Elusive Consciousness

Author(s): Narendra Bhandari, Surendrasingh Pokharana, Jitendra B Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 23

<3>. Consciousness: Scientific Understanding from Reality Engagements
Mukundan C.R.
Professor Emeritus, Institute of Behavioral Science, Gujarat Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
Email: crmukundan@gmail.com
Extensive relevant literature related to "consciousness," indicate that "consciousness" was accepted in philosophy and early scientific thoughts, as an entity of the universe. Even in the modern philosophical thoughts, consciousness is referred to an entity, different from matter. Consciousness is also often equated to the energy, which has been referred in the Quantum theory. It is described as a form of energy or potential from which life in the material world has formed. The life energy remains the same, though biological cells change and different organs in different shapes are formed in various species of animals. What is important is the acceptance that life in the energy form does not die, when the former decays and perishes. Consciousness is equated to this energy within and outside the cells in the body, which helps the body stand up and carry on with activities, and the body become alive. Awareness has been described as a component of consciousness. Consciousness is a force, an independent entity beyond matter, which was encapsulated into matter or a body to become a living being. This is the line of thinking entertained by some who believe that consciousness may constitute the quantum material or the force. Consciousness is therefore, the same in all living beings, as differences are only in the body structures and functions. These thoughts on consciousness have very ancient origin and they are still supported by many thinkers and authors. Existence of a nonmaterialistic and nonbiological entity as a universal force, responsible for supporting life, was accepted from a spiritual point of view and then from a philosophical point of view. The proposal and its acceptance are based on the experiential supports for its presence. There is no scope to consider that the force of consciousness has been different in the different bodies that it occupies. Acceptance of existence of subtle biological and physical entities have been always based on the repeated objective verifications of their presence and effects that may precede, accompany, and follow, and the anomalies that may occur, when participation of components are controlled. Atoms and their particles are indeed there and as we have learnt to manipulate them, reconstruct matter, and use them for release of physical energy, though all these are achieved mainly in nonbiological materials.
23