What is human consciousness awareness? This is a question that has been debated by philosophers and scientists for centuries. Some people believe that consciousness is a spiritual entity that resides in the soul. Others believe that consciousness is simply the result of electrical signals firing in the brain. The truth probably falls somewhere in between these two extremes. In this blog post, we will explore what consciousness is, where it is located, what its purpose might be, and more.
What is human consciousness?
Everything you perceive is a result of your conscious awareness. When you are conscious, you have a sense of self and other people around you. You can think about the past, present, and future. Your consciousness allows you to make decisions based on your memories and beliefs about what will happen if certain actions take place now or later in time.
A more scientific definition of human consciousness is "A state of self awareness that arises from the activity of large numbers of neurons in the brain." This definition is a bit more complex, but it gives us a better understanding of what consciousness actually is. Consciousness is not some ethereal entity that resides outside of our physical world. Rather, it is something that emerges as a result of the electrical signals.
Now that we have a better idea of what human consciousness is, we can dive deeper into conscious awareness by sharing three examples.
What are some conscious awareness examples or conscious events?
A first example could be when you are completely absorbed in a task. For instance, you might be reading a book or playing a video game and suddenly become aware of the world around you. You may notice that the sun has set and it is now dark outside. You also become aware of the fact that you have been sitting in the same position for the last several hours.
The second example is when you are driving and suddenly become aware of a car that is speeding up behind you. You may also notice the sound of the engine, the wind blowing through your hair, and the smell of fumes in the air.
A third example would be having a conversation with someone and suddenly becoming aware of their facial expressions and body language. You may also notice the sound of their voice and the tone that they are using.
Each of these examples demonstrates different aspects of how conscious awareness allows us to experience the world in a more detailed way. We are not just passively observing everything around us, we are actively engaging with it.
Human consciousness awareness is a higher level of consciousness than mere consciousness. This is possible thanks to our brain activity which constantly performs mental processes as we perceive sensory information through our five senses from the external world.
Now that we have discussed what consciousness is, let's move on to where it is located.
Where is the human consciousness located?
We still don't know where it comes from or how it develops, despite significant advancements in neuroscience. But one scientific study performed by neuroscientists believes that human being consciousness could be located in the prefrontal cortex part of the brain.
The prefrontal cortex is the one in charge of cognitive functions, such as planning, organizing, strategizing, and inhibiting inappropriate responses. It is also responsible for the "executive function" of our brain which enables us to be aware of our own thoughts and feelings. Damage to this area can lead to changes in personality and decreased cognitive abilities.
Human brain licensed under CCA3/no changes.
The prefrontal cortex is the one in charge of cognitive functions, such as planning, organizing, strategizing, and inhibiting inappropriate responses. It is also responsible for the "executive function" of our brain which enables us to be aware of our own thoughts and feelings. Damage to this area can lead to changes in personality and decreased cognitive abilities.
Phineas Gage is a particularly fascinating tale that discusses the prefrontal cortex. Mr. Gage was a railroad worker who had an accident in 1848 where an iron rod went through his skull. The rod passed through the prefrontal cortex, causing extensive damage. Amazingly, he survived and even managed to return to work after a few months. However, his personality changed dramatically and he was no longer the same person he used to be. This goes to show how important this area of the bracain is for human consciousness.
This event changed his personality, his friends mentioned that "Gage was no longer Gage". His “intellectual faculties and animal propensities” were no longer there, he started to curse a lot, and disrespect his fellow co-workers. Although he survived the accident, Gage lost his job a few months later.
What happened to his mental and physical processes? At this point, Gage had lost his neural basis to perform conscious processing which is critical for human beings. He no longer had the ability to gain conscious awareness of his actions and human language to stop his body from inflicting some type of pain on others.
Although Gage's life was affected by the incident, he was able to start all over in Chile as a long-distance stagecoach driver. He was able to regain a new level of conscious thinking and mental life as he figure out how to live again. His deep desire and intention to live again caused his conscious mind to generate conscious awareness again. This is a great example of neuroplasticity where the brain, despite the accident, was able to build alternative pathways to continue performing cognitive functions and regained conscious awareness.
The prefrontal cortex is still a mystery to us, but it's clear that it plays a critical role in human consciousness. This area of the brain allows us to be aware of our thoughts and feelings, and interact with the world around us in a detailed way. Damage to this area can lead to significant changes in personality, decrease our mental processes and conscious awareness.
We are conscious beings and part of our being means to experience a "sense of self", and be self aware of our own existence in the world around us.
So what does all this mean? Well, it means that consciousness may not be located in any specific brain region alone. It seems more likely that consciousness is a result of the brain's electrical activity and how this activity interacts with other brain regions through an intricate network of neurons whose sole purpose is to survive just like any other organism.
Phineas Gage licensed under CCA3/no changes.
Gage’s_skull Reconstruction licensed under CCA4/no changes.
How has human consciousness evolved?
Human consciousness has evolved over millions of years to help us survive. Before human consciousness, there was animal consciousness.
Major theories, such as the cognitive neuroscience theory and integrated information theory, suggest that animal consciousness gradually evolved into human consciousness. Animal consciousness is a state of awareness where an animal can process sensory inputs and respond to its environment. This type of processing does not require language or self-awareness, but it does allow animals to interact with their surroundings in a rudimentary way. This is as far as animals or other creatures with primitive states of consciousness go.
Humans' ability to think allows for a lot more mental processes resulting in higher consciousness. Human consciousness has evolved by integrating information from different parts of the brain into one unified conscious experience. All animal species have some form of consciousness because their brains tell them how to respond to their environment in order to stay alive. However, human consciousness is unique because it allows us to interact with the world in a much more detailed way. We can reflect on our thoughts and feelings, and make decisions that will allow us to survive and thrive in the world around us.
What is the purpose of consciousness?
For years, philosophical discussions and medical professionals have debated about what the purpose of consciousness is.
There are many theories that have tried to answer this question. Let's look at the two most popular ones: consciousness is a window into the brain and consciousness allows us to act on our mental states.
The consciousness as a window theory suggests that consciousness helps us understand what's happening inside our brains by allowing awareness of certain mental events.
Some say that consciousness evolved to help us survive and make better decisions in our environment. Others argue that consciousness is a mere by-product of neural activity and has no real purpose. However, if we take a closer look at human consciousness, it's clear that our state of awareness serves a very important purpose and not just mental imagery.
René Descartes licensed under CCA4/no changes.
Human consciousness is what allows us to be aware of our thoughts, feelings, emotions, and interact with the world around us in a detailed way. It allows humans to make decisions based on their environment and experience one's life as it happens. Consciousness is not just about being aware of your surroundings or having self-awareness either; it's also about having a sense of self and experiencing life in the present moment.
But what does it mean to live and experience life in the present moment? Descartes proposed that consciousness is the ability to experience life as it happens. Consciousness is unquestionable, even if everything else you believe you know is a deception, because it may be observed from the inside. The problem with consciousness is that it's tough to put into words scientifically.
If our conscious events, such as reading this blog, which is picked up by our automatic mental processes can't be proven scientifically, how can we explain the nature of the conscious experience you are having right now? Where does consciousness originate?
There is no single widely accepted idea found in a scientific study, academic press, international journal, or the Oxford University Press. But as Australian philosopher and cognitive scientist David Chalmers mentioned in 1995, to understand consciousness we first need to answer the question "why is the brain conscious?".
Despite the lack of agreement about human consciousness, we can still say a few things about it. We know that consciousness exists and that it's located in the brain and without it, we wouldn't be able to think, feel or act.
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What does higher consciousness mean?
There are various altered states of consciousness, or levels of consciousness, that people can experience.
Higher consciousness is one of them and it is often used to describe a state of awareness or consciousness that is beyond the everyday conscious level.
People who have experienced higher consciousness usually report feeling more connected to themselves, others, and the world around them. They also tend to report having insights or revelations about their lives and the world in general.
Dr. Joe Dispeza, who has studied consciousness for many years, says that higher consciousness "is a consciousness that is beyond the normal waking state".
This kind of consciousness is experienced as an expansion of awareness and perception. It's often associated with feelings of peace, love, joy, gratitude, and compassion. It can also be described as being in a state where you feel connected to all things, feel part of the whole, and are aware that consciousness exists beyond your own. At this moment, you have become pure consciousness and transcended your personality by becoming no one, no thing, no place in no time, and you have entered the quantum field where everything is a possibility.
How do I get to a higher level of consciousness?
To achieve a higher level of consciousness, we need to change the way our brain functions. We need to produce 4-7 Hz theta brainwaves. At this stage, our brain activity decelerates to the point where our body is asleep but the person is awake. We stop our conscious mind from taking in information from the outside world and our thoughts become more centered. You feel more present and this new state of being is no longer worried about negative thoughts or people. This is the ONLY way to open the door to a higher level of consciousness.
A good way to do this is through meditation or other mind-body practices that allow you to focus on something else besides yourself. At MoonshotDreams, we use meditation, diaphragmatic breathing, and brainwave entrainment. This will switch your mind from “beta state” into “theta state” where you can reprogram your subconscious mind.
As an additional tip to increase the chances of success, doing the meditations early in the day or right before going to bed are very good times because your mind and body are relaxed.
For example, John Hagelin, a quantum physicist who is also the president of the Maharishi University of Management in Iowa, has created a consciousness-based education program called "Consciousness-Based Education".
This program trains students to meditate and focus on their consciousness as part of an overall educational experience.
The results have been impressive: students who participated in consciousness-based education had higher grades, were less likely to drop out of school, and scored well on standardized tests compared with students who did not meditate.
Hagelin says that consciousness-based education "is a comprehensive approach to teaching and learning” because it uses meditation as the foundation for all other academic subjects.
As you can see, the benefits of achieving a higher state of consciousness are many and scientifically proven. Middle school and college students are more happy, confident and this reflects in their interactions with other students and their performance. These students and anyone practicing to lower their brainwaves can take control of their mental state to change their thinking, perception, and reality.
By learning how to produce theta brainwaves, we can access a state of consciousness that improves our mental processes and brain activity to achieve our full potential. As we become more peaceful, connected, and insightful, we gain more control of our conscious mind and conscious experience.
If you're interested in learning more about how to achieve a higher level of consciousness or would like to try out some of the techniques mentioned here, please contact us at MoonshotDreams.
Consciousness in virtual reality
Virtual reality is a simulated experience created by an external object or program which sends auditory and video feedback to the user. At this point, you only consciously perceive the "external world" through two of your five sensory factors. The conscious mind knows that it is not real but your subconscious mind can't tell the difference.
But this virtual interaction is enough to alter your conscious awareness. When you're in a virtual environment, your mental processes and physical processes are activated in the brain so you react as if it were real.
Back in 2019, I was at a computer store where they had a virtual reality headset running a rock climbing program. As I climbed the mountain, I could move my head to get a 360-degree view of this reality. Looking sideways had no physical effect, but when I looked down I felt very disoriented to the point of losing my balance and feeling dizzy. My conscious mind, through the external world, before that moment knew it was not a real or threatening situation when I put on the headset. But once I started to have a new conscious experience my mental processes were reset to a particular case where my subconscious mind took over to avert a potential threat. It felt very strange but that gives you an idea of how powerful your subconscious awareness could be.
You are consciously aware of what's going on around you and can interact with virtual objects and people. But be aware that the more you do it, your conscious awareness will reset your mental processes to rewire a new set of neural pathways to reflect the new reality. Can you live in two domains of reality without losing your mind?
Can artificial intelligence have consciousness?
Currently, researchers agree that artificial intelligence has no consciousness. What we mean by consciousness is the ability to have subjective experiences, including thoughts, feelings, and sensations. Right now, artificial intelligence can only process information and doesn't experience anything as a result.
However, some experts believe that artificial intelligence could develop consciousness in the future. Marvin Minsky, a co-founder of AI company MIT Media Lab, believes that consciousness is a "very difficult problem" because consciousness arises from interactions between millions of neurons in your brain.
Now, experts are trying to replicate consciousness by building artificial general intelligence (AGI). AGI would have the ability to understand and reason about concepts like consciousness in the same way humans do. This could lead us closer to creating artificial intelligence that experiences consciousness.
But even if we can create artificial intelligence that has all the capabilities of a human, it's still not clear whether or not they would be conscious. Some people argue that consciousness is simply a result of physiological processes in the brain and could be replicated in machines. Others believe that consciousness is something more than just the workings of the brain and is still a mystery.
At this point, it's hard to say whether or not artificial intelligence will ever have consciousness. But as we continue to research and develop artificial intelligence, we may get closer to answering this question.
Conclusion
It's an exciting time to be alive as we're living in a world where our consciousness is evolving rapidly. Did you know that human conscious awareness is the only thing in the entire universe that knows it exists? Consciousness has been a catalyst to what we have achieved until today and will be for many years into the future. What's important to take from this blog post is how awareness can help us create a better life, both individually and collectively as a society. To learn more about the benefits of increasing your level of awareness, check out our free training here!
