What is Consciousness? Explanations and Theories

In modern spirituality, spiritual awakenings and consciousness are frequently spoken about. But how exactly does this relate to each of us? Despite many of the world's greatest scientists and philosophers seeking to discover a unified understanding of what consciousness is, it is a term that is constantly evolving. Nevertheless, consciousness is much more complex than being conscious or not being conscious. Read on to discover exactly what consciousness is, its theories, and the different ways to awaken your consciousness.

Definitions of consciousness

A widely debated topic within the scientific and philosophical worlds, consciousness can be defined simply as the awareness of yourself and the world around you. Consciousness allows us to become more self-aware and expand our view of the world as we see it. 

The function of consciousness has long been discussed. Scientist Christof Koch says that consciousness is everything that we experience. To unravel the mysteries surrounding human consciousness, Koch and his team researched how consciousness may originate in the brain. They discovered clinical sources that suggested that when damage was sustained to the posterior cortex of the brain - the part of our brain containing our sensory systems, such as the visual cortex -  this significantly affected a person’s conscious experience. They found that our subjective experiences of life are generated within these regions of the posterior cortex and that each experience we have has its own set of neural activities in this region, called the neural correlates of consciousness. This appears to determine how conscious a person is. 

Types of consciousness

There are different states of consciousness which all serve to expand your mind. Here are some of the most common:

1. Hypnosis

   Hypnosis is characterised by its relaxed state, where it may appear that a person is asleep. But in reality, the hypnotic state is one of hyper-awareness, where a person is actually focused and can process their thoughts from this deeper level of knowing. Hypnosis can be used as a therapeutic tool and has been effectively used to control pain and manage anxiety. 

2. Sleep

   As we sleep, we experience varying levels of consciousness. During each stage of sleep, our brain is active, but our awareness of what is happening remains low. This type of consciousness is affected by our body clock; when we do not get enough sleep, it can profoundly affect our day-to-day life. 

3. Dreams

   Our ability to dream is linked to our consciousness. During sleep, we experience different levels of consciousness. Even though our awareness is lower, we can remember our dreams during the REM stage of the sleep cycle because the brain is still active. 

4. Hallucinations

   These sensory experiences can appear real but are created by the mind. Mental health issues can cause hallucinations, use of substances and hallucinogenic drugs, lack of sleep, medical conditions, and some medications. 

5. Meditation

   Meditation is known to raise our level of consciousness by quieting the mind and teaching us to live in the present moment. It also raises our self-awareness and enhances our ability to access higher conscious awareness levels available to us. 

6. States created by psychoactive drugs

   Some chemical substances, when ingested by humans, have a powerful effect on perception, consciousness and our mental state. These chemicals affect the way the brain and nervous system function. They can be found in medications, caffeine, alcohol, legal and psychodelic or hallucinogenic drugs, and some plants. Care must be taken with these types of drugs, as they can be harmful when taken in excess. 

History of consciousness 

It seems that early discussions around consciousness were mostly formed by philosophy. The French philosopher Rene Descartes first talked about the mind-body problem. This centres around the connection between thought and consciousness in the mind and the brain as a physical part of the human body. Descartes came up with the concept of duality; whilst both the mind and the body are separate, they are also one. He suggested that the fact humans think is enough evidence to prove that we are conscious beings. 

In more recent times, philosopher David Chalmers wrote a paper on ‘The hard problem of consciousness.’ In contrast to Koch’s research, he proposes that consciousness does not necessarily relate to the physical brain and that no scientific evidence has proved this. 

Research in human consciousness has grown since the 1950s. Neuroscientists continue to look at human brains and have made important findings by looking at the neuroscience that lies underneath our experiences. Brain imaging techniques have been used to monitor brain activity, specifically to examine how the brain’s neurons are linked to our conscious states. 

Theories of consciousness 

Various theories to do with the conscious experience have emerged over time. Each theory attempts to explain the brain’s process regarding consciousness and the experience we will receive. 

Here are three main theories:

1. Integrated Information Theory 

   Formulated by Giulio Tononi, Integrated Information Theory is the most popular theory of consciousness in neuroscience. It aims to study the physical processes behind our consciousness experiences and how we can integrate these. This theory begins by identifying consciousness itself and uses a framework to explain why some physical systems respond the way they do in certain states.

2. Global Workspace Theory

   First proposed by highly-accredited academic researcher Bernard Baars, his Global Workspace Theory works on the principle that the brain has a memory bank, which it accesses to experience consciousness. It says our conscious awareness is formed by sensory information from the brain’s neurons. It explains how the brain is structured to allow such cognitive processes to work.

3. Higher Order Theory

   This theory aims to explain how our mental state becomes conscious and the distinction between conscious and unconscious mental states. It emphasises the awareness of our thoughts and how a higher-ordered thought needs to be directed at our mental state to bring about consciousness.

How to awaken consciousness

When we are looking at awakening consciousness, it requires us to become open to exploring our perceptions of the world around us. Here are some of the ways you can begin to awaken your consciousness:

• Practice meditation - this is a great way to explore your higher self and maintain a sense of inner balance, which is needed if we are to become more aware. 

• Tune into your intuition - we all have an inner knowing to guide us, so create time and space to tune into yours.

• Embrace mindfulness - begin to drown out the noise around you and become aware of what is. 

• Breathwork - our breath can bring us into a state of calm and help us to tune into a high level of awareness. 

• Spend time in nature - we are generally more at peace when we feel close to nature, which will help us to become more in tune with a higher consciousness.

• Open your mind - higher awareness asks us to consider, and be tolerant of, others’ opinions and differing points of view. When our consciousness is greater, we can be at peace with diverse thoughts and beliefs.

Supporting you with raising your consciousness

Have you felt the change in energy and the call to increase your level of consciousness? If you know you are ready for change and would like some support in navigating the path ahead, spiritual coaching will help you explore and connect with yourself on a deeper level. Get in touch today to find out how Gareth can help you to understand yourself more deeply and heighten your conscious awareness.