Jan 04 2008
Are You Conscious?
As I sat here at my computer terminal reflecting on recent events and the nature of consciousness I recalled and two articles I had read. The first one dates back to January 2007 and the second is only about 1 month old.
The Mystery of Consciousness - Research on consciousness is alternately exhilarating and disturbing. There is no other topic is like it. As René Descartes noted, our own consciousness is the most indubitable thing there is.
The major religions locate it in a soul that survives the body’s death to receive its just deserts or to meld into a global mind. For each of us, consciousness is life itself, the reason Woody Allen said, “I don’t want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve it by not dying.” And the conviction that other people can suffer and flourish as each of us does is the essence of empathy and the foundation of morality.
To make scientific headway in a topic as tangled as consciousness, it helps to clear away some red herrings. Consciousness surely does not depend on language. Babies, many animals and patients robbed of speech by brain damage are not insensate robots; they have reactions like ours that indicate that someone’s home. Nor can consciousness be equated with self-awareness. At times we have all lost ourselves in music, exercise or sensual pleasure, but that is different from being knocked out cold.
Are You Conscious? Living consciously may seem like a no-brainer, but it is actually a lifestyle, a skill, and an art that few master. It’s not a one-time event or activity, but a way of life.
The concept is deceptively simple: Be conscious, and think about why you do what you do. But to make conscious choices rather than doing things “just because” can actually be quite challenging, and may require us to “rewire” the way we think.
It is easier to live life on autopilot, and to just keep doing what we always do, simply because that’s what we’re used to doing. Conscious living calls for breaking out of routines that aren’t productive so that we can begin to have the lives we really want.
One of the best ways to live consciously is to make reflecting on your life a regular routine through keeping a journal and/or meditating or reflecting on your day. The important thing is to give your life conscious consideration so that you really know and understand your life for what it is, and can make course corrections when needed.
Related posts:
The Eight Irresistible Principles of Having Fun
Crossroads: Happiness Questions
Happiness is a decision made between the ears
Self Confidence Boosters
Being happy no matter what
Visualizing the Life You Desire
Journaling
What a great couple of articles! The second one, especially is huge. It’s wonderful to know about all the research going on regarding consciousness and the brain. We are just beginning to understand this very large subject.
Hugs & Healing!
This part of the Time article particularly resonates with me: … “few scientists doubt that they will locate consciousness in the activity of the brain. For many nonscientists, this is a terrifying prospect. Not only does it strangle the hope that we might survive the death of our bodies, but it also seems to undermine the notion that we are free agents responsible for our choices–not just in this lifetime but also in a life to come. … It’s not just that an understanding of the physiology of consciousness will reduce human suffering through new treatments for pain and depression. That understanding can also force us to recognize the interests of other beings–the core of morality.”