From Scripture to Science: A Developmental Map of Consciousness

From Scripture to Science: A Developmental Map of Consciousness

How religious traditions, Tartam Gyan, and modern science meet again at Teal awareness

Brief Summary (English)

This article explains that diverse religious scriptures, Tartam Gyan, and modern science are not opponents of one another; rather, they are expressions of different stages in the development of human consciousness.

The "stages of consciousness" mentioned here are not measures of intelligence or superiority. They describe how human beings perceive and understand truth, the world, and themselves. The same person can think from different stages in different areas of life.

Amber (Rule-based / Mythic Consciousness)

At this stage, truth is seen as a final authority received from God, scripture, or tradition. Right and wrong are clearly defined, obedience and duty are emphasized, and group identity is central. The dominant question is not "Who am I?" but "What should I do?" Most organized religious institutions historically developed at this level.

Orange (Rational / Critical Consciousness)

Here, people begin to question authority. Reason, evidence, scientific thinking, and personal responsibility become important. Tradition is examined critically, and truth is sought through logic and inquiry. Modern science, education, and democratic values emerged largely from this stage.

Green (Sensitive / Relational Consciousness)

At this level, awareness expands beyond right and wrong to include compassion, love, and mutual understanding. The ability to appreciate other perspectives grows. Devotion, human values, equality, and inclusion are emphasized, and the distance between "me" and "you" begins to soften.

Teal (Witness / Experiential Consciousness)

In this stage, a person begins to observe thoughts, emotions, and identity itself. Truth is no longer merely believed but known through direct experience (inner realization). The insight "I am not the mind; I am the witness" becomes clear. This is where the deeper teachings of the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, Tartam Gyan, and modern consciousness studies converge.

Turquoise (Integral / Cosmic Consciousness)

This is the most expansive view, where nonduality and diversity are no longer opposites. The world is not seen as illusion, but as conscious divine play (Leela). Individual identity remains, yet is experienced as inseparable from the whole. Tartam Gyan's concept of Swalilādvait belongs to this level.

An important point is that these stages form a ladder. A lower stage is not "wrong," only incomplete. Each stage is necessary in its own context, and as understanding deepens, consciousness naturally opens to the next stage.

Historically, the Bible and the Koran were mostly interpreted at the Amber (rule-based) level, though their mystical traditions reach much higher states of awareness. In the Indian tradition, this progression is more explicit—from early Vedic ritualism to the Teal consciousness of the Upanishads and the integrative vision of the Gita.

Tartam Gyan does not stop at any single stage. It critiques blind belief, integrates reason and love, establishes itself in Teal awareness through direct realization and witness consciousness, and then moves further into a cosmic, integral vision through Swalilādvait.

Modern science, in order to free itself from religious authority, adopted Orange objectivity. Yet when it encountered the problem of consciousness, its limits became clear. Today, through the study of meditation, experience, and the role of the observer, science is returning toward Teal consciousness. At this level, science and Tartam Gyan meet—both emphasize direct experience—while Tartam goes further by restoring meaning, remembrance, and divine play.

Let us now explore these ideas in greater depth. 

Human knowledge does not evolve randomly; it unfolds through recognizable stages of consciousness. What we call religion, philosophy, or science is not just about ideas but about howreality is perceived at a given level of inner development. When viewed through a developmental lens—such as Spiral Dynamics or integral psychology—scriptures, spiritual systems, and modern science reveal themselves not as rivals, but as expressions of different stages of human awakening.

The Bible and the Koran are most commonly associated with the Amber (Mythic–Rule) stage—not because of their deepest mystical potential, but because of how they have been historically institutionalized. Amber consciousness is characterized by obedience to divine law, absolute truth claims, moral certainty, and strong group identity. In this mode, scripture is treated as the literal and final word of God, questioning is discouraged, and salvation is framed in terms of belief and compliance. This structure was essential for social cohesion in early civilizations. Yet within both traditions, higher readings exist: Christian mystics and Islamic Sufis moved beyond literalism into direct inner experience, touching Teal (nondual witness) consciousness. The limitation, historically, was not the texts themselves but the dominant level at which they were interpreted.

The Indian tradition shows a clearer internal evolution. Early Vedic religion contains Amber elements—ritual precision, cosmic order (ṛta), and social roles (varna). But the Upanishads represent a decisive leap beyond Amber, questioning ritual authority and shifting the focus from external action to inner realization. Their inquiry—"Who am I?"—points directly to formless awareness (Brahman) and prioritizes anubhav (direct experience) over belief. This places the Upanishads firmly in Teal consciousness. The Bhagavad Gita is even more integrative. Rather than rejecting earlier stages, it weaves them together: Amber duty (dharma), Orange ethical discernment, Green devotion (bhakti), and Teal witness awareness all coexist. Krishna's teaching to act without attachment and remain established as the witness reflects a mature, integral vision rather than a mythic one.

Tartam Gyan, articulated by Mahamati Prannath, cannot be confined to a single stage. It functions as a diagnostic and awakening system that speaks to multiple levels simultaneously while pointing beyond them. Tartam sharply critiques Amber religion—idol worship without awareness, scriptural pride, fear-based salvation—not to destroy religion, but to expose its incompleteness. It uses Orange rational clarity to dismantle blind belief, yet does not stop at rationalism. It integrates Green prem (love) without sentimentality, insisting that devotion without awareness is blind and awareness without love is dry. At its core, Tartam rests in Teal realization: sakshi (witness consciousness), sv-sanved (direct inner knowing), and the collapse of false identity. Yet it goes further into Turquoise, articulating swalilādvait—a nondual reality where individuality is retained without ego and the cosmos is understood as conscious divine play (Leela), not illusion.

Modern science followed a different path. To escape the dogma of pre-modern religion (Amber), it had to radically embrace Orange objectivity: measurement, repeatability, and exclusion of inner authority. This move was necessary and enormously successful, but it came at a cost—consciousness itself was excluded from serious inquiry. Over time, science hit a wall: the hard problem of consciousness, the observer problem in quantum physics, and the inability to reduce subjective experience to brain activity. In response, science has begun a quiet return to Teal awareness. Fields like neurophenomenology now combine third-person brain data with first-person experiential reports. Meditation and nondual awareness are studied empirically. Cognitive science increasingly views the self as a constructed model, echoing Vedantic and Tartam insights that the ego is not the true Self. Reality is no longer seen as purely objective; the observer is recognized as a participant.

This is the crucial convergence. Modern science re-enters Teal not through belief, but through rigor. It acknowledges awareness as irreducible, though it stops short of cosmic meaning or divine intentionality. Tartam Gyan meets science precisely here—at direct seeing, not faith—yet moves further, restoring purpose, remembrance, and Leela. Where science says, "Awareness exists," Tartam says, "You are That—and you forgot why you descended." What appears as conflict between religion and science is, in fact, a story of uneven development: different cultures and disciplines pausing at different stages.

Seen this way, the ladder of consciousness is not a hierarchy of superiority but a record of human maturation. Scriptures, Tartam Gyan, and modern science are not enemies; they are voices from different rungs of the same ascent. And at Teal, they finally begin to understand one another again.

Consciousness Stage	Nature / Focus	Tartam Gyan Perspective	Key Message
Amber (Rule-based / Mythic)	Scriptures, rituals, fear-based religion	Critiques blind faith, frees one from outer dependency	"Do not get stuck in words; see the essence."
Orange (Rational / Critical)	Inquiry, logic, reason, intellectual clarity	Uses reason as a tool, but not confined by it	"Intellect is a tool, not truth itself."
Green (Love / Devotional)	Emotion, compassion, relationships, inclusion	Purifies love, prevents blind sentiment	"Love without wisdom is blind."
Teal (Witness / Experiential)	Self-awareness, observation, ego dissolution	Established in direct experience and witness consciousness	"The one who sees, that is you."
Turquoise (Swalilādvait / Cosmic)	Nondual + divine play, unity in diversity	Experiencing Paramdham and cosmic divine play	"The One plays as the Many knowingly."