Default Consciousness, dConsciousness or simply dC: Consciousness as a default state that separates the living from the dead, the living from the non-living. This is the ground state on which the figure of 2nd, 3rd and 4th states rest. It is like the blue screen of the TV set or computer, which you see when the set is just put on. This is of concern to general medicine, law and society in general, for it helps differentiate the living from the dead. Its absence results in a flat EEG record. Aware Consciousness, aConsciousness or simply aC: Consciousness as awareness which ranges from the awake state through drowsy state and sleep (REM and NREM); as also altered states like semiconscious, unconscious, delirious, comatose etc. This is of concern to general medicine, psychology and neuropsychiatry/neuroscience. Its presence is in the form of different waves in an EEG record, for example, alpha, beta, gamma and delta, and their admixture and due/undue prominence. Operational Consciousness, oConsciousness or simply oC: This is consciousness as sensory, motor, cognitive, conative, emotive, aesthetic, ethical, creative etc abilities. Awareness of mental operations (i.e., A [oC]) is itself a form of operational consciousness. oC is best studied by psychological tests and functional neuroimaging studies. It results in alpha and beta waves on an EEG record. It is of concern as much to cognitive science as to philosophy of mind. Exalted Consciousness, eConsciousness or simply eC: Consciousness as an exalted state of connecting with the divine, soul, inner self, God, special forms of creativity (spiritual), meditation etc. This is of major concern to metaphysicians, who often consider the term ‘consciousness’ to be synonymous with this exalted consciousness, and therefore find the other three ways of looking at consciousness inadequate. In recent years, eConsciousness has also become interesting to neuroscience as an object of study. The EEG record is alpha and theta waves. It is being probed and studied, though rather inadequately, by functional neuroimaging and other means. The obvious hindrance being lack of subjects, mainly due to lack of faith in the scientific method in the practitioners of eC. |
