Evolution and the Emergence of ‘I Am’

"How does the knowledge ‘I am’ emerge in evolution? Was there a point when consciousness first became aware of itself through a finite mind? Rupert says: ‘Infinite consciousness doesn’t evolve – evolution belongs to the realm of manifestation. What we call evolution is the progressive refinement of forms through which consciousness knows itself. The “I am” doesn’t emerge at a point in time, because time itself is created by the finite mind. It would be more accurate to say that the “I am” is the first contraction of the infinite into apparent finitude. Through the faculties of thinking and perceiving, the infinite seems to localise itself as a finite mind, and through that localisation, time and space appear. As William Blake said, “If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, infinite.” The doors of perception don’t reveal infinity – they conceal it.’"

From event 21 - 28 November, 2025 Seven-Day Retreat at The Vedanta, 21–28 November 2025

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