What is the Nature of Consciousness?

Dr. Purushothaman
October 11, 2013

I liken the word mind to consciousness. They may or may not be synonymous depending on whom you ask. Consciousness is the essence of who and what we are. It is awareness. What it focuses on is where it exists at that moment. It's easier to describe what consciousness is not. It has no body, form, or identifiable parts, and its perceived qualities include but are not limited to: intellect, emotion, reasoning, dreaming, imagination, and thought. These "qualities" can only be considered applications of consciousness. They do not define it. Its existence is actually undefinable. Entities existing as consciousness have no name.

The unknown nature of consciousness makes it more difficult to perceive than nonphysical beings. It's not restricted to the spirit world. It is impossible to know whether consciousness is composed of the same kind of energy which pervades the nonphysical universe. Whether consciousness exists as a common vibration is debatable. Many people feel this is the case. Most metaphysicists agree that all conscious beings are part of the greater consciousness we call Infinite Intelligence. God is a collective being. This means we all belong to it.

Consciousness is continuously expanding through the absorption of human experiences. The ego part of consciousness may also be shrinking simultaneously. I have provided this information in other articles, but it is worth repeating. Knowledge makes the mind grow. This is the mission of consciousness. It can be no other way. Why does consciousness seek to expand? Our individual minds seek to aid the growth of the higher self, and in turn, the growth of the Infinite One. There is an expansion of consciousness on all levels. Our individual's minds are part of the much larger mind. This is why the Infinite One is a collective entity.

The mind or consciousness is the ultimate creator of personal reality. Whatever the mind perceives in physical reality is first manifested on the mental plane. The mind gives life to "things" as an expression of its creativity. Consciousness creates infinite dimensions of reality in order to fulfill its mission of expansion. Consciousness cannot learn without creating physical and nonphysical environments. These environments allow conscious beings to experiment with life and create challenges to overcome. The mind needs to be challenged. This is the best way to learn and grow. The mind becomes dull and lifeless without testing itself. By pushing itself, consciousness can test the perceived boundaries of reality to which it sees itself confined.

We are responsible for everything we have created. This is a tremendous responsibility. Consciousness is a force of immeasurable power. We do not know our potential in this world. Any dream or fantasy can be realized by a conscious being. Most of us haven not discovered this latent ability. We have the ability to make our wildest dreams come true. As we push the limits of human creativity, we will become aware of this awesome power. As this happens we come closer and closer realizing our true nature as Gods of the universe. This process draws us nearer to the Whole where love abounds. However, this is a process and needs to be conducted one experience at a time. Each level must be accomplished. We cannot skip ahead to a higher level. There is a continuity to life that cannot be broken no matter how eager we may be to reach the higher realms. There is no end to this process. This is why refer to God as the Infinite One.

Read Related Recent Articles