What is Consciousness?

If there is one mystery in science right now that has not really been solved it is this - what is consciousness? And more pointedly what does it mean to be conscious?

These are two of the biggest questions that all of us have grappled with since the age of our self-conscious being. Since man and woman walked the earth we have been mystified by the very essence of ourselves: I am, but what am  I? We use language to cogitate some understanding, all the while knowing that it is a coarse tool for such a subtle subject. Yet we try, innately driven to do so. 

In simple terms it is easy for us to define consciousness: it is our subjective awareness of being alive. But this simple answer does nothing to explain the enigmatic aspects of consciousness that we are most concerned with: is it merely a result of biological process or is it something more? Is it individuated from the body, and if so where does it reside? Does it even need the body to be? And if not where did it come from and where will it eventually go. 

Common belief is that consciousness is the thing that sets us apart from other animals because it is the aspect of our being that enables us to observe ourselves in a self conscious way - in other words it is our mind's eye. This of course blatantly ignores the fact that animals are also conscious and suggests that the real difference resides somewhere (perhaps) in the quality of our consciousness. 

Raising the subject of mind is unavoidable when contemplating the question of consciousness. Seeming inseparable, the terms are often used interchangeably and both are acquiring a new descriptive. 

Is Conscious Mind A Super Computer

As with any age, the lexicon of a society reflects the pathos and environment they find themselves in. So it is not surprising that mind/consciousness is commonly being likened to a super computer that uploads and downloads information. What is striking however is that the metaphor is arguably just because the critical similarities between both 'systems' are undeniable. 

Our physiology mirrors many of the same attributes of a computer. For example like a silicon chip, each of our cells is enveloped in a crystalline sheaf and functions by way of on/off , or open/closed signals. Collectively these cells (the hardware), with their on/off signals transmit information back and forth in the brain's neural networks, functioning very much like a computer, accessing memories and updating its (software) knowledge base.

Its a fascinating reflection, seeing some of the deeper mystery of our being reflected in our creative handy work and one can readily see it as an apropos coincidence with the changes that human consciousness is presently experiencing. It doesn't address the enigmatic qualities of consciousness but it does jolt us towards a little more understanding and widens our view of where we might find answers. 

Part Two - What Is Consciousness - Scientists, Sages & The Question of Consciousness