Consciousness, Awareness, and Presence: A Neurobiological Perspective
International Journal of Yoga May 1, 2022 V. Deshmukh 8 citations
Consciousness and awareness are distinct: consciousness is a dualistic, embodied cognitive process, whereas awareness is a nondual, nonlocal, ever-present affective self-awareness that can observe both subject-object duality and conscious contents. This nonlocal awareness is the default mode state, but most people are unaware of it due to mental preoccupation and mind-wandering. Through relaxation, meditation, and letting go of preoccupations, one can return to this peaceful, silent, fulfilling, and energetic state, feeling effortlessly alive and free. The article details meditative presence, yoga meditation, and mindfulness meditation, focusing on the neurobiology of meditation, including brain stem, reticular-limbic system, forebrain circuits, and the wholeness of conscious mind as bio-psycho-social-abstract/spiritual.