That New Old Time Religion
Supernatural consciousness does not exist.

The popular use of phrases such as "higher consciousness," "mass consciousness," "a new level of consciousness," and "transforming consciousness" shows how supernatural ideas degrade the general body of thought. Introduced by elites, who employ suitable supernatural mumbo-jumbo and a contrived vocabulary, jargon is picked up and used by people who think that they have rejected that Old Time religion. Discarding reason, they latch on to the new exploiters of magical thinking who demand large sums of money for “spiritual knowledge.” Intelligent Americans turn over control of their lives to unsavory and controlling personalities, just as our ancestors did. .

Supernatural "consciousness" has replaced “higher education,” “familiarity with a range of information,” “exposure to other cultures,” “self-improvement,” “reading and study,” or “guiding children to become functioning adults.” "Higher consciousness" was used in the 1960's to describe drug experiences, which are physical, but nevertheless, drugs were sold as the path to a supernatural dimension; by means of drug experiences mankind would be saved, universal love would become effortless, and paradise would be established, at least in California. The result of this misrepresentation is an epidemic of substance abuse across the United States.

As used in popular culture, consciousness is another word for animism, and joins other words like soul, spirit, god, angel, or ghost, which confer the unwarranted belief that awareness and consciousness originate outside the human brain. Claims that the supernatural version of consciousness is scientifically or medically based are deceptive; an entire industry has been built on promises of instant magical solutions to real physical problems such as insomnia, or to sanitize anti-social impulses like greed. Create wealth the spiritual way. This oxymoron has passed into Christian churches as, "Jesus wants you to be rich."

Contrary to the emphasis on change, the supernatural version of consciousness erects a barrier to change by removing thought processes that arise in the human brain, and therefore happen in physical reality, to a non-existent dimension where nothing can occur.

The following quotes are a sample of what has become an epidemic of supernatural thinking that is being misrepresented as spiritual innovation.

“A radical inner transformation and rise to a new level of consciousness might be the only real hope we have in the current global crisis brought on by the dominance of the Western mechanistic paradigm.” _Stanislav Grof
Translation: Education about technologies that have harmed the environment would help people to make necessary and urgent corrections more quickly. By posing a supernatural solution as the "only real hope" Mr. Grof makes the situation hopeless.

"All historical experience demonstrates the following: Our earth cannot be changed unless in the not too distant future an alteration in the consciousness of individuals is achieved.” _ Hans Kung
Sorry Hans, the earth has been changing for 4.5 billion years without Homo sapiens. "Alteration in consciousness" is being used instead of "becoming educated." Again, change is impossible because the solution is defined as magical.

"Art is the production of objects for consumption, to be used and discarded while waiting for a new world in which man will have succeeded in freeing himself of everything, even
of his own consciousness.” _ Eugenio Mont
This is a ridiculous statement, but such nonsense is regarded as visionary wisdom by many Americans.

“And we're seeing a higher level of consciousness and many more opportunities for people to challenge their present ways of thinking and move into a grander and larger experience of who they really are.”_Neale Walsch
Nonsense. Any one of us can make changes in both the content of our thought and in our patterns of thinking at any time, but we are constantly told that we can't, or that it requires secret supernatural knowledge.

"If you put yourself in a position where you have to stretch outside your comfort zone, then you are forced to expand your consciousness.”
-Les Brown
This idea was formerly expressed as, "Education broadens one's horizons."

“It is the State which educates its citizens in civic virtue, gives them a consciousness of their mission and welds them into unity." _Benito Mussolini
Who else but a Top Male dictator would understand the pragmatic application of a created group identity?