So You Thought You Were Conscious...Really? Transformational Thinking



(Photo courtesy of Hplus Magazine)

Okay, so I know The American Heritage Dictionary, thing is going to get old.  I am purposely using the definitions as a way to explore the exact meaning of a word without putting any kind of spin on it.  The purpose for this is that “WORDS HAVE POWER.”  The very definition of the world unconscious is: “1. Not accessible to the conscious part of the mind. 2 a. Temporarily lacking awareness. b. Not informed. 3 Without conscious control; involuntary; the part of the mind that operates without conscious awareness and that cannot be directly observed.”

Conscious is defined as, “1 a. Having an awareness of one’s own existence and environment. b. Capable of complex response to environment; c. Not asleep; awake. 2. Subjectively known: conscious remorse. 3. Intentional; deliberate.

Consciousness-raising is defined as, “1. A process of achieving greater awareness of one’s needs in order to fulfill one’s potential as an individual. 2. A technique whereby one is made aware.”

So, how do we bring consciousness to the unconscious? Or stated another way, how do we bring awareness to the unaware?

The question seems simple on its face; however, the ability to bring awareness to the unaware is not always an easy task, due to perceptions and conditioning which occur early in life.  These conditionings and perceptions give way to self-limiting mind chatter that is powerful enough to stop us in our tracks.

Some of us get stuck. We get stuck in a place we do not desire to be. We have an awareness of sorts that pops up and says, “What are you doing here?” or “How did I get here.” More importantly, you may be saying, “I can see my life in this dream (or a certain way) and for whatever reason, we just cannot seem to get there.

When you think of conscious/awareness, what comes to mind for you?  Do you feel like your soul is saying, “Hey – this is not where I belong.”  Or maybe when you are in the stillness and the void (if you allow yourself to go there, you may hear, “What am I doing here?  How will I get out of this?”

Awareness can mean many things to many people.  Sometimes the awareness leads us down a path that we do not want to go (i.e., self-medicating.)  Other times, the light goes off and we say, “Ah Hah!”

What are your beliefs about consciousness and awareness? Do you define it differently than what has been presented here? Do you feel like you are aware?  I would love to read your comments regarding this subject.