All we ever know is consciousness. We never experience anything outside of consciousness. Thoughts, feelings, sensations, perceptions, are all in consciousness. Our experience of the mind, the body and the world are all in consciousness. Consciousness is our core state of being and knowing, within which life is experienced.

Although common human belief is that consciousness is in the body or the head, Non Duality sees it differently. The body is in consciousness. We may believe that we are in the body, but truly the body is experienced in consciousness. A useful way to consider the world, a theory if you like, is that the body and the world are condensations of consciousness. That is, the matter of the world and the body we experience in consciousness is a condensing of consciousness as hardened dense form. Thought forms can be considered as condensed consciousness also, though less dense than matter. It's a way of understanding the world as varying degrees of consciousness, in keeping with the fact that all we ever know is consciousness.

It's a useful theory in coming to terms with the prevalence of consciousness and recognising consciousness as the substance of the universe. In spirituality and science there is an understanding of the world as vibration. The world is seen as different levels of vibration. This ties in nicely with the condensed consciousness theory, when we consider that it is consciousness that is vibrating.

So we have a good theory there that the world appears as condensed consciousness vibrating at different levels or frequencies. But we can go a step further and say that although this is a good model for understanding consciousness and the universe, it's not wholly accurate. You see, really there isn't a condensation of consciousness. Consciousness stays exactly as it is. The condensing of consciousness is an illusory appearance. It is the 'maya', the magical or illusory appearance of the world.

The world only seems to be a condensing or vibrating of Consciousness. The true nature of Consciousness is perfect stillness, undisturbed and unchanging. Consciousness does not really become something else. Consciousness is beyond time, space and dimension. It is formless, complete emptiness. So how does the world appear in Consciousness?

Although ripples of consciousness seem to be perceived, and it could be said that over time and space the ups and downs cancel out, truly Consciousness does not vibrate at all. This appearance of a vibrating pulsing universe is like a reflection upon the still, perfect surface of the Infinite Ocean of Consciousness. The appearance of highs and lows, depth and distance, variety and change, is a reflection on the unchanging surface of dimensionless Consciousness.

It is not dissimilar to how a three dimensional landscape appears on a two dimensional TV screen, whilst the TV screen remains unaffected by any fires, floods, or explosions that happen in a movie. The depth in the movie is illusory. The time in the movie is illusory. The change and variety upon the screen is illusory. The screen remains as it is.

Suitably the appearance of the world is a reflection, as it demonstrates the opposite qualities of Infinite Consciousness. Form appears in the formless. Distance appears in the dimensionless. Time appears in the changeless. Limits appear in the limitless. Fluctuation appears in the stillness. Restriction appears in the free. Separation appears in the One.