What is Consciousness?

The word consciousness is used in different ways by different people. We can never be sure that our meaning is accurately understood by another because words are only symbols for things and ideas, never the things or ideas themselves. The meaning we attach to a word depends on our experiences and no two people's experiences are exactly alike.

Unfortunately, words are all we have and so for the sake of clarity and ease of communication, we'll start with a list of definitions of words that we'll be using frequently in our discussions of consciousness.

Self/Ego Consciousness

This is how we see ourselves as distinct from others. Anything we use to define ourselves as separate strengthens the ego's sense of self and gives it form.

Family/Group Consciousness

Any family or group that identifies itself with certain physical, cultural or behavioral characteristics develops its own consciousness.

Collective/Mass Consciousness

The knowledge and beliefs most people agree on form what we call the collective or mass consciousness. It's always changing, but we don't really notice be we are changing right along with it. Only when we examine the past through the lens of our present do we see the changes.

The Hawkins Map of Consciousness

Arbitrary logarithmic scale developed by Dr. David R. Hawkins to calibrate the different levels of consciousness human beings function at. (See "Power vs. Force" written by Hawkins.)

Degree of Consciousness Scale

Arbitrary, equally graduated scale measuring the amount of presence of life/awareness/awakeness while alive in a human body on earth, from 0%( medically unconscious) to 100% (fully conscious).

Higher Consciousness/God Consciousness and Enlightenment

Higher consciousness refers to states of awareness that go beyond ordinary, everyday awareness. Subjectively these states of awareness may be described as a feeling of oneness with everything, or a greater brightness and clarity of vision, accompanied by feelings of joy, bliss, transcendence and completeness. Attaining higher consciousness has been the goal of many spiritual disciplines throughout history, in many different cultures. Once a person has experienced even a glimpse of higher consciousness, life is never the same. The ability to sustain higher consciousness on a more or less permanent basis is what the masters and teachers of spiritual disciplines refer to as Enlightenment.




Copyright ©2006 Tys Dammeyer [Changing Consciousness Website]. All rights reserved.
Revised: January 21, 2006