Before I go on to the next higher principle, the Intellect, let’s talk a little bit about consciousness.
Among the lower animals there is very little of that which we call consciousness. It is a little more than mere sensation. Life in the early stages is almost automatic. The mental activity is almost entirely subconscious, only concerned with the physical life of the animal, the satisfaction of its primitive wants, of its instincts. After a while, this primitive consciousness developed into what psychologists term ‘simple consciousness’. A perception and recognition of things other than the inner self. Conscious attention is turned outward.
Let’s compare myself with my sweet pup, Zoe. She cannot think of her hopes and fears, her dreams and aspirations, her plans, her thoughts, and then compare them with the thoughts of other dogs. She cannot turn her gaze inward and speculate upon abstract things. She simply takes things for granted, follows her instincts and asks no questions. She does not attempt to find solutions for questions within herself, because she is not aware that such questions exist.
On the other hand, with the emergence of my self-consciousness, I begin to form a conception of the “I,” the “me,” the “my.” I begin to compare myself with others and to reason about it. I take mental stock, and draw conclusions from what I find in my mind. I begin to think for myself, to analyze, to ponder, classify, separate, deduce, etc. As I progress, I begin to think out things for myself, and pass along new and fresh suggestions to my instinctive mind. I begin to rely upon my own mind, rather than blindly accepting that which emanates from the mind of others. I begin to create for myself, and I am no longer a mere mental robot.
See the difference? ‘Simple consciousness’ is an awareness of outside things, like Zoe. ‘Self-consciousness’ is an awareness of oneself, like me. Like you.
It is easy to comprehend, but difficult to define. Basically, without self-consciousness a creature may know; but with self-consciousness it is possible for you to know that you know.
This is a series of emails describing the composition of us humans. I will briefly write about the general nature of each of these seven principles. At the end of this email series, I will send a downloadable PDF file so that you can have them handy and continue studying them to gain a complete understanding of yourself.
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