Thanks Jesuis, if cosciousness is a gift of the universe, it seems Universe should be capitalized is it is deified. It would have to be the eternal source of all things, all creatiivity and the "lord" so to speak of all that results from that creativity. This, it seems, is Spinoza's God/Nature, however even Spinoza's thinking evolved as I understand it to more of a panentheistic view rather than pure panthesis. The panentheistic view involves both a Source of Being (call it God) outside of creation and God that is intimately involved in or identified with creation. That is more the view I hold with the Spirit being that immanent God in creation.