The State of Being Conscious

In human beings, consciousness manifests as awareness. This is also true of plants and animals, but their expressions of awareness are different from those of humans. Consciousness manifests itself through physical matter, needs no boundaries, can take any form or shape, and can emerge under challenging life conditions. In spirituality, consciousness is mainly a non-physical, yet powerful entity that is the pivotal point of all life and activates the senses in every living being. It is highly responsive and expressive, and has many levels, especially in humans.

There is a deep unconscious intuitive awareness, which transcends the domain that exists between our consciousness and mere body-awareness. Through this awareness, one experiences pain and pleasure through mind and matter. With time, one yearns to achieve enlightenment on the journey of life. Anything we identify as part of our being is simply an extension of that Self/Soul, unconscious to our minds.

Consciousness makes it possible for the individual to be aware of what passes through their own mind. The main centre for mind-consciousness (surface-manifested consciousness) is believed to be originating from the reticular function of the brain. The mind is an extended entity of the deeper consciousness within. It is a connecting agent between the senses, body, mind and memory centre. The brain alone does not have an overall view and experience of an object without the heart.