Get Help from Gnostic Instructors

Imagining all physical beings arranged by populations and relative level of individual mind, we would see the minerals at the bottom, plants above them, animals above them, and finally the intellectual animals at the "top." (so to speak)

This visual implies that there are many more minerals than any other physical bodies, and also that they have the least individuality.

We know that amongst humanoids the sense of individuality is most pronounced (even though it is illusory until the Soul is created). Intellectual animals are still part of a collective mind.

The collective mind of animals is readily visible in herds, flocks, schools, etc. Only in the highest forms of animals does the death of a single individual have a strong impact on the whole, because there are fewer of those animals.

The collective mind of plants is also visible; many "plants" are just parts of "one creature." The death of a single individual rarely has any impact on the whole.

Thus, we see the collective mind or multiplicity increases as we also increase the density of population.

There is no "individual" mineral. We do find some hint of towards separation or individualization in diamonds, other gems, crystals, etc., but they still are just tiny bodies of a collective mind. Therefore minerals are the least individualized, and most collective.

A collective mind utilizes multiple physical bodies to expresses itself as it evolves towards individualization. The physical bodies are highly disposable and not very important individually, since the mind itself will just express through new bodies. This is visible in the seasonal growth of plants: they drop leaves and grow new ones. We see that also from the internal worlds to the external: the <a href="/faqs/psychology/1720-what-is-consciousness.html" title="Consciousness is the basis of perception" target="_parent" >consciousness</a> drops bodies and grows new ones.

Thus, from the point of view of the evolving <a href="/faqs/psychology/1720-what-is-consciousness.html" title="Consciousness is the basis of perception" target="_parent" >consciousness</a>, there is no "rock" or "mountain."

Individual bodies become more important the closer the <a href="/faqs/psychology/1720-what-is-consciousness.html" title="Consciousness is the basis of perception" target="_parent" >consciousness</a> comes to actually reaching individualization: in a humanoid body. But again, the body is only important if the soul is being made. If the soul is not being created, then the physical bodies are as valuable as the leaves of a tree.

Finally, remember that all of these elementals have their center of gravity in the consciousness, not physicality. To them, the physical body is seen and considered in the same way we look at our clothing.

We, who are asleep and corrupted, do not have our center of gravity in the consciousness, but in physicality (desire for sensation) thus we very inaccurately perceive the physical body and its relative importance.