(Reflection 9)

I never knew that there was a difference between awareness and consciousness. I always thought that being aware meant that you were conscious. After reading Transformation: Awareness and Consciousness I learned a few new things. One of those things was that awareness and consciousness are indeed different. Awareness is more than just a thing of the mind and it is not mental. Consciousness on the other hand is of the quality of the mind and is very much mental. Consciousness is also thought of as one of many levels of awareness. The author made a point in describing consciousness and awareness. One point that stood out to me was the example of a person sleeping. When a person goes to sleep their consciousness is also in a resting state. Even though they are asleep they are still aware of sounds around them. This is why people are able to be awaken out of sleep when they hear alert words like “fire!” or when they hear “Help!” The author also went on to say that awareness is the like the background amongst all that happens whether or not we realize it. According to Colin Wilson, there are eight levels of consciousness seven of which he described but the last one he was silent on it and didn’t describe it. This information is new to me being that I never imagined that someone would describe so many levels of consciousness. We are learning about awareness and consciousness for the purpose of transformation. These two things are very important while on the journey of transformation. When we have reached a level where we are both aware and conscious not only of ourselves but of others and their beliefs and opinions at that point is when we can be considered multiculturally aware and understanding that we along with everyone else that inhabits the world may not have the same beliefs and values. Being able to understand our differences and accept each other for them brings us to a point where we are more elevated that some people who feel that their opinions are the only ones that matter. After reading these articles and understanding their concepts, I hope to reach a point where I am transformed from my current being to a much mlore enlightened and aware being.
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