What Is Consciousness? And Why It Matters
The Mystery at the Heart of Experience
Scientists can map brain activity, correlate neural networks, and even manipulate behavior—but they still do not know why subjective experience exists at all. Why does seeing red feel like something? Why is there an inner “I” that experiences the world, rather than just a mechanistic system processing data? This is what philosophers refer to as the “hard problem of consciousness.”
The hard problem asks: How do physical processes (neurons, synapses, electrochemical signals) give rise to first-person experience — the felt sense of being aware? Many theorists concede that we can chart how awareness behaves, but the question of why consciousness arises remains fundamental and unresolved.
Philosophical Perspectives on Consciousness
Over centuries, thinkers have offered several broad frameworks:
- Materialism (Physicalism): Consciousness is an emergent property of matter, arising when complex physical systems reach a threshold of organization.
- Dualism: Mind and matter are distinct. Consciousness is not reducible to the physical; it interacts with the body but is ontologically separate.
- Panpsychism / Panexperientialism: A more subtle view: consciousness, or proto-experience, is a fundamental feature of all matter. Complex forms (brains) yield rich consciousness; simpler systems have rudimentary awareness.
- Idealism / Nondualism: Consciousness is primary; the physical universe is a manifestation within awareness. The “external world” is a projection or expression of consciousness, not the cause of it.
- Neutral Monism / Monistic Views: Mind and matter are two aspects of a deeper underlying reality; consciousness and physicality emerge from a deeper ground (sometimes called “neutral substance” or “pure awareness”).
Each view has strengths and challenges. None command universal consensus, especially when dealing with the first-person mystery of experience.
Consciousness in the Yogic & Mystical Lens
From the perspective of Yoga, Vedanta, and mystical traditions, consciousness is not a byproduct of the brain—it is the ground of being itself. The world, the body, the mind are all transient forms dancing within this infinite awareness.
In yogic philosophy, Sat–Chit–Ananda (Being – Consciousness – Bliss) is the essential nature of reality.
- Sat — existence, beingness
- Chit — pure awareness, consciousness
- Ananda — the inherent joy or bliss of that ground
The ego, personality, thoughts, and perceptions are like waves on the surface of the ocean. Through disciplined meditation (as in Kriya Yoga), one learns to quiet the waves, withdraw identification from them, and abide as the infinite, unchanging ocean itself.
Kriya Yoga teaches that by consciously regulating the life force (prana) and directing attention inward — especially along the subtle spinal path — one can gradually dissolve mental turbulence and merge individual consciousness into the universal. The effects often reported by sincere practitioners include:
- Deepening internal stillness and clarity
- Dissolution of egoic boundaries
- Intuitive insight beyond discursive thought
- A felt unity with all life
- Persistent inner peace, love, and joy
Paramahansa Yogananda encouraged a spirit of experimental inquiry: “It is possible to put religion into practice, to use it as a science that you can prove by experimenting on yourself.” In other words: meditate, test, experience. See for yourself what lies beyond dogma.
Consciousness Practices Expanding Practices
Throughout human history, many spiritual traditions have used consciousness-expanding modalities (sacramental or visionary practices) as paths to deeper states of awareness. These rituals, entheogens, sacramental substances, guided visionary practices, etc. are used within tradition, preparation, and reverence.
Some historic examples and connections:
- Soma in the Vedas: An ancient sacred plant or sacrament in Vedic ritual, said to confer immortality, divine vision, and communion with gods.
- Eleusinian Mysteries (Ancient Greece): Mystical rites centered in Demeter/Persephone mythology — some scholars suggest psychoactive kykeon or barley brews played a role in inducing altered states of consciousness.
- Shamanic & Indigenous Sacraments Worldwide: Ayahuasca, psilocybin, peyote, iboga, and others have been used in ceremonial, community, and guided settings to facilitate breakthroughs, healing, and vision.
In modern discourse, people often call them “psychedelics,” “entheogens,” or “visionary medicines.” Regardless of what you call them, they are tools that, when used with intention, preparation, integration, and guidance, can illuminate inner terrain. They are not shortcuts or superficial thrills, but can, in rare cases, catalyze deep insight when approached with respect and spiritual maturity.
However, such practices carry potential risks (psychological, legal, ethical). They are not replacements for disciplined spiritual practice, but for some traditions, tools in the greater map of awakening. At Kriya House, we see the value of glimpsing Sat-Chit-Ananda as the fullness/emptiness that is otherwise indescribable. At the same time, we do not advocate the use of these tools without the development of a daily meditation practice.
In this age of information, we risk collecting techniques without depth. True awakening is not accumulation; it is transformation, surrender, and union.
If your heart is drawn toward exploring consciousness, from thought to silence, from ordinary perception to transcendence, we invite you: try it for yourself. Sit in meditation, return inward, and discover the source behind the source.
Om.