What is "Consciousness"...?

Consciousness is a word that people throw around a lot.  New-Age people.  Old-Age people.  Scholars.  Thinkers. Guru’s.   So, there’s the “dictionary” definition (which is boring), and the cultural uses (mind candy), and my use: personal, pliable, fun to mould and twist (Silly Putty). I’ll stick to my own definition here, hopefully it makes some sense.

In a word, it simply means “awareness”.   Anyone can be aware.  In any living state… half-asleep, drunk, stoned, enlightened.  Animals are aware: our cat is very aware – aware of love, food, attention, stray birds or mice.  Awareness is something that any living thing has, if it’s not fast asleep or drugged.

Consciousness – as a state that furthers or enhances our existence as human beings – is something a little deeper, and a little different, than the above mentioned ‘animal awareness’.  You can be aware of what you’re doing, and still do stupid things – that ‘ego stuff’ you know?  The mind ruled by ego, just goes about learned patterns of self-righteousness, self-gratification, and its own unique virtue-signalling, trying to ‘win’ the game of life on its own terms. Predictable.  No. Not true “consciousness” … you’re just acting from trained patterns, assumptions and the predictable personal grandiose that we all carry at times. 

So, who are we, deep inside us, below all the layers of programmed responses, below all the fears and judgments and bad memories and good futures that we carry in our fantasy world? Who were we, before we were programmed?  Who were we in the core of initial delight that we carried into the world with our own birth?  We certainly were.  Not only alive and awake (and in love), but also very aware.  Not aware of all the goofball things that plague our mind now, but aware of the purity and essence of Life Itself. 

That’s who we really are – underneath all the charades, masquerades and dramas that we carry now in our little travel bag.

So, in my terms, consciousness begins there.  It begins with a connection to who we truly are. Because we’re more powerful, more deep and more true than all the layers that have been added on since our humble entry into Planet Earth.

The more you are (1) aware of that connection, (2) connected to that connection, and (3) guided by that connection… the more conscious you are.  That’s where consciousness arises from.  In its purest form. 

So, in a nutshell, that’s my customized, sleek, low-calorie version of consciousness.

How’s that so far?