consciousness
State of being aware
Consciousness is the state of being aware—of yourself, your surroundings, your thoughts.
At its most basic, it distinguishes waking from sleep or coma: The patient regained consciousness after surgery.
More abstractly, consciousness is subjective experience itself—what philosophers call the "hard problem" of explaining why physical processes produce inner awareness at all.
A consciousness can also mean a particular mindset or awareness: class consciousness, environmental consciousness.
To raise consciousness is to increase awareness of social or political issues.
Mental interpretation of stimuli
- cognizanceState of knowing something
- recognitionPerceiving something as known
- realizationGrasping what's true
- understandingMental comprehension of something
attention · noticing · sensitivity · discernment · heedfulness · mindful · attentive · observant
Subjective character of experiences
- dualismPhilosophy of opposed pairs
- monismSingle-substance metaphysics
- phenomenologyStudy of subjective experience
- materialismPrioritizing goods over spirit
idealism · solipsism · metaphysics · reductionism · mind-body · Cartesian · intentionality · functionalism
Mental concept or reflection
- reasoningDrawing logical conclusions
- intelligenceMental ability, cognitive capacity
- memoryMind's retention capacity
- perceptionMental interpretation of stimuli
comprehension · mental · neuroscience · brain · cognitive · attention · metacognition · higher-order
Who someone is
- egoOne's self-image
- self-awarenessInsight into one's psyche
- individualityUnique personal character
- subjectivityPersonal viewpoint coloring perception
selfhood · autonomy · agency · self-concept · self-image · personhood · introspection · self-reflection
Awareness of the present
- presenceState of being somewhere
- contemplationSustained reflective attention
- stillnessComplete lack of motion
- focusConcentrated attention point
centering · breathwork · zen · equanimity · witness · vipassana · concentration · absorption
Profound spiritual awakening
- awakeningReturn to consciousness
- transcendenceSurpassing usual limits
- nirvanaRelease from cyclical existence
- satoriSudden spiritual awakening
bodhi · moksha · illumination · oneness · mystical · numinous · kundalini · samadhi
Active mental awareness
- arousalStirring to heightened state
- wakefulnessState of being conscious
- vigilanceState of keen awareness
- lucidityClearness of mind
awakening · stirring · responsiveness · awareness · sobriety · clarity · revival · grogginess
Inducing altered perception
- tranceSemiconscious, unresponsive condition
- hypnosisInduced trance state
- dreamsInvoluntary sleep visions
- dissociationMental separation from surroundings
hallucination · out-of-body · near-death · intoxication · delirium · fugue · ecstasy · ayahuasca
Practical knowledge from life
- feelingSensed inner state
- sensationPerceived stimulus or phenomenon
- sapienceProfound intellectual discernment
- phenomenalExceptionally impressive or unusual
emotionality · sensibility · aliveness · responsiveness · organism · creature
perception
Mental interpretation of stimuli
- cognizanceState of knowing something
- recognitionPerceiving something as known
- realizationGrasping what's true
understanding · attention · noticing · sensitivity · discernment · heedfulness · mindful · attentive · observant · apperception
qualia
Subjective character of experiences
- dualismPhilosophy of opposed pairs
- monismSingle-substance metaphysics
- phenomenologyStudy of subjective experience
materialism · idealism · solipsism · metaphysics · reductionism · mind-body · Cartesian · intentionality · functionalism · physicalism
thought
Mental concept or reflection
- reasoningDrawing logical conclusions
- intelligenceMental ability, cognitive capacity
- memoryMind's retention capacity
perception · comprehension · mental · neuroscience · brain · cognitive · attention · metacognition · higher-order
identity
Who someone is
- egoOne's self-image
- self-awarenessInsight into one's psyche
- individualityUnique personal character
subjectivity · selfhood · autonomy · agency · self-concept · self-image · personhood · introspection · self-reflection · self-perception
mindfulness
Awareness of the present
- presenceState of being somewhere
- contemplationSustained reflective attention
- stillnessComplete lack of motion
focus · centering · breathwork · zen · equanimity · witness · vipassana · concentration · absorption
enlightenment
Profound spiritual awakening
- awakeningReturn to consciousness
- transcendenceSurpassing usual limits
- nirvanaRelease from cyclical existence
satori · bodhi · moksha · illumination · oneness · mystical · numinous · kundalini · samadhi · divine
alertness
Active mental awareness
- arousalStirring to heightened state
- wakefulnessState of being conscious
- vigilanceState of keen awareness
lucidity · awakening · stirring · responsiveness · awareness · sobriety · clarity · revival · grogginess · stupor
psychedelic
Inducing altered perception
- tranceSemiconscious, unresponsive condition
- hypnosisInduced trance state
- dreamsInvoluntary sleep visions
dissociation · hallucination · out-of-body · near-death · intoxication · delirium · fugue · ecstasy · ayahuasca · DMT
experience
Practical knowledge from life
- feelingSensed inner state
- sensationPerceived stimulus or phenomenon
- sapienceProfound intellectual discernment
phenomenal · emotionality · sensibility · aliveness · responsiveness · organism · creature
shared
Held in common
public · zeitgeist · cultural · solidarity · communal · societal
- consciousnessself-awareness, awareness, wakefulness, alertness, attention
- philosophy of mindmind-body problem, mental states, qualia, intentionality, dualism
- phenomenologyphenomenology, intentionality, bracketing, lived experience, horizon
- Dependent Originationpratityasamutpada, causal chain, causal links, ignorance, formations
- abstract conceptsparadox, emotions, justice, truth, beauty
- mindmind, thought, cognition, thinking, intellect
consciousnessunawareness
State of not knowing
obliviousness · ignorance · inattention · mindlessness · disregard
consciousnessinsentience
Absence of consciousness
matter · nothingness · mindlessness · mechanism · automatism
- stream of consciousnessNarrative mimicking uninterrupted thought
- lose consciousnessBecome unaware, unresponsive
- collective consciousnessShared beliefs of a group
- consciousness raisingCultivating social awareness
- human consciousnessAware inner experience
- altered consciousnessModified mental state
unconsciousness, self-consciousness, consciousnesses, subconsciousness