Mind, Emotion, Body, World, Time

Purpose of the Study: This study sets out to offer itself as an accessible primer for the new student of the history of consciousness who wishes an introduction to past, present, and future philosophy, psychology, and consciousness by way of five forces which appear to significantly shape what consciousness has been, what it is, and what it may become. Procedure: The study is based in the author's reflections on meaning and begins with speculation about consciousness among life's species long before the human, long before mammals. The study briefly considers the sweep of historical thinking and consciousness from the earliest times up through the present. It then considers five facets in the consciousness of the present and raises a question about who inhabits the now in which we live. The study finally considers possible shapes of psychological characteristics of the future. The study uses five methods to make the reading more accessible to new students of the subject. Findings: The study hypothesizes that consciousness has existed from very early in the history of life on the planet. It observes very early evidence of human activity and describes mind-emotion-body- world-time aspects of consciousness which can be deduced from limited evidence. It reviews a number of stairsteps in the development of thought and comprehension in the period leading up to recent movements in thought. The study explains that mind, emotion, body, world, and time are five facets of a single integrated experience of life. The study hypothesizes that conscious life surrounds us in the present and that much of the body referred to in the Gaia hypothesis exhibits consciousness. The study completes its journey through time by showing that fifteen characteristics of psychological process in the present are actually good candidates for continuation into the near and remote future and can significantly help humans develop and maintain a viable future.