What is consciousness?

[Geoff-Allen]

How does a lump of grey matter inside your skull produce the experience of being alive? - It does not. The lump of grey is within consciousness - not the other way around.

Thanks for that - food for further "contemplation" ...

 

[Geoff-Allen]

I find my myself a bit disappointed by this statement. Please tell me more about why you find these words to be 'useless gobbledygook'.

I'd be interested too. May just be a very subtle comment on the limits of words & concepts as used by most people to "communicate" their experiences?

Of course I am no mind-reader - I could be WAY off-base!

 

[Quintessence]

I find my myself a bit disappointed by this statement. Please tell me more about why you find these words to be 'useless gobbledygook'.

The reasons are different for each term, I think but there are a couple common problems they have for me.

One problem is that nobody seems to be able to define these terms adequately or in a way that makes any sense to me. Much of the discussions around those terms presuppose one accepts substance dualism, and I do not. I don't believe "spiritual" or "consciousness" is a thing in the sense that people use it in conversation.

Another problem is a bit silly, but I've had more exposure than I'd like to New Age psychobabble. They love words like "spiritual" and "consciousness" and weird boxcar phrases like "enlightened spiritual ascension" and "higher spiritual consciousness." Even typing that out just now makes me twitch hard inside. The terms are often used in speciesist, anthropocentric, exceptionalist, or hierarchical narratives as well, so I developed a dislike for the words.

 

[`mud]

And it's contained our gnosis, still growing !

 

[WalterTrull]

Ah yes, St. Gnosis the good of the isle of Esoteria

 

[SalixIncendium]

The reasons are different for each term, I think but there are a couple common problems they have for me.

One problem is that nobody seems to be able to define these terms adequately or in a way that makes any sense to me. Much of the discussions around those terms presuppose one accepts substance dualism, and I do not. I don't believe "spiritual" or "consciousness" is a thing in the sense that people use it in conversation.

Another problem is a bit silly, but I've had more exposure than I'd like to New Age psychobabble. They love words like "spiritual" and "consciousness" and weird boxcar phrases like "enlightened spiritual ascension" and "higher spiritual consciousness." Even typing that out just now makes me twitch hard inside. The terms are often used in speciesist, anthropocentric, exceptionalist, or hierarchical narratives as well, so I developed a dislike for the words.

I can appreciate your view that these words have been used rather loosely by the new age groups, but nonetheless, they are still terms to describe esoteric concepts. I can assure you that as a hard non-dualist, there is no presupposition of dualism when I use terms such as 'spirit' or 'consciousness' to describe, for lack of better descriptors, Atman or Brahman.

That said, what terminology to you prefer to describe such concepts as Atman or Brahman outside of Hinduistic discussion?

 

[Quintessence]

I can appreciate your view that these words have been used rather loosely by the new age groups, but nonetheless, they are still terms to describe esoteric concepts. I can assure you that as a hard non-dualist, there is no presupposition of dualism when I use terms such as 'spirit' or 'consciousness' to describe, for lack of better descriptors, Atman or Brahman.

Maybe I'll figure it out someday, right?

That said, what terminology to you prefer to describe such concepts as Atman or Brahman outside of Hinduistic discussion?

Truly, I'm not sure my default map of the territory really has equivalents to those two concepts, albeit I'm also hardly an expert on Hindu ways of thinking. When I use the term "spirit" (a very different term than spirituality) I mean "the essence, nature, or character of a thing." I'm not sure that is analogous to Atman. I don't have a monotheistic/monistic Brahman-concept at all in my path, so I wouldn't be one to use such a term at all unless talking about other people's monism. At any rate, I'm under the impression the OP was talking about human variety of consciousness (what I would just call awareness) that humans tend to claim is their exclusive purview?