The Influence of Conscience

By Paramatma Dasi

On March 22nd and 23rd, in the Aula Magna of the Bhaktivedanta Foundation, took place the sixth Seminar of the CSB Counseling three years Course.

Dr. Andrea Boni (Anantadeva Dasa) and Dr. Priscilla Bianchi (Paramatma Dasi), respectively Coordinator and Director of Studies of the CSB Counseling School, spoke on the theme The Influence of Conscience on the Individual and on the Environment: Reality as a manifestation of our Desires.

The purpose of this Seminar was mainly to explain and prove how the individual's conscience models the reality around us, and how thoughts and desires, ideas and dreams, are at the base of physical events that show up in our life.

The human brain, explained Andrea Boni – who talked from a quantistic-scientific perspective – is programmed for our evolution. It is a sophisticated “instrument”, which is 1000 times faster than the fastest computer of the world and contains as many neurons as the stars in the Milky Way (about 100 billions). The human brain has an amazing plastic capacity, which allows it to remodel its synaptic structure depending on the experiences lived by the subject.

However our awareness of the information processed by the brain, is very little and there is a high risk to develop a narrow vision of reality, like the one of the frog in the well, as the ancient tail explains, retold by the speaker. With reference to it Dr. Boni talked about fragmentation and wholeness, considering cultural and social implications. But if all is relative, what is reality? Reality is connected to a superior order of things and mainly to conscience. Our reality consists of multiple, infinite possibilities; the one that “collapses” is the reality on which we will direct our attention. Among the various themes considered, a rather important one was the relation between observer (conscience) and observed, discussed also with the help of explanations and examples taken from the quantum physics and Patanjali Yogasutras. Conscience is the creator of reality, and the self (atman) is the protagonist of life, even if when it is embodied must deal with the archetypal forces of Nature (gunas), which determine its present and future situations. The final part of the conference held by Andrea Boni suggested the hints for the continuation of the complex and fascinating theme, carried on and integrated, on the following day, by Priscilla Bianchi, according to a phylosophical and psychological view.

To begin with, the urgency to become aware and to learn how to handle our inner processes is a must: this was explained by Priscilla Bianchi, who often referred to the Indovedic sources. The existance of universal and psychological laws driving our lives and creating physical reality is something we have to understand very clearly. Our mental images and contents determine reality around us and produce corresponding emotions.

Everyone attracts what is “connected to” with one’s own thoughts and desires; this is confirmed by the law of attraction, well known to the ancient vedic knowledge and commented by Priscilla Bianchi also by quoting Upanishads and Bhagavad-Gita's wisdom. To modify the situations outside, we have to make a deep work inside us with an intense act of will. After going through the five categories of man’s needs (as explained by Maslow), Dr. Bianchi concentrated her speech on the six phases of will-power, enriching her explanations with stories and practical examples. The same as the morning before, many and various questions were asked by the audience that attended the Seminar with special attention.

The afternoon workshops centered on exercises of role-playing, visualization and group discussion, which helped a lot to improve students' ability to listen to themeselves and to others.

Next Counseling Seminar will take place on April 18th and 19^th, always in the Aula Magna of the Bhaktivedanta Foundation.