Elusive Consciousness

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

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Also one finds that in Indian context this evolution of consciousness is closely related with practices which are carried out while living with nature and hence persons deeply involved in such pursuits are very close to nature, so they are strongly helping in preserving the environment (Maharishi Arbindo 2011). This must be recognized in view of the serious threat to the environment caused by uncontrolled materialistic developments. Such ideas of spiritual evolution should be also examined while talking about development.
5.1. Difference between soul and consciousness
Soul and consciousness are two different entities. Consciousness is defined to be a property of all living beings and is not present in non-living bodies. It is due to consciousness (chetna in Hindi)that living beings are aware or conscious about themselves and their surroundings. It is also responsible for phenomenal experiences, feelings, self-awareness, control of actions, a model of the world etc. Now a days it is linked with some properties of brain like neurons, synapses and their interconnections which somehow results into consciousness and can be termed as awareness to differentiate it from soul (aatman).
On the other hand in western as well as Eastern philosophy, consciousness (aatman) is assumed to be caused due to a non-physical entity termed as soul. As per the eastern philosophy in general and Indian philosophy in particular (Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism), soul exists even before one's birth and survives even after one's death. This cycle of birth and death is continuing from the infinite past and will continue in the infinite future unless this process is checked through spiritual practices and thence one's soul is liberated from these cycles of deaths and births. There also exist a concept that there is a universal consciousness which exist among all living beings and pervades the whole universe like ether. However, there are many variations of these theories. Thus there is a dualistic hypothesis as per which soul and matter are two different entities. But in such formulations, it is not clearly understandable why then these two interact and how does one influence the other (either soul influencing matter or matter influencing the soul). As per the other hypothesis, there is only one supreme entity but appear to be two because of our ignorance. The modern science takes the second view known as reductionist view, as per which consciousness can be explained as a result of complex interaction of neurons, synapses and their sub parts and is a result of continuous evolution of the biological structures and processes in order to survive under all odds.
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