From the Big Bang to the Unique Self Symphony
This entire grand story incarnates a law of reality, what we might call the law of transformation. This law traces not one but six big bangs. A more evocative and accurate term the commonly used language of Big Bang, might be what cosmologist Brian Swimme has termed the Great Flaring Forth.
There are six distinct Flaring Forths, each of which transcends and includes the one before. The motive force driving all six is Eros, the ceaseless creativity that is inherent to the cosmos: Love by any other name. The first three might be referred to in short hand as matter, life, mind.
The first flaring forth initiates and drives cosmological evolution (matter). This is the emergence of stars, galaxies and planets.
The second flaring forth initiates and drives biological evolution (life). This begins with the first awakening of life and goes all the way up the evolutionary epic until the dawn of human beings.
The third flaring forth initiates and drives cultural evolution (mind). This starts with early human being and traces all the way through the many distinct stages of cultural and technological evolution until modernity.
The fourth flaring forth takes place when evolution awakens to itself. We become aware that we are living in an evolutionary context. This awakening is taking place only in the last two hundred years.
The fifth flaring forth is when evolution awakens to itself as your Unique Self.
The sixth big bang is the convergence of two distinct movements which are but two faces of the one. First it is the awakening from Unique Self to evolutionary Unique Self. The second is the formation of Evolutionary We Space.
When billions of Unique Selves awaken to their evolutionary context and give their unique gifts which emerges from their unique insight then the Outrageous Love and infinite creativity of the Unique Self Symphony is born.
This awakening characterizes the sixth big bang and marks the formation of Evolutionary We Space, which is the emergence of a higher global wisdom in which each individual has irreducible rights and dignity and at the same time contributes to a larger collective intelligence.
In sweeping terms we might say that each of the six big bangs transcends and includes the big bang before it. Each level transcends and includes its previous level. Each level then is holding more, including more, and loving more of reality. This is the process of the evolution of love. For evolution is once again seen as love in action.
Biological evolution, the second big bang, transcends and includes cosmological evolution, the first big bang. Biology includes all the elements of chemistry and all the laws of physics.
Cultural evolution, the third big bang, transcends and includes both biological and cosmological evolution. Cultural evolution includes all the laws of chemistry, physics and biology.
Evolution awakening to itself, the fourth big bang, transcends and includes all of the previous levels of cultural evolution as well as all of the laws of biology, chemistry and physics.
Evolution awakening as Your Unique Self, the fifth big bang, transcends and includes the fourth big bang- which is evolution awakening to its own self-awareness as a process, even before the individual awakens as the engine of evolution. It also includes all of cultural, biological and cosmological evolution.
Finally the emergence of evolutionary we space, the sixth big bang includes Unique Self–now awakening as Evolutionary Unique Self, evolution awakening to itself, as well as cultural, biological and cosmological evolution. Each great flaring forth, each big bang transcends and includes all the big bangs that came before it even as it adds an entirely new emergent. The creative advance of novelty runs like a thread throughout, motivated the evolutionary Eros itself.
From a not yet published essay by Marc Gafni
