On the Idea of Human Consciousness

Human Consciousness

Consciousness could be explained basically as the way our mind processes incoming stimuli and creates feelings, memories and experiences usually when we are awake. This can be difficult to explain as consciousness is essentially the reason of why we ask why and the basis of the core of philosophy. The fact that philosophy means many different things to people makes the whole of consciousness not an easy thing to explain in any certain concrete terms. Though perhaps it is possible to explain activity of the mind which could be perceived as consciousness initially but it is also just as possible to say there is much more to consciousness than just our thinking mind.

Instincts of community and togetherness among people and even among animals could be explained maybe even as a collective consciousness of nature and the universe. These ideas of consciousness though can be corrupted by greed and selfishness, American culture in particular can often discourage this sense of community consciousness with such an emphasis on self-importance.

The fact that we have consciousness in the first place is in its own sense a phenomenon as it places humans on a level able to create ideas and concepts and in turn question these ideas and concepts. Without consciousness this paper couldn’t be written as it allows for free thinking, life as it’s known would be much different without the self awareness all people come to know.

The idea of consciousness being the only truth and matter and material things not existing was believed in some early Indian philosophy but later rejected by unorthodox sects in the Carvakas, “Therefore the soul is the only body distinguished by the attribute of intelligence, since there is no evidence for any self-distinct from body… the only end of man is enjoyment produced by sensual pleasures.

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” (229) Realistically from even a loose scientific standpoint or at least the average thinking mind, matter undoubtable exists as the basis of human life and matter existed billions of years before consciousness of humans. Of course ancient philosophers cannot be expected to know scientific theories of today so them developing ideas around consciousness existing in inanimate objects and believing in the nonexistence of matter can be logical in some sense. Crops not growing or a lack of sunlight may appear to be a conscious choice to spite mankind to even ancient philosophers. Though ideas of nature being conscious and one with us in not quite such a literal sense can lead to a better treatment of the planet at its core as it gives reason to not destroy the planet and to treat animals that are thinking and sentient with respect they deserve.

What makes human consciousness so much more spectacular is our ability to create and imagine new ideas and philosophies and reasoning. It is possible for people to think about the world in a multitude of ways, placing whatever importance one might wish to on any aspect of life and living their life for that thing whether it’s material, another person or even an idea. Where animals may be able to think about what they need to do and act on that they are missing the creative aspect of the human consciousness that has developed into extremely impressive civilization. On the other hand though human consciousness has debatably destroyed the planet with invented factories and machines that create pollution that is melting the ice caps, destroying forests and causing man made extinctions. Even though without consciousness we would presumably be just like other animals but theoretically another species would most likely evolve to take the place of the conscious beings of Earth at least.

Consciousness isn’t truly realized until our brains start to develop which explains why animals aren’t on the same level as humans are and babies are as helpless as they are. Though consciousness can be altered when suspended with sleep or made clearer after practicing relaxation through yoga. Death is unenviably the end of consciousness at least presumably and as far as scientific proof goes but of course consciousness again can let someone believe something different than that as a free conscious thinker.