People who have learned the English language, after living with almost any language other than English, all have similar opinions regarding the inherent complexity of the system, made even worse by single words with multiple meanings; Consciousness, is an example of one of the worst!
According to Miriam-Webster, here’s the definition;
CONSCIOUSNESS: (noun) con·scious·ness | \ ˈkän(t)-shəs-nəs 1-a : the quality or state of being aware especially of something within oneself b : the state or fact of being conscious of an external object, state, or fact c : awareness especially : concern for some social or political cause The organization aims to raise the political consciousness of teenagers 2 : the state of being characterized by sensation, emotion, volition, and thought : mind 3: the totality of conscious states of an individual 4: the normal state of conscious life regained consciousness 5 : the upper level of mental life of which the person is aware as contrasted with unconscious processes
Let me Summarize: the Dictionary description of consciousness is; (a. b. c.) AWARENESS, as a general description. MIND, which they define as the physical senses and all thoughts, apparently. NORMALITY, of physical existence? #4 of Webster’s definition seems undefined, at best, possibly in an attempt at combining with # 5. WAKEFULNESS, as opposed to being comatose.
OK…if this isn’t confusing enough, what the Medical professions have done with this single Word, is to seemingly make it an ill-defined, catch-all phrase! Sigmund Freud, founder of all Psychoanalysis, theorized 3-states of consciousness, which included a Pre-consciousness that he covered all potentials of awareness! I have a single English word in mind for Freud’s definition: HOGWASH!
The need to redefine the term of Consciousness, is, Physics…specifically: Quantum Physics! Experimental review has repeatedly shown that the Universe reacts when observed. Excerpt from my latest Book: Heaven’s Matrix (Pub 2018); That consciousness affects physical reality, is experimentally provable, and the same results always accrue. As shown in the (famous), Double-Slit Blind Experiment; a single Photon, directed at a point, when shot in-between equal slit openings, will move through both slits equally, in a wave-pattern, unless the experiment is viewed! When the experiment is actively observed, the single Photon will move through only one slit at-a-time, as a Particle! Even weirder, has been shown to change previous data, as if Time-Traveling to correct itself! The inference being; that by conscious observation, we create the appearance of Particles, and there are measures the Universe has, to correct itself! By further inference, in the grandest sense, our Universe is the expanded Matrix of Quantum consciousness! In other words, a Living Universe, which, in turn, infers a Universal Consciousness! Of course, a new catagory of science, born from these results, has been coined; Panpsychism. Although this Philosophy actually dates to Greek history, it was championed by some Physicists as early as 2001. As reported by NBC News in 2017: https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/universe-conscious-ncna772956 a growing number of accredited Physicists are presently adding experimental data in confirmation. Even the late, great, Stephen Hawking was forced to alter his fundamental position that the Universe had formed randomly, which he posited in his original publication called; The Theory of Everything. By his death in 2018, Professor Hawking altered his position to theorize a Holographic Universe, which requires a Quantum Consciousness. This theory also virtually eliminates the Jungian Pyschology of Synchronicity, intead, a purposeful, non-random Universe is shown. Further, a Universe of, by, and created from the intertwined action of consciousness observing consciousness, destroys another of Carl Jung’s favorite phrases; Collective Unconsciousness, simply doesn’t work in a conscious Universe.
A reality of each and every part of our Physicality, down to individual Electrons having a conscious being, may be hard to picture, unless you realize Einstein has already explained it, beautifully and simply: (excerpt from Heaven’s Matrix)
Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity explains the relationship of Energy and Mass, by the mathematic equation: E=MC2.
When using mathematics for proof of Theorem, you must be able to flip, or reverse, your equation. So, if you wanted to find the answer to C2 (the speed of Light, squared), the equation would read; C2=M/E, meaning, the speed of Light, squared, equals Mass divided by Energy. Of course, to find out how to create Mass, the relativity equation then becomes; M=E/C2, concluding that the creation of Mass, requires Energy to be divided, at the speed of Light, squared.
The Singularity that began everything, by logical extrapolation, must be conscious, or, be consciousness itself! We can then express Einstein’s Relativity equation, a bit differently: if E is named Quantum consciousness, or, God, M for Matter, or, the Universe itself, and C2, remains as the speed of Light, squared. The physical Universe (M) was created by the act of God (E), choosing to divide itself, at the speed of Light, squared (C2) … in other words, the Big Bang! This explosive occurrence became the expanding Matrix, that all Mass exists in, or, Space, itself!Now, a clearer definition would be; consciousness is Individually Relativistic Quantum Cohesion…or, the particles created by each individual observing another, is bound by their relative similarities of vibrating Energies, at a Quantum level.
Presently, the newest technologies called Artificial Intelligence are attempting to market intelligence as an equation of consciousness. The correct term in English is sentience, as a measure of intelligence, not of consciousness. My research has caused me to theorize that sentience, is a layering of complex consciousness, not necessarily related to brains. According to NewScientist: this French Civil Servant who died in his 70’s https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn12301-man-with-tiny-brain-shocks-doctors/ got along fine without 90% of normal brain! Just think…higher level sentience might be the Synapses of the Living Universe’s own form of brain!
I have to point out, in review, none of the previous definitions of consciousness, comes close to defining reality. Ancient philosophies are now shown to have better, more descriptive terms like: Soul, Spirit, and Chi. Egyptians, among many Worldwide cultures regarded the soul as many parts, Egyptians listed nine parts of the human soul, which explains why they purposely separated organs in Canopic Jars, to make the journey of the soul easier after death.
We have language that better represents what is intended to define, like; Awareness, Self-Awareness, Wakefulness, Comatose (NOT unconscious), and Sentience, instead if the ill-chosen and obviously incorrect English word who’s miss-use has caused near meaninglessness.
We have known the accurate definition of Consciousness, almost as long as our existence, through Shamans and Priests, as an Individual Identity of Spirit that permeates everything, binding us in a creative, Living Universe!