional instruments, such as the Australian didgeridoo.
capacity to live " betwixt and between ": this could be understood as the conscious ability to encompass extremes, effectively "knowing the con", as separately argued (Living as an Imaginal Bridge between Worlds: Global implications of "betwixt and between" and liminality, 2011). Consciousness could be fruitfully understood as associated with this capacity
"rebirth": encompassing or knowing the "con" can be framed in terms of a change in perspective, a "conversion", or emergence of wisdom of some form (Varieties of Rebirth: distinguishing ways of being born again, 2004).

These variously, and together, give a sense of an encompassing configuration of cycles offering a subtle form of transcendent, integrative or "meta" focus. This can be explored in terms of conventional and alternative understandings of awareness (Beyond the Standard Model of Universal Awareness, 2010). One approach is through exploring human ability to conceive of simplicity (Psychodynamics of Conscious Simplicity, 2005).

The challenge of the times -- despite and because of the explosion of communication possibilities -- is that essentially the knowledge society is developing to a point at which nothing can be effectively communicated (Emerging Memetic Singularity in the Global Knowledge Society, 2009; Dynamically Gated Conceptual Communities, 2004). Each is increasingly constrained by information overload and the lack of time for comprehension -- the "blip culture" predicted by Alvin Toffler (The Third Wave, 1980). Each "connects the dots" to which he or she has access -- configured into "constellations" (the "con-" prefix again) from the part of the "knowledge universe" which they inhabit. Increasingly each lives within such a configuration, considered meaningful -- but increasingly meaningless (even subjective) from other parts of the "knowledge universe" (as discussed below). Hence the challenge of "encompasings the con".