The Conscious Reporter examines the issues, agendas and forces driving the suppression of alternative spirituality and the freedom of consciousness in the world today. In an age where spirituality is increasingly pushed to the margins, we report on the issues affecting spiritual freedom, bringing to light efforts to erode, suppress and smear alternative spirituality and the freedom of consciousnes
s. These matters are often ignored in the mass media, where alternative spiritual endeavours or spiritual approaches to understanding consciousness are often blacked-out of public discussion or even outright attacked. Spiritual freedom is a freedom of consciousness. So as well as examining issues affecting the right to associate with others and practice the spirituality of one’s choice, we also look at factors which restrict the capacity of individuals to seek something more than purely material living offers – to study and explore human potential, the nature of consciousness, the universe and life’s meaning beyond material limitations. Alternative spirituality has been attacked throughout history: many of today’s established religions were persecuted when they sought to provide an alternative to the establishment of their day. Potentially any religion can find itself persecuted by another where it’s in the minority and tolerance and respect for free will give way to fanaticism. But today, particularly in the west, the suppression of spirituality also comes as a result of society turning further away from spiritual values to materialism, resulting in indifference, aversion or even fear and open hostility toward spirituality in general, even though religious freedom may be a protected right on paper. An environment hostile toward free spiritual expression makes it harder for new forms to arise as they have done in the past. This impacts heavily on smaller alternative forms of spirituality, as these are more vulnerable to attack due to being less established. Opposition comes in many forms, subtle and overt, sometimes driven by blind ignorance and intolerance but also by deliberate and sinister agendas. This has a chilling effect which can inhibit new forms of spiritual expression emerging. Throughout history, many different traditions, cultures, and teachings have fed into the stream of spirituality humanity has accessed. It is a stream that is eternal yet constantly renewed, just as a river is renewed by fresh rains yet flows in the same direction. All great spiritual traditions have sought to break out of the maze of materialism and go beyond physical boundaries to seek “salvation” or “enlightenment”. It may be defined differently, but it is essentially about reaching for something profound, higher and more fulfilling than material pursuits, something that explores the metaphysical depth of human potential. Whether you define this experience as “faith” “mysticism, “spirituality” or “religion”, human life would be greatly impoverished without it. Not everyone wants consciousness to be free, but where the freedom of consciousness is opposed, we will seek to reveal the truth about it here. This website will report on issues affecting spiritual freedom and shine a light on efforts to erode it.
