With each passing second, our body undergoes hundreds of thousands of chemical reactions. Neurons transfer information about these reactions through intricate neural networks in the form of pulses (electric signals), ultimately leading to the hub—our brain, the unevenly shaped organ in our skull. These pulses originate from various parts of our body, whether from the food churning in our stomach, the liver tirelessly breaking down toxins, the kidneys filtering waste from our blood, or the many glands secreting hormones. All their signals converge in the brain.
Over millions of years of evolution, the brain has been optimized for efficiency and has become a master of dissection, filtration, and delegation of the constant stream of input it receives, with only a fraction reflected on our mental canvas.
For instance, we might not be acutely aware of the food being churned in our stomach (unless ailed), the millions of cells working tirelessly to protect our bodily fortress, or the simultaneous eradication and rejuvenation of cells. However, we are highly aware of the joy felt after a good night’s sleep, the excitement of an anticipated event, the rush of urgency when running late, or the sharp sting of a sudden poke. The crucial point is that our brain employs an intricate, complex algorithm to determine what to reflect and what to disregard on the mental canvas.
Why do I use the phrase mental canvas instead of simply mind? It is because individuals with no sensory input still have thoughts. Therefore, the mind and the mental area (which I call the mental canvas), where all sensory input is reflected, must be distinct.
The mind is a breeding ground for thoughts and emotions. It is where the sense of I emerges, and it also grants us control over the focus or concentration we can exert toward a thought or priority.
Hormones are reflected on the mental canvas as raw signals and are interpreted as good or bad by the mind, depending on thought patterns. The bodily functions that do reflect on the mental canvas are variable, subject to, and constrained by the state of the mind. Whether it be a surge of feel-good hormones or an adrenaline rush triggered by falling off a bicycle, all such experiences alter the state of our mind.
Everything we feel is a consequence of the chemical reactions occurring in our body.
Well, now that we understand the mental canvas is linked to the body and that only a portion of bodily processes are reflected onto it and the mind, where does this complex, long-lettered word consciousness stand?
We are aware of something only to the extent that our sensory receptors allow. For us humans, this awareness is limited to the body. In our mental canvas, we are aware and conscious in relation to our body.
My esteemed reader, at this very moment, as you gaze at a screen to read this article, you are—though not necessarily are, but can be—aware of the many things occurring within your body, both externally and internally. The external refers to your surroundings, perceived through your senses, while the internal pertains to the intricate chemical processes within your body.
We humans possess a complex and sophisticated mind compared to other animals, which allows us to direct our focus toward areas we wish to be aware of, even if only to a degree. Sitting on a chair, we feel the chair pushing against us, making us aware of our body’s weight on our spine, hips, and thighs. If we have a laptop on our lap, we feel its weight pressing down, our palms resting on it, and our fingers gliding over the definite, spaced keys, feeling each one. The subtle protrusions on the ‘F’ and ‘J’ keys for our index fingers, the air we constantly breathe as it flows through our nasal cavity, the sensation of it passing through the pharynx and hitting its walls—are we aware of all these things while using our laptop? No. But why?
Since we now know that the brain reflects only a fraction of the tsunami of input it receives onto the mental canvas, we must also recognize that the mind does not absorb everything the brain presents. The first reason for this is that our mind has a limited capacity to process all that is on the mental canvas at once. We can only focus on one thing at a time. However, this limitation can become an ability through practices like mindfulness, which will be discussed in future articles.
In this example, being aware of the text on the screen and contemplating it rather than focusing on the laptop’s weight, the airflow, or our fingers gliding over the keys is natural, as we cannot take in everything simultaneously.
Thus, the vicinity or boundary of our consciousness encompasses everything we can be aware of if we direct our mind toward it. Consciousness is a state of awareness, arising from the integration of sensory input, emotions, thoughts, and memories into a cohesive experience. It includes everything we can feel or perceive—from the sensation of the smallest ant treading across our hand to the internal chatter of our mind.
The distant car, its engine roaring faintly—a sound otherwise neglected—enters our consciousness only when we turn our mind toward it. The subtle hum of a fan or the air conditioning, unnoticed as our mind busies itself with other things (mostly thoughts), becomes evident when we shift our focus, proving that it, too, is within our consciousness.
Everything that we become aware of after directing our mind’s concentration toward it exists within our consciousness. However, anything that remains beyond our awareness, even with conscious effort, is outside our current state of consciousness.
I say current state of consciousness because consciousness can be expanded and elevated to higher levels. Each level brings greater awareness, drawing us closer to a state of simply being—where one takes in all and everything, all at once.
As we continue exploring the mysteries of consciousness, perhaps the greatest discovery lies not in fully understanding it but in experiencing it in its purest form—taking it all in, at once.
My humble obeisance to you, dear reader, for benevolently engaging with my first attempt to articulate my understanding of consciousness.
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