What is conciousness?

What exactly happens so that we become aware of ourselves, life, the world, the body, dreams, emotions, mental concepts? What is your greatest explanation as to what is real conciousness?

Please no more "it's beyond this and that and can't be explained" I'm asking to try your best to give a hint or explain as good as you can.

 

I believe it all happens when we loose the sense of denial, and take responsibility. When we Love ourselves so we can Love others.

 

if it can be observed, it is ego. consciousness is that which is doing the observing.

 

You have done your homework.

 

does my ego get a gold star, then?

 

Consciousness is the playing field of experience. Without consciousness, there is no experience, because experience of any individual takes place within consciousness.
For instance, if you play baseball, you try to hit the ball, but the fact that you are hitting the ball, the fact that you are in the field , the realization that you are holding the bat, hitting the ball is all taking place within your consciousness.

So, without your consciousness of the field, there is no field for you, if there is no consciousness for the bat, there is no bat for you, there is no ball for you if you are not conscious of that either... so on and so forth.

The dream is also an experience taking place in consciousness. That is why it feels so real when you are in a dream.

 

The fact that you are thinking you have an ego , could be said to show that you are conscious that there is an ego, hence there is ego. You are conscious that there is an observation being done by you, hence there is the observation. Ofcourse observation and realization of ego are solely performative actions, but it is my belief that the same analysis could be applied to any experience within consciousness.

 

It shows its ugly head every time, pure conciousness don't stand a chance.

 

In the Gita it is mentioned that there is a field, and the knower of the field.
I think both are one, yet somehow separate, like the Yin and Yan symbol.

 

hey man, lay off the ego-bashing!

i think it's very unhealthy to be down on ego! egos are wonderful! egos, like our bodies and the physical world around them, are precious gifts! they are tools for growth and experience. i love egos!

the other day my 9-year-old son asked me what an ego is. i told him something like, "oh, egos are wonderful! egos are what makes us make art and write poetry and get active in politics or religion. egos are what make us build yurts or cities, invent new things, and find comfort in the old. egos are like cars. you can sit in the front seat and listen to the radio, move the windows up and down, turn on the heat or the wipers...you can drive your ego anywhere! but egos are also what encourages us get angry or sad. they inspire you to hit your sister, and nations to go to war. so you have to watch where your ego is taking you, and remember who is doing the driving! "

 

Yes my dear

This is why I compare it to the Yin and Yan symbol. While in the world of ignorance people think opposites should fight, within that symbol the lies many secrets of the universe; for instance that of the ego and pure conciousness. In this case white is pure conciousness, and black can stand for ego. Both together are one. Different yes, but ONE when united as a circle. Alone they would not make a circle, and a circle is the symbol for anything perfect.

 

What is ego?

 

Like darkness is the absence of light, and light shines in the darkeness
but the darkness cannot see the light, ego is an non-existent entity.

 

i said it before: if it can be observed, it is ego. consciousness is that which is observing.

 

That's why you are fabulous, Kitty.
(Puts more ego bait)

 

consciousness is light

 

I don't really understand that. Maybe you'd care to enlighten us on your insight? I think that consciousness is being and that everything that is, has consciousness. The difference between humans and rocks or any other stuff is that we think because we have a brain and an ego and it's the ego that gives us this illusion that we're separate from everything else in creation. The ego also disguises the fact that we share a collective consciousness and the same consciousness as the ultimate sentient being, the infinite and eternal universe itself, which some people have come to understand as being 'God'

 

all the sense perceptions contribute to consciousness. without them there would not be consciousness. so is consciousness anything different from the perceptions of the senses? is there any difference between the perception of light and light? all ideas are copies of precedent impressions.

 

consciousness is different from the perceptions. consciousness is observing the perceptions. the perseptions are observed. consciousness can even observe light.




but don't take that from me, i'm so low down the consciousness observation food chain that i can't observe light without at least 2 cups of coffee in the morning.

 

All ideas may be copies of precedent impressions (of the senses) as you say Mati, but I'm not convinced that consciousness is just about having ideas. Reason is about ideas, and is based upon subjective sensory information, but I think that 'pure' consciousness. ie. the experience of just 'being' without being anything in particular is still a possibility. Could consciousness be experienced by any terms other than those prescribed by the senses?....I dunno, I may have to give this some more thought