Considerations on Consciousness

Consciousness. It seems like such an esoteric thing. What exactly is it? The inquiry has been studied in philosophy and the different sciences alike. This subject is also broached in many spiritual communities around the world. Entire books have been written on the topic, and many studies carried out by some of the greatest minds on the subject matter. What generally comes too mind is that of being awake and having awareness or perception over the material world. At least that is a working definition. At the same time, we consider consciousness to be at the very essence of who we are; as if it were the very fabric of the psyche and the soul. Even though this may all seem very simple and rudimentary, it is fascinating to note how consciousness can seemingly metamorphize to be all encompassing, as if it was anything and everything all at once, and yet at the same time it fails us and eludes us. Even with our working definitions, it is as if we still are not entirely sure what it is, like some sort of invisible phantom. Within the contents of this didactic article, we will examine consciousness in its many forms across several branches of study and attempt to answer some of the more pressing questions that the topic raises.

It would seem that the shape shifting conceptualization that is consciousness does not belong specifically to any one field of study alone, and each one offers its own…