THE CONSCIOUSNESS ISSUE

If we were to take a close look at what we know experientially, there is probably only one thing which we could claim beyond any shadow of doubt. That is the conviction of “I am”. Throughout our entire lifetime we experience this intimate understanding at all times and in every state we encounter as humans. While it may seem rather absurd, because it is so blatantly obvious, but for one reason or another we rarely ask ourselves what is this “I am”?

We are led to believe that every other individual also shares this “I am” and there is no end to the use of the first person singular from all quarters in our daily transactions, however, it is in total contradiction with what we know. I am, not you, what is the nature of this I?

Might this intuitive knowledge not be what we call consciousness? There seems to be a strong chance that every person, animal, object, entity, irrespective of the epithet, shares this notion. It is more than a conviction of existence, it is a knowing contained both in the rational intellect and as a firm intuition of the heart intelligence. It is a firm, complete certainty that no one and nothing can shake.

What is more, that certainty is present not only in the waking state where we seem to share our “world” but also when you dream. Who has not woken in fear from a nightmare, when the reality of one’s “I am” is sufficiently present to protect against some dream danger. It is always there and we even experience the same continuity of its presence in deep sleep, because on waking up, you declare “I slept well” or similar, even though there was nothing in the way of subject-object to allow a comparison.

Such intimate knowledge is simple, too simple some would say. Life must be more complicated they add. Perhaps life with its multiplicity is a reality, but one thing is certain, without the “I am” to observe it there would be no basis for this phenomenon.

It makes me chuckle when I hear talk of the “transformation of consciousness”. I contend that consciousness does not transform, if it did, you would need another consciousness to recognise that the first had transformed into something else, this leads to a regressus ad infinitum, and does not conform to our experience.

No doubt that humans are exceptional, but just because we have a head on our shoulders which is mostly used for all the wrong things, is not one of the reasons for saying that! It is time to apply our logic, dare I say – thinking, to what we can be certain of and gently reject some of the notions that can only serve to lead us astray on our path.

It seems that one of the least understood words of our age, namely Consciousness, with a capital C because it is the only one we have, needs to be re-defined.

As is so often found when dealing with language, traditions and cultures, the symbols and subsequent words, even those used in daily transactions, contain a meaning that can lead to serious misunderstandings – and worse! The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) definition of consciousness is of little use and as is to be expected from a tradition that has evolved materially and never been oriented towards introspection, let alone open to the idea that there is any possibility that the physical is not the only reality and even less to the possibility that the material body is an extension of the mental, which in turn is animated by the spiritual.

As already mentioned it is an experience common to humanity that we live in a continuity of existence, which we generally refer to as life and experience as time. We know, as in gnosis, intuit if you prefer, only one thing throughout our entire physical existence - I am. It seems that this knowledge which keeps us constant companion has been duped and there is a severe case of mistaken identity.

Some people experience and recount existence in other forms than the physical, as with in near-death, out-of-body, etc. experiences, but nevertheless the “I am” is still a constant under-current, irrespective of the prevailing reality.

Awareness is probably the culprit as it is generally confused with consciousness because of their intimacy. Awareness requires an object to be aware of and the subject cognizant of the object, a someone to be aware of the something. Consciousness is, come hell or high water, present in all the states known to man and is ALWAYS there. Such is the teaching of Advaita Vedanta and a very compelling one too.

You may have the impression of consciousness having undergone some kind of transformation but that is probably because of the integral nature of consciousness, it is part of everything that thought can encompass, so quite easy to mistake for some “thing” or thought when, in fact, it is a constant in the sublimest sense, regardless of the context, whether in physics “What is the origin of the world?”, or metaphysics, “Who am I?”.

It is never affected or contaminated by what it is associated with, otherwise our experience could never be one of constancy.

Leaving logic to one side, what is far more relevant is that this does not conform to our experience. Consciousness is, at all times and for every individual. Nobody can alter that.

This problem of mistaken identity probably arises early in our existence, we are taught the way of the phenomenal world or how to transfer the reality of self to a mirror object, the psychological awareness of, “I am a human person”, “My name is such-and-such” and we gradually learn to form a firm belief in this society-imposed paradigm of name and form, and in the process, lose touch with the underlying actuality. Whatever the process, and that is not the issue here, the fact remains – I am.

There is a plan afoot to develop this discussion and take a deep dive into the only system of philosophy in the world that considers the totality of human existence with its three states of waking, dream and deep sleep, into consideration – of course that is Kevala Advaita Vedanta. Watch this space!