Why consciousness “must be an illusion”

by Jon Rappoport

November 10, 2015

(To read about Jon’s mega-collection, The Matrix Revealed, click here.)

As my readers know, I’ve tackled this subject from a number of angles. (See also here.)

Conventional physics has painted itself into a corner, because it assumes that all sub-atomic particles (the constituents of the brain and the universe) contain no awareness whatsoever.

Therefore, there is no reason to assume that consciousness exists. The idea that it does must be an illusion, a misnomer, a groundless superstition, a holdover from a more primitive time.

And yet, there you are, right now, reading these words, and more importantly, you are conscious of the fact that you’re reading these words.

So you must be crazy, the victim of an illusion. You must be the end-user of a stream of thought over which you have no control—a stream that “tells you” you’re conscious…in the same way a voice in your head might tell you you’re living on the moon right now.

And if you multiply this unfortunate situation by about eight billion, you have a madhouse of a planet where everyone automatically assumes they’re conscious, whereas, in fact, no one is. Everyone is a machine responding to stimuli, some of which are prompting you to say, “I’m conscious”—an entirely meaningless statement.

And if you buy all that, I have golf course memberships for sale on Jupiter.

Conventional physics has painted itself into a corner, and wants to be in that corner, because admitting there is such a thing as consciousness is tantamount to admitting that a major component of life, the major component of life, is outside any analysis of matter and energy, since it, consciousness, is not made out of matter or energy.

All sorts of drug researchers would chime in at this point: “But we knew that chemicals change consciousness by affecting the brain. Therefore, the brain is the seat of all consciousness.”

As usual, they miss the point. The fact of being conscious, regardless of the particular state, is independent of those chemicals.

Whether you’re aware of seeing buildings on a street or green writhing polka-dot creatures directing traffic, you are the one who is aware. You’re the one who knows you’re seeing buildings or creatures.

Now we’re really in deep water, because, you see, you’re not supposed to exist at all. You’re supposed to be a brain. You’re supposed to be a few trillion neurons clicking and ticking. You’re supposed to be, at best, “someone who thinks he’s someone,” or rather, “no one who thinks he’s someone.”

“Hi, I’m no one who thinks he’s someone.”

“Hi. Me too. Let’s do whatever our brains are making us do, since we can’t have freedom—another illusion.”

“Sounds good. Where do we start?”

“We wait for instructions. In the meantime, I have beer, wine, or sparkling water.”

If it occurs to you that this mechanistic view of life has some uses for those who are highly interested in mind control, you’re right. “Waiting for instructions” would be an ideal state for the reception of programming. Freedom, on the other hand, would be a non-starter.

“Test subject 465-A believes he is free. His illusion is interfering with the insertion of our package of beliefs…”

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the armies of “rational people,” who are quite sure that a rejection of all-out scientific materialism would suddenly put them in the camp of religionists. They see no other alternatives. It’s either science or a church.

Well, that’s their problem. They can only entertain two possibilities. They reveal a distinct lack of imagination.

And I suppose I should also say a word about “the DNA people.” They’re utterly convinced that DNA creates consciousness. But DNA is matter, and according to the same scientists who research the whole genetic puzzle, matter is composed of tiny particles or waves that display no sign of consciousness.

Now, admitting that what I’m writing here won’t find its way into any TED talks (the source of all cutting-edge wisdom on the planet), I should point out that the issue of consciousness has been plaguing philosophers in the West ever since the onslaught of science and technology at the end of the 19th century. And in time-honored fashion, philosophers have opted for their favorite strategy: ignore the problem, pretend it doesn’t exist, claim the problem itself is based on a confusion about…anything. About language, for example. Language, as (mis)constructed, contains words that indicate the existence of meaningless objects (like consciousness). There, all done, move along, nothing to see here.

Finally, we have another bunch of people who would happily report: “Scientists miss the mark. The brain and the universe are made out of particles that do, in fact, possess consciousness. ‘Everything is conscious.’”

They say that, and for some interesting reason, they avoid saying that the individual, the You, the non-machine non-material You, has consciousness.

They only want to posit collective consciousness. That’s their tune. They keep singing it. And if you listen to the words, they are, in their own way, trying to erase the whole notion of the individual.

Why? Because the most basic form of mind control involves denying that the individual exists. If they can put that one over, if they can sell it, they can push an agenda of: The Group is All.

This resonates quite nicely with the way the world is shaping up these days. Or rather, being shaped up. On purpose.

In case you hadn’t noticed.

Among the endless number of states of consciousness, there is certainly a collective version. The individual can enter it, and he can exit it. It’s not the be-all and end-all. It’s not a permanent paradise with closed doors.

But who would notice that fact in a world where the population has bought the idea that the conscious individual doesn’t exist, and is merely a biological machine programmed this way or that way?

Our most august intellectuals are, under the surface, arguing for the machine view. They’re mixing and matching the metaphysical and the political on behalf of a Collective Hive, because the winds that carry money and prestige are blowing that way.

They’re selling the proposition that the individual, his consciousness, his freedom, and his power are delusional dust of a bygone era.

They’re using a story about science as their primary tool.

If you want to buy that ticket and take that ride, understand where it’s going to take you.

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You can watch any number of talks where the speaker mentions “the ground of all being,” “collective wisdom,” “universal consciousness,” “the universe gives you permission,” and the audience snaps it up like pure sugar. It’s very interesting. Stimulus-response. Bell rings, dog drools. This is a form of programming whose time has come—if people want to surrender and drift into a passive state.

And leave behind their own individual power.

“Tonight, on the cosmological news channel, the individual isn’t conscious and doesn’t exist, the brain is all, and we’re all the same thing together. Brought to you by The Great Cheese Glob in the Sky, coming to theaters soon…”

“But first, let’s talk about Nature. As we know, we’re all part of Nature. Being an individual is a delusion that keeps us separate from Nature. And did I mention Nature? Order your manual that tells you how to think and talk about yourself as part of Nature and you’ll receive this free set of twelve dinner knives and a box of doilies reproduced from Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh’s personal collection, inscribed with his famous environmental statement: “I must confess that I am tempted to ask for reincarnation as a particularly deadly virus.”

A real humanitarian, the Duke is.

Jon Rappoport

The author of three explosive collections, THE MATRIX REVEALED, EXIT FROM THE MATRIX, and POWER OUTSIDE THE MATRIX, Jon was a candidate for a US Congressional seat in the 29^th District of California. He maintains a consulting practice for private clients, the purpose of which is the expansion of personal creative power. Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, he has worked as an investigative reporter for 30 years, writing articles on politics, medicine, and health for CBS Healthwatch, LA Weekly, Spin Magazine, Stern, and other newspapers and magazines in the US and Europe. Jon has delivered lectures and seminars on global politics, health, logic, and creative power to audiences around the world. You can sign up for his free NoMoreFakeNews emails here or his free OutsideTheRealityMachine emails here.