What Is Consciousness? A Vedic Perspective
Wholeness: Consciousness is not just brain activity, but the ground of all being.
Introduction: Beyond Brain and Thought
When most people hear the word consciousness, they think of awareness, wakefulness, or the brain “being online.” In Western science, consciousness is often framed as a byproduct of brain activity. But in the Vedic tradition, consciousness is not just an effect of the brain — it is the ground of all being, the unbounded field from which thoughts, perceptions, and even matter itself arise.
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi: Consciousness as Pure Potential
Maharishi taught that consciousness is the unified field — pure awareness without content, beyond waking, dreaming, and deep sleep. Through Transcendental Meditation, one can experience this source directly, returning the nervous system to balance and enlivening creativity. Consciousness here is not in the brain; the brain is an instrument that reflects it.
Ramana Maharshi: Self-Inquiry
Ramana Maharshi offered a radical simplicity: the direct question “Who am I?” cuts through layers of thought, identity, and perception. He suggested that consciousness is not something we find but something we uncover by removing what is not essential. Awareness remains when all else falls away.
Neem Karoli Baba: Consciousness as Love
Neem Karoli Baba, the Indian saint who guided Ram Dass and countless Western seekers, pointed toward love as the essence of consciousness. “Love everyone, serve everyone, remember God” was his teaching. Here consciousness is not abstract — it is lived as compassion, devotion, and surrender.
Modern Reflections
Neuroscience struggles to define consciousness, yet mystics have pointed to it for millennia. By holding the Vedic view, we see consciousness as both universal field and personal experience.
Client Tool: Micro Self-Inquiry
Sit quietly and ask: “Who is aware of this thought?”
Allow the question to hang in silence. Don’t answer; notice what remains.
Journal the experience in a few words.
Conclusion
Consciousness, from the Vedic perspective, is not limited to neurons firing. It is the very fabric of reality — experienced as silence, as self, and as love.
Teaser for Paid Blog: Comparative neuroscience on states of consciousness and lived non-dual experiences.
