Mind and Supermind

Fluid Dynamics and the Urban Grid

Plato, Jung, and the Superconscious

The reputed Swiss psychologist Carl Jung, who was initially a student of Sigmund Freud before they had a falling out, developed the concept of the collective unconscious in his writings. He described it as a level of the human consciousness that surpassed any influence of the individual ego, but was, instead, inherited by the individual as a kind of tribal memory — an instinctive level of awareness and understanding shared by and common to the human species as a whole:

Jung proceeds to suggest that the collective unconscious is closely connected with instinctual behavior in human beings, and that “archetypes are the unconscious images of the instincts themselves, in other words, that they are patterns of instinctual behavior.” (Ibid., p. 44)

Jung’s ideas suggest that, at some point in our prehistory, human beings operated purely instinctually, somewhat akin to a school of fish. With the development of words and language, over time — in other words, the “verbal consciousness” or, in the language of psychologists like Jung and his mentor, Freud, the “ego” — this instinctual level of shared awareness became buried under and obscured to our “waking” consciousness, i.e., our beta brainwave state of conscious awareness. It is only now being perceived as what Jung termed the “collective unconscious” — the unconscious domain of shared human instincts and archetypal paradigms.

Jung’s idea appears to share some degree of commonality with the Platonic concept of “forms” as described in the famous “allegory of the cave” cited in Plato’s Republic:

The Allegory of the Cave is a paradoxical analogy wherein Socrates argues that the invisible world is the most intelligible (noeton) and that the visible world ((h)oraton) is the least knowable, and the most obscure.

Socrates says in the Republic that people who take the sun-lit world of the senses to be good and real are living pitifully in a den of evil and ignorance. Socrates admits that few climb out of the den, or cave of ignorance, and those who do, not only have a terrible struggle to attain the heights, but when they go back down for a visit or to help other people up, they find themselves objects of scorn and ridicule.

According to Socrates, physical objects and physical events are “shadows”  of their ideal or perfect forms, and exist only to the extent that they instantiate the perfect versions of themselves. Just as shadows are temporary, inconsequential epiphenomena produced by physical objects, physical objects are themselves fleeting phenomena caused by more substantial causes, the ideals of which they mere instances. For example, Socrates thinks that perfect justice exists (although it is not clear where) and his own trial would be a cheap copy of it.

Wikipedia contributors. “Plato.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 
Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 11 Dec. 2021. Web. 1 Feb. 2026.

It appears, as suggested by numerous authors across various traditions, that at some point in human prehistory, most or all human beings operated from a shared, instinctual level of consciousness. Jung suggests that this is the “collective unconscious,” while Plato describes an abstract domain of “forms” as the underlying basis of everyday experienced reality.

Literalism in Science, Religion, and Media

Over time, with the development of conscious verbal communication — words and language — allegorically described, I would suggest, in the Biblical story of the Tower of Babel, human consciousness became entrapped in a state of “literate literalism.” With the development of the “verbal consciousness” — i.e., the “word cloud” that we call the “waking consciousness” or the “left brain,” there appears to be no room left, in human discourse, for the unspoken, the unsaid, the tangential, or the spiritual — in other words, for the non-verbal. We live under a tyranny of words — of verbiage, and the verbal, such that anything that cannot be verbally expressed is deemed not to exist. Everything must be taken at face value, and there is no room, in this world, apparently, for deeper, hidden levels of meaning and understanding.

This “literate literalism” is what Plato would, paradoxically, describe as the “cave of ignorance” — a state of immersion in the literal, i.e., in material objects and perceived experience. On the other hand, the hidden, deeper, unconscious domains of reality are what Plato would likely consider to be the domain of “forms,” and what Jung would probably refer to as “archetypes.”

However, from the standpoint of the modern literalist sensibility, informed by the verbal consciousness, the only domain that has any real existence is that which can be perceived by the senses and is tangible and measurable. From the perspective of “science” — often used as a buzzword or catch-phrase to refer to this “literate literalist” sensibility — if it is not tangible, observable, or measurable, it does not exist. It occupies the domain of fantasy or delusion, presumably, of fairy tales and contrived absurdities.

In the sphere of religion, this literalist mindset expresses itself as fundamentalism, with the assertion that all doctrines and texts must be interpreted literally and at face value, even if doing so generates absurd contradictions. The irony inherent in fundamentalist ideologies is that it is highly unlikely, if at all possible, that the authors and prophets cited by fundamentalists, when referring to their sacred texts and doctrines, were speaking or even thinking in a literal frame of mind. Rather, they were almost certainly all speaking and thinking metaphorically or allegorically.

This shallow, literalist level of human consciousness — obsessed with appearances and superficiality — is most readily apparent in modern mass media. In this domain, that which is onscreen, as it were, determines reality — the two-dimensional image on a screen (as in Plato’s allegory of shadows in the cave of ignorance) overrides, in its importance, even that which is directly experienced by the senses as three-dimensional reality. Ironically, in Plato’s allegory, three-dimensional experiential reality is itself constituted only of the shadowy copies of a higher dimension of reality — the domain of “forms.”

In the world of mass media, performers are awarded wealth, recognition, and celebrity status largely by virtue of their on-screen presence. Cable and television news, presented by actors reading from teleprompters while posing as intellectual journalists, invariably supersedes public discourse and even expert opinion, which are often censored or disregarded if they are at odds with the on-screen narrative. And in this inverted domain, “reality TV” is the paradoxical rendering of contrived fictions presented on-screen as supposed reality, superseding both reality and fiction in importance and significance. In that sense, it may be said that modern cable and TV news is a form of “reality television” — contrived, fictitious narratives being presented and disguised as reality.

Esotericism and the Superconscious

Eastern esoteric practices, such as Transcendental Meditation (TM) and Vipassana Meditation, emphasize the importance of “going within” to transcend the illusory reality of everyday experience in which we are immersed. This is the reality that is variously described as the conscious waking experience (Jung) or as shadows in the cave of ignorance (Plato). It is the domain of verbal consciousness — of sensory perception and experience, and of the word cloud or the narrative symbolism arising from it.

Transcending the verbal/perceptual/empirical levels of reality in eastern esoteric and mystical traditions typically involves practices that emphasize the importance of silence, both vocal and mental. In the practice of Transcendental Meditation (TM), the mental recitation of the TM mantra or incantation helps the mind settle down until it is immersed in the pure, absolute silence of the superconscious — an experience referred to as “transcending.”

In the tradition of Vipassana Meditation, the practice involves following a code of conduct for a certain duration, which is significantly characterized by “Noble Silence” or “silence of body, speech, and mind” in which “[a]ny form of communication with fellow student[s], whether by gestures, sign language, written notes, [speech], etc. is prohibited.” (Vipassana Meditation Code of Discipline) The purpose of following this code of silence in this tradition is to enable deep introspection and self-reflection. The basic principle, here, appears to be the same. It is the transcending of the verbal consciousness — the word cloud of perceptions, symbols, and narratives that constitutes the waking consciousness. An immersion in deep silence serves as the vehicle, presumably, to access deeper levels of consciousness — the superconscious — in Jung’s terms, the collective unconscious or, in Plato’s terminology, the domain of Forms.

The Austrian philosopher and clairvoyant, Rudolph Steiner, claimed to be able to read the “Akashic records,” which he suggested reside in a higher dimension of reality and encode all the information in the universe. Edgar Cayce, the famed American psychic, also claimed to be able to access this ethereal plane of reality. Cayce described it as “The Book of Life” and “God’s Book of Remembrance” — essentially referring to a level of reality that supposedly contained all the information pertaining to every human individual in existence:

Upon time and space is written the thoughts, the deeds, the activities of an entity — as in relationships to its environs, its hereditary influence; as directed — or judgment drawn by or according to what the entity’s ideal is. Hence, as it has been oft called, the record is God’s book of remembrance; and each entity, each soul — as the activities of a single day of an entity in the material world — either makes same good or bad or indifferent, depending upon the entity’s application of self….

Cayce, Edgar. “Reading 1650-1.” The Complete Edgar Cayce 
Readings, A.R.E. Press, 1995.

The testimony of these well-recognized and esteemed psychics, thus, also alludes to the existence of an ethereal realm of “forms” or “archetypes” or “akashic records” that, perhaps, is accessible to the individual via the “collective unconscious” or “superconscious,” through the application of esoteric meditative practices and psychic techniques.

The State of Flow

The experience of the superconscious may also be described as “unity consciousness,” characterized by a deep connection between the self and the universe — one might even say, a shared nonverbal understanding among human beings, animals, nature, and the Divine. It may be said to equate, in essence, to a state of prelapsarian innocence and may also be described as “being at one with the universe” or “being in a state of flow.”

The state of being in flow is observable everywhere in the universe

The “flow state,” as identified by Hungarian-American psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, is the “mental state in which a person performing some activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. In essence, flow is characterized by the complete absorption in what one does, and a resulting transformation of one’s sense of time.” (Wikipedia entry on Flow (psychology)). The defining components of the flow state, according to psychologists Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Jeanne Nakamura, include being deeply absorbed in the present moment to the point of losing any sense of the passage of time — experiencing time dilation or contraction, so to speak. It also involves escaping the ego, a “merging of action and awareness” (Ibid.), and a sense that the activity one is engaged in is “intrinsically rewarding, also referred to as autotelic experience.” (Ibid.)

When all these characteristics, along with a few others, coincide, they constitute what is known as being in the “flow state” or being “in the zone” or achieving “zen consciousness.” This heightened state of awareness, or level of experience and performance, has many similarities and connections with the state of “unity consciousness” or “superconsciousness.” Athletes speak of the experience of being in “flow” or in the “zone” — when everything falls into place and seems effortless, such that one can do no wrong. Martial artists are also familiar with the concept and strive for the experience of “zen,” or being at one with the present moment and with all of reality — if only for a moment. Martial arts traditions, in fact, are largely derived from eastern monastic traditions in Zen Buddhism, which, themselves, owe their ultimate origins to Buddhist and Hindu traditions emerging out of the Indian subcontinent and South Asia.

Achieving “flow state” may, perhaps simplistically, be described as transcending the ego or the individual verbal consciousness so as to access a heightened state of awareness or consciousness — “superconsciousness” — in which one becomes completely immersed in the moment, one has access to deep, fundamental truths and knowledge, one is able to perform at heightened levels (e.g. as an athlete or artist or any other such activity) and one is able to achieve a shared awareness with others — with all of nature and creation, in fact, as well as with Divine Being..

It is a state of consciousness and being aspired to by ascetics and meditators, martial artists, Zen monks, professional athletes, and even Silicon Valley tech CEOs (e.g., Apple Inc.’s Steve Jobs and others). It is the source of ideas and inspiration, meaning and purpose, for millions of people around the world who dedicate themselves to various esoteric practices, such as meditation, martial arts, yoga, qigong, etc., to achieve and maintain a state of heightened awareness and self-actualization.

Energy ebbs and flows in fluid patterns, such as through swirls, vortices, spirals, and waveforms

The state of being in flow is observable everywhere in the universe. Indeed, there is evidence to suggest that energy, in the natural universe, ebbs and flows in fluid patterns such as through swirls, vortices, spirals and waveforms, and to access and “ride” this natural flow of energy currents in the universe — as a surfer would “ride” a wave, for example — is to be in a state of “flow.”

There are videos online showing the unregulated flow of traffic on random city streets in India — thousands of tiny vehicles traversing a narrow junction from various directions without a single collision or incident. Pure coincidence, random chance, or, perhaps, an example of thousands of people being in a state of flow, if only for a brief period in their otherwise hectic daily lives? From personal experience, I can attest that such occurrences are quite common on Indian city streets.

Nature is largely constituted of patterns of flow

We can witness the patterns of flow and fluidity in various aspects of the natural world — the way schools of fish traverse the depths of the ocean, the way murmurations of migratory starlings fly in perfect ethereal synchronization, the movement of ocean waves and clouds in the sky, or even in the atmosphere of the planet Jupiter! Flow is everywhere in nature, and being in a state of flow, it may be suggested, is to tap into the infinite reservoirs of energy that are inherent in nature — to become a part of nature and the natural universe and to be energized by the energy currents inherent in nature.

Patterns of flow, characterized by interweaving, swirls, spirals, vortices, and fluidity, appear in many ancient and modern artistic traditions, including Celtic art and symbols, Indian and Tibetan mandalas, and Chinese and Japanese paintings. Patterns of spirals and vortices, especially the Fibonacci spiral, occur everywhere in nature, suggesting that it is fundamental to the flow of energy currents in nature.

Patterns of flow are found in many ancient and modern artistic traditions

One might wonder how being in a flow state, especially in concert with a group of people, differs from conditions of conformity and/or groupthink. I would argue that there is a very clear distinction between the two psychological states. Groupthink, or conformity, occurs under conditions of fear and uncertainty — when a group of people is brought together by shared fears or a common enemy into a communal mindset. This typically involves surrendering one’s individuality and embracing a mindless collective goal, such as joining a lynch mob, complying with government mandates, or conforming to societal norms.

On the other hand, in my estimation, being in a state of flow is characterized by people acting in concert voluntarily, for a loftier cause — a common purpose that is greater than themselves. It does not imply surrendering one’s individuality but, instead, the shedding of personal ego, in order to be in synchronization with a higher order. Examples would include being a concert musician or participating in team sports. In other words, being a team player and collaborating effectively with others toward a shared higher purpose. It is a subtle, but distinct difference.

Viktor Schauberger and Fluid Dynamics

Austrian engineer Viktor Schauberger spent a lifetime studying the fluid and vortex dynamics of flowing water. He leveraged his observations into the construction of ingenious devices, including, apparently, small-scale power generators and a device that created a so-called “dia-magnetic field” — a kind of anti-gravity field, supposedly. His story is a tragic one, however, as he was forcibly recruited by the Nazis during WWII and ordered to weaponize his knowledge of fluid dynamics. When he refused to comply, he was detained in the Mauthausen Nazi death camp in Austria and coerced into working on a prototype for an anti-gravity “flying saucer.” He is even said to have built an anti-gravity device known as the Repulsine to power the airborne vehicle, but his efforts were cut short by the end of the war.

It is arguable whether these reports are verifiable, but there clearly appears to be something in Schauberger’s documented work pointing to fluid dynamics being a mechanism for energy transfer in nature. There is a clear indication that nature flows and transfers energy using currents with swirls, spirals, vortices, and waves — that these are elemental forms in nature, it would seem.

If nature is largely constituted of patterns of flow by which energy is transferred, then it stands to reason that being in a state of flow must involve participating, somehow, in this fluid transfer of energy. A surfer, for example, can only surf ocean waves by allowing their own bodily movements to coordinate with the flow of the ocean currents, by being agile and in flow. If they were to become stiff or rigid on the surfboard, they would not last long on the waves. To surf well, therefore, one must be in a state of flow and in synchronization with the fluidity of the ocean waves.

The Urban Grid versus the Flow of Nature

Sadly, what is most readily apparent about modern urban society is how far removed it is from the flow of nature, especially in the design of the “urban grid,” which is largely characterized by intersecting straight lines. Aerial and satellite photographs of urban areas and landscapes clearly demonstrate the stark contrast between the grid-like construction of modern urban spaces and the natural flow of the surrounding landscape. Metropolitan urban centers, often colloquially referred to as “concrete jungles,” are characterized by grid-like streets and box-like building constructions. The modern urban landscape is essentially an intricate maze of boxes and grids.

Aerial photographs show the stark contrast between the urban grid and the natural flow of the surrounding landscape

If we understand the flow of energy in nature to follow fluid patterns, as described earlier — currents of swirls, vortices, spirals, and waves — then it is evident that urban spaces, with their structures, would disrupt this natural energy flow. This may explain why many people find urban centers emotionally exhausting, confining, and soul-crushing — energetically depleting. It would explain why we long to vacation in natural environments — the beach, the mountains, forest reserves, and state or national parks — to escape the emotionally and psychologically taxing urban grid.

It goes beyond the issue of modern urban construction, though. It seems almost as if there is tangible evidence pointing to the imposition of a primordial unnatural “system” over the natural “order.” The urban grid is, one might suggest, representative of an industrial, technological system of control characterized by monolithic structures, centralized power bases, hierarchies, enslavement, confinement, and a fundamental separation and disconnection from nature. 

Historically, the concept of the urban grid dates back at least to Roman times — possibly even to Egyptian and Babylonian times. The Romans were famed for building road networks to connect the urban centers of their empire, while the Egyptians and Babylonians were world-renowned for their vast, monolithic structures that framed their prosperous urban commercial centers. Even the ancient Indus Valley civilization of the Indian subcontinent is marked by the construction of right-angled street grids and box-like housing settlements. It would appear, therefore, that the urban grid is an inherent feature of technological urbanization and industrialization, dating back to prehistoric times.

I would argue that the urban grid is a manifestation of a technological control system that imposes itself on nature and the natural order, which is otherwise inherently characterized by fluid shapes and natural energy currents. This technological grid appears to be fundamentally designed to separate and distinguish urban centers from nature and the natural order, and to stifle, subjugate, and control the human spirit within its confines. Along with that, it stifles natural human impulses toward creativity, growth, freedom, self-propagation, and expansion. Instead, it encourages mechanistic conformity, robotic obedience, and capitulation to the state and centralized power bases.

Think of how much more liberating the urban atmosphere would be if it were fundamentally redesigned — if, instead of grid-like constructions, they were replaced by fluid, organic shapes and designs — designs that would elevate and energize the human spirit and be in concert with nature rather than being a soulless imposition upon nature. Perhaps it would allow human beings to grow creatively and thrive in profound connection with nature, rather than leaving them feeling stifled, oppressed, and confined within the cellular, box-like structures we now call home!

Perhaps making such changes, involving features such as urban redesign and a marked shift in lifestyle, calls for a truly out-of-the-box approach and new thought paradigms at a civilizational scale — to get us out of the boxes of the urban grid and experience more deeply the fluidity of nature — the “flow” state.

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