The Nature Of Consciousness

“What is Consciousness?” is one of the biggest questions that troubles modern physicists. There are books upon books with titles from ‘Consciousness Explained’ to ‘Consciousness Defined’ to ‘Consciousness Redefined’. The reason it’s such a difficult exploration is because exploring consciousness is like shining a flashlight on itself. It doesn’t happen that often.
When I first got introduced to one of my spiritual mentors, Michael Alan Singer. I was fascinated by  how one evening, a simple question he asked changed the course of his life. Change really does happen in a moment. It might take time to get to that one moment, but it’s the magical moment in which the breakthrough occurs.
Michael A. Singer (or Mickey for short) was spending an evening in his cabin with one of his friends. They were talking about some things and the conversation was going great. You know how when you are talking with someone and all of a sudden, there’s this weird silence in between? That’s what happened between the two friends and in this weird silence. Something magical occurred. Mickey realized that there was this voice inside his head which was very uncomfortable with the silence. It went, ‘Shall I talk about the weather but no… the weather hasn’t been good… maybe that’s why I haven’t seen Sally in a while and I wonder if she’s missing me or maybe she doesn’t and I don’t know if someone ever loves me’. Mickey noticed that he wasn’t the voice, he was listening to the voice getting very uncomfortable. There was this subject-object relationship. The question that arose in his mind was, If the voice inside my head is the object, Who is the subject?
He devoted his entire life to finding the answer to that one question.
If you think about it, It’s a really simple question most of us never ask.
Reading this right now, Can you listen to the voice narrating this text? Sure you do. Who is the ‘you’ doing the listening? Who sees when you see? Who hears when you hear?
That’s just a glimpse of what consciousness really is. If you try to put it into words, It’s just this sense of awareness that’s aware of its existence. Ultimately, It’s who YOU actually are. 

The next question that arises is that everything in the world has its nature. The body has its nature. If taken proper care of, the body’s nature is healthy. The mind has its nature too. The nature of the mind or the psyche as described by Carl Jung is something called Individuation. Jung believed that the psyche is a self-regulating system just like the body. It tries to cleanse itself and its true nature is also one of well-being. What is the nature of consciousness?

Even though Consciousness is a hot topic among scientists in the 21st century. The search for it has been going on for centuries. It’s very possible that it’s going on for a millennium maybe. We find examples of this in the ancient indigenous human tribes & also in great spiritual figures. Some people might think of Spirituality as non-scientific. Just like some scientists argue that the unconscious doesn’t exist because we can’t see it. They also argue that there is no such thing as a soul because of the same reason. I beg to differ. 

The ancient Sufis, Yogis, Rishis and Buddhists were just like scientists. It’s just that their research was not on the outside world (physical physical), their research was more focused on the inside (metaphysical realm). Their research is the answer to the simple question, Who am I?
We all know that scientific experiments are done under controlled conditions. This is called isolating variables to an extent where it doesn’t interfere with the variable under study. This is a key factor of any scientific research. If you look at the story of ancient mystics and prophets cross-culturally, you’ll find that nearly in all of their lives. There is a period of isolation. One where they went to caves and stayed there for a long period of time. What’s the reason for this madness, one might ask?
Answer, same as any other scientific research, Isolating Variables. Since these mystics wanted to study the inner realm. They noticed that if they are in a social environment. Their thoughts get stimulated. As a result, their feelings cause disturbance too. It distracts them from the purpose of their actual research i.e an exploration of the Self. That’s why they went to caves. 

“Meditation is entering the laboratory of soul research” - Paramhansa Yogananda

This is the reason Buddha sat quietly under a Bodhi tree for 40 days. He was conducting deep research on the Self.

He also got the answer, Nirvana. Enlightenment is just the phenomena in which one recognizes his true self. It’s when the flashlight shines on itself. It seems impossible but it is just a quiet awareness of being. Just as we discussed that there must be a nature to consciousness. These mystics reported the results of their study. They told us, nearly all of them in different words, that “The Kingdom is within you”.
They reported that the nature of consciousness is pure bliss and joy. It’s unconditional waves of love pouring within you at all times. Aha! Maybe that’s why those Yogis keep sitting with their eyes closed. There is a feeling of love so strong inside them that it’s pulling their whole being inside. How my mentor, Michael Singer explains is that when you are at that stage of consciousness, fully aware, all you ever have to do to feel love is to close your eyes and wave your hand in front of your heart. You’ll instantly feel these waves of love filling your whole being.

“There is a river of joy flowing inside you. Find it. Go there. Get in. Drown” - Paramhansa Yogananda

Irrespective of what the physicists find to be true of consciousness. This research can be conducted personally by anyone who’s willing enough. All there must be is a hunger to know thyself.