Do you believe in the evolution of human consciousness?

I believe it was Alan Watts that that suggested the reason behind the expanding universe was (paraphrased) that science (our tool of perception) was developing ever more powerful tools for peering into the farthest reaches, which forced the universe to expand to keep certain parts "beyond perception."

Consciousness: commonly defined as the state of being conscious; awareness of one's own existence, sensations, thoughts, surroundings, etc.

I suggest that our inner universe is the same. It is an ever-progressing horizon, like chasing one's shadow, we take a step and the horizon moves forward one step. What is our universe/Universe trying to hide? Nothing except maybe the conclusion of our curiosity. The expanding borders are the siren's call to come further out...further yet....a little more.

-Then again, maybe looking for something manifests something to be seen, that would not otherwise exist.

So now, to determine if we are "progressing," I guess we must determine what we would consider progression/an "improvement." Quantitatively, we might be making progress-are we able to shine a light on more area than remains in the dark? Note that since our universe/Universe seems to be able to expand infinitely, this increasing percentage of lighted area may be an illusion to keep us moving ‘forward.'

I think there is a distinction to be made between the personal consciousness and the Collective Consciousness. Since I define the Collective Consciousness as all intelligence, eternal and infinite, I am not sure that I believe in the possible expansion of the Collective. More practically, it is a matter of how our personal consciousness aligns with the Collective-how "aware" we are of the collective mind, need, spirit-which often comes with less focus/awareness on/of the personal.

Then there is the qualitative judgment of our "progression." If someone with an objective point of view showed up on Earth and had a look around at how we react to each other and our Mother, do you think they would consider us to be progressing beyond our "unconscious" animal/plant neighbors?

Now, as with all expansion, it seems one must ask of "is there any value"-Occam's razor-beyond satisfying the mechanism of expansion itself? Sure, pursue for entertainment and gratification (I do, as long as it appears to do no harm), but one cannot immediately jump to believing that it must be for the "greater good."

Great knowledge often progresses until it is unable to support its own weight and collapses onto itself, bringing its proponent to back to the basics (or to a new ‘paradigm'). So it may be on the "great progression" of "personal consciousness." I do not believe this is a flaw, but a design element that brings us to a Collective awareness/consciousness. As "the way of the word is not the Way," so it may be that the way of expanding consciousness is not Consciousness.

If I had only known, I would have been a locksmith.-Albert Einstein