Evolution of the Human Consciousness

        The recent discovery of the evolution of the consciousness by the social scientists has revealed the complex phenomenon of the structure, development and functioning of our consciousness since the day we are born. Historically speaking, there are four epochs or eras of the development of the consciousness viz.

1. Archaic era    (6 million years ago to 20,000 year ago)
2. Magic era      (20,000 BC -10,000 BC)
3. Mythic era    (10,000 BC to1500 BC)
4. Mental era    (1,500 BC - the Present time on)

Scholars and scientists  such as British Owen Barfield (1898-1997) and German Jean Gebser (1905-1973) of the theory of evolution of the consciousness  believe that we develop our conscious with the age, circumstances, and surroundings. Our consciousness has been shaped by a host of phenomena along with the evolution of  man on the planet Earth.

Archaic Era

           Archaic epoch of consciousness is called Ouroborotic- etymologically from Greek origin of Ouroboros, an ancient symbol depicting a serpent or dragon eating its own tail. During this time stretch, the mind is in the state of adual immersion, dumb aduality and oceanic aduality.The consciousness of the new born child is like the people in archaic era for the mind is completely dark, blank and devoid of duality. A lovely cherubic child is beautiful with its physique but the consciousness is like a dark tunnel.There are two processes of the progression of the consciousness: phylogenical and ontogenica. And they invariably go parallel during the archaic era. This stage of consciousness has no sense of time and people were self-contained mostly. Thus four key words of the archaic epoch of consciousness are adualism, Ouroboros, self-contained, and timelessness. In fine, this period of human history, men were gypsies, savage, cavemen, hunters, etc. 

Fiction and Nonfiction

         In 'The Truth of Lies' Pevuvian writer and Nobel Prize winner Mario Vergas Llosa says 'Only literature has the techniques and powers to distill this delicate elixir of life: the truth hidden in the heart of human lies.' The reference to 'lies' can be construed as the indication to the fiction that deals with completely imaginative world as compared to its counterpart nonfiction. He claims that nonfiction cannont contain the fullest meaning of life since there is no place for impossibilities. The exclusion of temptation of impossibilities makes the nonfiction as a dry intellectual corpus of writings without a place for imagination and subjectivity.

           Life cannot be led by the rational intellectualism alone. And literature gives a better scope to escape from this world of objectivity. This is not going to surprise us when novel is said to be the best that brings forth an opportunity to create a world of our own. Indeed, it is an expression of the temptation of the impossible. Llosa's message is loud and clear when he says we should never resign or give up the quest for the impossible. Since the life beyond this life is always elusive, unknown and doubtful, literature virtually provides 'another life'. The act of reception of the aesthetic pleasure from the literature fulfills the unquenchable and the insatiable. 

          In broader sense, fiction is the representation of the imagination that is chiefly meant to unification of senses and perceptions. On the other hand, nonfiction is a pure expression of the intellect and based on objective approaches. Nonfiction cannot exist without being meaningful whereas imagination in fiction is always an enemy of meaningfulness. And it is well acknowledged perception that intellect cannot surpass imagination. Though students of literature should be more imaginative, they should also be informed readers. As Walt Whitman in 'Leaves of Grass' says 'immense has been the preparation for me.' And immense preparation comes only after reading nonfiction.

Mario Vergas Llossa, Nobel Prize for Literature 2010