Since attaining higher levels of consciousness is so difficult an activity; when we try to do this, we will be put into contact with other members of that group most suitable to help us; an 'invisible college' which shares our particular outlook and aims.
Thia may seem to happen by accident, or may be recognised as destiny - but it will happen.
The members of the invisible college will include unknown people whose contact is imperceptible, it may include people in our environment whom we meet often - but also those who, while they remain alive and in-conact post-mortally, come to our attention via books, music, or other long-lasting artifacts and communications.
Our invisible college has the following characteristics
1. Recognition of other group members is immediate - although wordless. The real relationship is at a higher psychological level than is usual.
2. Group members are engaged in work with the same quality of outlook, and the same quality of consciousness - although generally with different methods and using different forms.
3. The function of groups is to stimulate and inform one another - perhaps directly (person to person), but often in roundabout ways - and potentially in imperceptible ways. In other words, communication among the invisible college is direct and participative - and not dependent upon the partialities and imperfections of physical communication.
4. As time goes by, and with the consent and in line with the wishes of members; the groups tend to become closer and more intensely and mutually helpful. Also they become more effective in bringing help and guidance to the world - in line with their special function.
5. These groups share a 'religion' - which is natural, unconditional and wide - this religion is mutually felt, but seldom something explicit or recognised in the world.
**
From the above criteria I can recognise some living people in my own invisible college of divine work - some known personally, some known-of but never met, and some who are numbered among the (so called) dead: in literature JRR Tolkien, Colin Wilson, Blaise Pascal, Thomas Traherne; in music JS Bach and Glenn Gould; in science Einstein; in religion John the Apostle and Evangelist.
(As well as people; I feel a similar collegiality about certain places and philosophies, metaphysics, theology... But these may well be a different kind of phenomenon.)
From this partial list (supplemented by people among the living), I can see something of the shape of my own main business in life.
***
The above is summarised and somewhat extrapolated from Chapter Six 'The Problems' of William Arkle's book A Geography of Consciouness (1974).
