Imagine you spent the first part of your life in an insane asylum but then medical science developed a cure for your condition and you were suddenly no longer delusional and could think clearly, so they let you out of the insane asylum but you could still go back and visit the inmates in the asylum from time to time if you wished. That's what it is like when you are no longer religious but you still have religious people in your life, so rather than describe this as a higher consciousness, why not just accept it as being conscious of reality instead of living in a fantasy world?

I doubt that it leads to "higher consciousness" but it is likely to lead to a refinement of thought and a more rational stance and all that that entails with regard to scientific views of the world and beyond to the wider universe.

No. I've met some pretty dumb atheists, both lifetime and deconverts. Atheism simply means we don't believe in God; nothing more. Unfortunately.

Atheism is a gateway drug.

I would say no. It does lead to using more of your brain than the religious fools do.

At the risk of becoming tedious (that never stopped me before)...
it depends on what you mean by atheism and higher consciousness.

When old systems of any kind become embarnacled with mission-drift, error, and corruption, they need to be renewed if they are to continue having any value. The degree to which renovation might be preferred over replacement depends, of course, on how advanced the decay is. But some degree of demolition is going to be needed.

Atheism offers nothing in the way of replacement, or even refurbishment. Atheism is the wrecking crew. Atheism is the jack-hammer that chisels out the residue of false beliefs, enabling arterial flow. The clogged system was already delivering very damned little "higher consciousness". In some very real ways it offered more impediment than assistance.

But when the old structure is torn away, then there is no system at all to accommodate the work of pursuing and achieving anything that resembles authentic consciousness development. The best atheism can contribute is to remove the offending obstruction.

But higher consciousness is not just the absence of rot; it is also the presence of vibrant life. And it doesn't just show up in your Easter basket because you want it, and it's Easter. Regardless of which seasonal mythology we call on, magic will never be the provisioner of our needs. You have to build it. Atheists on this site and elsewhere are quick to remind us that Atheism is only the absence of something; it is not something in and of itself. And as such it cannot qualify as a replacement for anything, only a remover of what was there before.

So if you don't like your house, call the wrecking crew. Have them tear it down; it was filthy, and smelly and it was expensive to keep up. But you still need shelter, and you'll crawl in an abandoned car or a cave or an open sewer before you'll let yourself freeze to death. So you might want to give some thought to how you will meet your needs after the wrecking crew leaves.

The first step is to recognize the rot and tear it out. That's where atheism exits, stage left. Whether one could say that homelessness leads to a new home is a matter of semantics, but step two is building the structure that you really do need. And you really do need a plan and a program and a practice, if you expect your consciousness to ever gain altitude. Atheism doesn't offer that.

Consciousness without delusion is just ordinary consciousness. It's plenty adequate for most folks. But if you want higher consciousness, you have to build it. It's not our "natural" or default state. And it doesn't automatically appear in the absence of delusion.

Depends on what you mean by "higher consciousness".

In a meta sense, your question is really just asking if being an atheist somehow makes you a better person, and of course the answer is "no". No more so than being a believer somehow makes you a better person. One's belief, or lack of beliefs, concerning deities is way too narrow a basis to determine character. In and of themselves, the two things have nothing to do with each other.

Define higher consciousness. If you mean the state of a realistic, satisfied mind, like nirvana, satori, the peace that passeth understanding etc... Maybe with a big asterisk. It removes quite a few impediments and usually accompanies this sense of enlightenment. Perhaps at best it correlates and springs from the same place as a parallel result. I don't think causation really holds up though. Depends on what practices you have in your life to replace religion with. Music, yoga, drumming, martial arts, nature, the net/free info n communication, learning, and caring for others all sort of led to a higher, more global consciousness, and to atheism simulataneously for me.

Atheism's role in the process was mostly just to realize that I can let go of the shame and guilt instilled by religion and get on with life. Definitely helped my consciousness n frame of reference but youve still gotta do a lot of work and introspection to take it to its ideal extent.

Consciousness of reality, over the common myth, so I guess, yes, if one's atheism has come from overcoming religion, but not if one was never indoctrinated. That's just regular consciousness for them. Most atheists have come to their conclusions by thinking, not just believing what is said.

i don't know what everyone else thinks but i don't. it's not a magic thing that leads anywhere. it's just a realization that there aren't any gods. i have seen enough republican and libertarian atheists to know that higher consciousness isn't an inevitable result of that realization... nor should it be. it just is what it is.

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How about just a more realistic view of how things are?

It certainly removes and impediment.

I kinda assumed it was the other way round.

I don’t think there is a direct link from atheism to higher consciousness.

I agree with @lerlo that higher consciousness can lead to atheism.

I consider it this way:
-> Rational thinking is a superset

-> Atheism is just one subset of that (which can also fall under some other superset, e.g: Communism. But a communist need not be always rational)

-> Why rational thinkers most of the time have to talk about Atheism or God?
Because, God is one of the most popular superstition now.
If it was, say Dracula ?‍ or Satan, rational thinkers would have debated more on them instead of God.

-> Follow Science as it is the best known way we have to seek truth/knowledge. Being scientific can lead to higher consciousness.

In fact, I would like to mention here the phrase ‘Scientific Temper’:
[en.m.wikipedia.org]

The term was first used by Nehru, who was the first Prime Minister of India.

It’s a way of life. Don’t just blindly believe or refute any new theory, instead try to understand it more based on observations, repeated experiments and based on the reults decide if it’s right or not or more studies needed.

Let evidence lead you.

I think consciousness is just onsciousness. Consciousness is the same when you are four as when you are a hundred and four, and it is the same for all organisms. We are swimming in consciousness—we ARE consciousness.

We would like to think that we are our bodies, and there are a hundred ways of reinforcing that egotistical delusion and hiding from our true Self : stay drunk, cloud the mind with lies, foster grievances, play the victim, stir up internal fear, wallow in guilt, think only of wealth and power, etc.

If a person finds himself mired in a relgious setting where fear and guilt are fostered and where belief in silly dogm is required, then to analyze all that and declare atheism is a great leap forward IMO. Becoming an atheist leads, not to “higher” consciousness, but to awareness of the consciousness that was there all along, and to freedom.

What is not so apparent is the tendency to cloud the mind with false thoughts about science—to tell ourselves that the universe is made of matter and that reality is handily explained by science. Sit proudly on the golden throne of scientism if you wish, but it is a throne sitting on quicksand. A dose of real science might sink your throne.

Do not leap from the frying pan of religious dogma into the fire of materialistic scientism. Throw away the bath water—keep the baby!

So long as “higher” does not mean anything far from more intelligent and realistic consciousness/awareness

Define the parameters of this "higher consciousness" to which you refer.

No, it leads to reality, nothing special.

What do you mean by "higher consciousness"?

No, not in and of itself.

Nope, higher consciousness leads to atheism.
Did anyone explain to you how to make a poll?

Many do. I do not.

It’s definitely thinking on a higher plain.

depends what you consider higher consciousness? I know religion and belief in fake gods make you think you have higher consciousness but it just how stupid you are.