Questions tagged [consciousness]

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Are the seven stages of understanding existence as per Advaita correlated to the seven chakras?

I was wondering about the correlation between the seven stages of understanding existence as per Advaita and the seven chakras. The universe as it is- Root Chakra The play of the elements- Sacral ...
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1 answer
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Was Adi Shankara Really aware that plants & trees are as much alive as any other living beings?

I've heard that Adi shankara believed that 'immovable (apparently inanimate) objects (like the tree) are endowed with sentience'. Evidently, Adi Shankara viewed 'the tree' as an object like the '...
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Is there anything in Hinduism to refute the idea that plant species are controlled by a single soul?

I feel like the most sensible answer to how plant souls work when plants can have cuttings is to say plants are single souled and the entire species is controlled by one soul. This makes sense with ...
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How can consciousness and or Brahman be attached to maya?

I am confused by the whole mechanism of enlightenment or self realization. If one's self is actually the universal self or brahman which is beyond maya how can it get attached to it?
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Do we remain unconscious or conscious after death

While I was search about Hinduism on internet, I got to know 2 contradictory facts. One said that we get unconscious after death for 2 to 3 months as we become while sleeping, Other said that we ...
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Is there any guidance in Hindu scriptures which describe how to know what is presently in the collective subconsciousness of the human community?

I am not talking about reading news to know the current consciousness/awareness, but about the collective subsconscious mind of our planet, is it possible to tap into and find out what are the matters ...
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1 answer
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With respect to the concept of Advaita, why is there separate Karma for different people?

According to the concept of Advaita, we say that 'Turiya', the supreme observer illuminates all the 3 forms the waker, dreamer, and deep sleep form of a human being. And also that every living being ...
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Is paramAtma/brahman just consciousness (awareness) OR is both, consciousness plus sentience (ability to perceive & feel)?

The current understanding is that that brahman/paramAtma/bhagawAn is that universal, inter-galactic & inter-multiverse consciousness. But is sentience ALSO an attribute of that paramAtam/brahman/...
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1 answer
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How is consciousness insentient without recognitive apprehension or vimarsha?

Utpaladeva argues that if consciousness did not have vimarsha,then it would be inert and dead.How is this the case? and during pralaya is vimarsha active?
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What is the reason for which Advaita must exist? why can't Consciousness be many?

if we presume that matter is derived from consciousness(and this seems most likely),for what reason is this consciousness one instead of many?one could say that a world perceived as the same by all ...
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How to increase Memory? [duplicate]

Is there any practice, mantra/stotra in Hinduism to Increase Memory. I want to read about Smriti-Sakti, Jnana-Sakti, Buddhi Sakti, Kalpana Sakti, Pratibha Sakti... Im trying to collect everything in ...
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Lord's Lotus Feet

Among all the bodily limbs of Lord Krishna why His Lotus feet is given so much prominence in Krishna consciousness? what is the logical reason for this?
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If we think thoughts about consciousness with the mind, does it imply mind is aware of consciousness? [closed]

We think everything in our minds. Even when one talks about pure consciousness he is referring to one's own thoughts which are products of mind. Now consciousness is the changeless perception of these ...
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How does one come to realize that atman is brahman?

Perhaps everybody has asked this question, but risking repetition, I'd like to ask, that once we realise the nature of our first person subjective awareness that experiences everything, how does one ...
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Understanding Nirguna Brahman

The meditation method of neti neti, is something that took me a while to grasp but I think I have understood it with some help. Consciousness has been seen as a clear crystal ball, which gets colored ...
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Consciousness as vrittis themselves [closed]

I have been pondering the nature of vritti and it seems that self awareness is a natural condition pervasive throughout the universe. A matter particle is aware of gravitational field. We know this is ...
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Regarding showing that universe is in the consciousness in Shankar's Aparokshanubhuti

In Aparokshanubhuti, Shankara shows that we are not the body nor the mind by giving various techniques like Drig, Drishya, Viveka etc. But after that, he discards whatever he said and by giving ...
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Why, when and how did the Atman acquire body consciousness?

I know Atman is self aware but I don't know why that Atman lost his self awareness that he is unlimited and beginning-less and instead acquiring limited body awareness. Even though I am a Muslim, ...
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What are the 14 layers of the mind

I had read somewhere that in the vedas the awareness can be divided into four categories, i.e chitta (consciousness/conscience), manas (heart/want/desire), aham (ego) and buddhi (intelligence). Each ...
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Does Samadhi mean that the soul never gets reincarnated?

It is said that the cycle of birth and detach continues until one's mind merges with infinite consciousness. Does it mean that once the mind merges with infinite consciousness (samadhi), it doesn't ...
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Has any Vedantin criticized this teaching of the Buddha?

According to Vedanta, a single self or jIva is the seat of consciousness. jIva as a single unit, is not further divisible. Buddhism, on the other hand, does not subscribe to the doctrine of a ...
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Remain conscious while dying?

This question is continuation of What can one do to enjoy death or the dying process? . From answers I learned devotion can be the mArga to enjoy death process. Now my question is How to remain ...
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Is time taveling possible according to Hinduism? [duplicate]

Not necessarily sending body to past or future but also transferring consciousness to different time periods.Is it supported in Hindu scriptures? The only time I know about transfering consciousness ...
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What is the difference between consciousness and matter?

I want to know the difference between consciousness, awareness, energy and matter. Also how could we define if any thing is consciousness or not?
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Is Brahman sentient in Advaita Vedanta?

If Brahman is Consciousness and Omniscient, then he should be sentient also since both are indiscernible.
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How to establish myself in the knowledge of the true self (Advaita)?

There are times when I feel that I have got it whereas there are days when I feel that I don’t understand anything. Now I know I am always the unchanging self and it’s my mind that keeps going in and ...
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What is the difference between Cit in the word Sat- Cit- Ananda and Purusha?

Cit = Consciousness and Purusha = Consciousness. Purusha is also known as Spirit . FIRSTLY can this Spirit be seen ? Secondly are Samskaras the veil that separate consciousness from super ...
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The name of the Golden egg that is filled with Ananda

When the consciousness has so to speak - gone beyond, all together beyond the temporal realm of the phenomenal and gone beyond altogether beyond the realm of Nirguna Brahman and enters the realm of ...
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What do we mean by pure consciousness when we address Brahman?

After going through so many online articles i'm still not sure what exactly is Brahman as per advaita. Yes it can't be grasped by our limited senses but those who did describe "IT" has said the ...
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Different souls part of same Supreme soul?

It is said that all different souls are basically part of that one supreme soul and finally all merge into it. When a person is awakened he basically sees himself in everyone, hence doesn't criticize ...
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What is positive thinking? How is it developed?

Many philosophers, Gurus and Acharyas stress on "positive way of life" or "positive thinking". If the "negative thinking" was so bad, then it would have vanished from general populace with time, isn't ...
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What's that which make something insentient and other sentient? [duplicate]

Consciosness is ever present everywhere. There is no place where it is not! So on what basis something becomes insentient & other sentient according to Kashmiri Shaivism or Tantra?
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According to vedanta what causes a person to wake up from Sushupti state?

According to Vedanta the jiva experiences three states viz Jagrat (waking state) Svapna (dreaming state) Sushupti (deep sleep state) My question is regarding the third state that is Susupti. ...
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What is Sahaja Pranayam?

It is said that even though there are many varieties of pranayam, the natural pranayam which one gets from birth i.e. Sahaja Pranayam is the best. This Pranayam was given by Lord Sri Krishna to his ...
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Hinduism as an Atheistic or Animistic / Pantheistic religion [closed]

I believe that Hinduism could be regarded as both Atheistic and Animistic / Pantheistic, depending on how one defines the word "God". From my article The Atheistic approach to God… or how to bridge ...
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Is there a correspondence between Antahkarana and Chaturvyuha?

The Antahkarana (Inner Organ or Inner Cause) is composed of four parts: Chitta (Consciousness) Manas (Mind) Ahamkara (Ego) Buddhi (Intellect) The Chaturvyuhas are the primitive emanations of Sriman ...
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Freedom from cycle of ( re-birth _ death_re-birth ) [duplicate]

Is the re-birth recurrence principle a belief or an assumption proved true by those more spiritually evolved in states of higher consciousness? Were there instances of verification or revelations in ...
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Why is the state of shushupti (deep sleep) called prajnanaghana (mass of consciousness)?

From Mandukya Upanishad V: यत्र सुप्तो न कञ्चन कामं कामयते न कञ्चन स्वप्नं पश्यति तत् सुषुप्तम् । सुषुप्तस्थान एकीभूतः प्रज्ञानघन एवानन्दमयो ह्यानन्दभुक् चेतो मुखः प्राज्ञस्तृतीयः पादः ॥ ५॥ ...
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Does being alive have a definition? [closed]

Humanity is at the advent of developing Self Aware Artificial Intelligence. What do ancient scriptures, sayings, traditions etc. Tell us about the definition of being a living entity? Will self ...
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Do Hindu texts talk about memory?

Do Hindu texts talk about any of this: How does memory work? Where is memory stored? Or, any other references related to memory are welcome.
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What is the function of brain according to Hinduism? [closed]

I want to know what the function of brain is. I'm talking about the physical organ brain not the mind. What do the sacred texts say about the brain?
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What is Turiya and how can we realize it?

While reading Vivekachudamani, commentaries on some of the Mukhya Upanishads, (Jnaneshwari) Bhagavad Gita & Yoga Vasistha, I found that they are talking about the different state of Chitt viz. ...
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Why are Hindu beliefs and facts called mythological? [duplicate]

Why does every time anybody referring to a Hindu cultural thing says it's Hindu mythology? Because "mythology" means: Mythology is a collection of myths, especially one belonging to a particular ...
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8 votes
2 answers
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Where does the four states of consciousness occurs in an individual?

Most of you might know according to Upanishads, there are the four fundamental states (4 states of consciousness) that a Jiva goes through... Waking (conscious), Dreaming (Unconscious), Deep ...
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Yaa Devii Sarva-Bhutessu Nidraa-Ruupenna Samsthitaa

Thoughts are continuously created by us in Manomay kosa at Awaking state(state of consciousness). There are no thoughts while sleeping. What does it mean? Then who goes for sleep? Is our Body (...
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What does happens to Prarabdha Karma while sleeping?

Most of you might know, we have to experience the result of any karma(Prarabdha karma)done by us. Any Prarabdha Karma is inevitable. According to Sri Swami Sivananda: "Prarabdha is that portion of ...
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Higher mind versus a human mind and how to differentiate between them?

Do any of the texts talk about the higher mind versus the human mind of a person and how to tell the difference? I'm not talking about communication with God. I'm talking about where do you draw the ...
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Is the ultimate consciousness infinite?

I would like to know whether the ultimate consciousness is finite or infinite. Can anyone know the supreme being completely or even for the liberated souls, there would be something still they should ...
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