From – God Formed Us For His Glory
By Joel Goldsmith
Excerpt-Ch.6– ‘Spiritual Fulfillment Through Consciousness’

The Difference Between
Cosmic and Spiritual Consciousness

We have been living primarily through the human mind, which in and of itself is an activity of awareness and not a power. Therefore, we have never been able to accomplish with the mind the things we thought we wanted to accomplish because the mind is not a creative faculty. Behind the mind, however, there are what might be called two different degrees of awareness: one, the cosmic mind or cosmic consciousness, and the other spiritual consciousness.
Through the human mind-level we know, perceive, and learn. Through it we attain knowledge and are able to make use of our talents. But behind the human mind is the cosmic mind or cosmic consciousness, the source from which we draw the things of this world: art, literature, science, invention, or discovery. These all come through from cosmic consciousness, and because cosmic consciousness is the great storehouse of the laws of this earth, our great inventors have gone beyond the human mind to cosmic consciousness to draw forth such inventions as the automobile, airplane and television. Much of our art and some of our music, too, have come from the cosmic because those at that stage of consciousness are attuned to the world of art, science, literature, invention, and discovery. Although cosmic consciousness is not Christ-consciousness, it is the same form of activity as Christ-consciousness except that it is on the human level.
One can be attuned to cosmic consciousness and yet not attuned to spiritual consciousness, because cosmic consciousness and spiritual consciousness are not the same. A person may have cosmic consciousness and yet have not a trace of spirituality. In the same way it is possible to be attuned to Christ-consciousness and not draw forth from the cosmic.
We have little evidence of the spiritual masters having had much access to the cosmic realm. When we use the term cosmic consciousness, it should be understood that it refers to the consciousness of human wisdom. Spiritual consciousness refers to the realm of spiritual wisdom.
When Thomas A. Edison, who was very close to God, but was considered an atheist because he did not believe in going to church, was at work in his laboratories, his method of work was to become very still, hold his ear out, and then he would be able to direct his engineers to the next step they were to take. There are persons who can immediately give the answers to complicated mathematical computations without a process of any kind. That is cosmic consciousness at work. There is no need for thinking, reasoning, or figuring: it is knowing without a process.
There is yet a deeper level of awareness and that is spiritual consciousness, known or called by such different names as the fourth-dimensional, Christ-consciousness, or the Buddha-mind. It is to this source that we turn for spiritual wisdom and for the grace and love of God. Of course, it is not that we decide that today we are going to bring forth music, so we turn to the cosmic mind or that today we are seeking spiritual wisdom, so we turn off the cosmic and turn on spiritual consciousness. It is not like that at all. It is only that those who are attuned to the level of bringing forth the laws which govern this earth are attuned to the cosmic level and there is nothing to prevent their also being attuned to spiritual consciousness. Few of them are, however, as we can know from the manner of their human lives. Many persons have had great talents on the cosmic level and have had no awareness of spiritual consciousness.
Those engaged in spiritual activity usually think primarily of going within to become aware of spiritual consciousness. Sometimes in doing so they touch the cosmic and bring forth a greater human experience than they have known before, even finding new directions in their lives.