Wow Bruce...good topic, but difficult to answer, and I'm sure there are many different interpretations.

I'm engaging in something right now called the Presence Process, which focuses on the need to be conscious, to be present. It's not as easy as it sounds. I think we spend a great deal of our life unconscious. We just move throughout life without giving any real thought to what we are doing...it's like being on automatic pilot.

So, as far as a definition...

I would have to say that it involves being present.

I'll have to give more thought to your question before I can provide anything further.

Good point Bruce! Sometimes when questions seem the most obvious or simple, they are the most profound and answers can be quite difficult to attempt. For myself what consciousness is, is always changing, and yet again it seems somehow unchangeable, in that, I believe that everything is imbued with a type of atomic aliveness which is the root of consciousness. I could say that consciousness is life, but then again we hear of tales of life, or consciousness after death. Therefore it seems that consciousness is not limited to what we perceive as individuals in any given time period.

Interesting,Neeraja, I've always thought of individual consciousness. I've never considered a collective consciousness. That would ultimately get around to religion, wouldn't it?

Actually, I was thinking of a definition more along the lines of Sharon's present mind.

I will say that I'm aware of recent research that points to the unconscious mind as being our normal living state. Apparently, it takes effort for us to gain consciousness. But, that is not a definition for a conscious state.

I dont believe that the idea of a collective consciousness would necessarily lead to a 'religion'. I think that consciousness includes the 'unconscious', just because someone is unconscious of something doesnt mean that the consciousness of it doesnt exist. Therefore, the 'conscious state' of which you speak is subjective. Subject and object coexist in order for consciousness to be aware of itself, even within the present moment of experience.

There is something wrong with my last post. I don't see a "Replay to this comment" hypertext. I guess that means this comment will appear before my previous comment. Confusing!

Neeraja, being conscious implies that some entity is aware of the present, no? Are there other living entities that experience consciousness? If not, then humans are unique, but I don't think so. If other entities do experience consciousness, how complex do they have to be in order to experience it? For example, is a microbe conscious? What about a virus?

Sharon,

You make an interesting point here: "I think we spend a great deal of our life unconscious.:

Would you say that there are points of our lives where we are more unconscious than we are at others?

Nice reply neeraja,

I would add that consciousness can be developed, but not without the power of our volition. That is, consciousness does not change or evolve by itself. For instance; a person with no interest in developing the level of their consciousness is very likely to die at the same level of awareness as the developed by their late teens or early twenties.

I would also add that consciousness includes both "life" and "death".