3. Consciousness, Subconsciousness, Perspectives & Perceptions

Consciousness:
Before getting into details of how senses and brain works together, let's understand what perception and consciousness really mean. Sometimes, people get confused between these two. I would say perception is the outcome of the consciousness. If you are not conscious at all, then you don't have perception. So, does it mean that person doesn't have any perception if he is unconscious?

If you ask me, I would first define what the term 'unconscious' means. In order to do that, first we need to know what the conscious being is. When can we say that a being is conscious? 'Consciousness' means 'Self Awareness'; and so by any mean, if that being realizes its existence, then we can say that the being is conscious. So, when a being looses its consciousness, in other words, by no mean it realizes its existence, then we can say that it's unconscious!

However, there are two things about 'determining consciousness'. In older days, we all consider a person is unconscious when s/he faints. With the help of science, we have learned that even a fainted person is conscious or aware of things happening around him! Similar the case with patients who are under Coma stage. So, in order to be conscious, one has to interact with the environment by one or more means. The challenging question is that what if one doesn't interact using his fundamental senses but still aware of the existence? Is it possible?! Think through it... we will come to these questions later.

Subconsciousness:
For now, lets explore in what mental state are we while we sleep? We are not aware of what's exactly going on around us but still we are aware of our existence! Such consciousness is termed as 'Sub-consciousness'. Brain doesn't have allocated portions for conscious and subconscious mind. What brain does is that it shuts down few of the unused portions of the brain and limit its activities. One of the portion that gets shut down is the one that is responsible for logical reasoning.

When we are asleep, our conscious side of the brain still works but without the logical reasoning abilities. Hence dreams are, most of the time, illogical like magical world, height of our own imagination. That's why we feel like flying and floating, if we watch a horror movie at night then there are more chances for the ghost to come in your dreams and make you sweat before you happen to have rational and logical thoughts and analysis. You need to be awake to be logical and rational. However, sometimes you get solutions for your problems while asleep. History could tell us that there were more inventions occurred while body is at rest or sleep.

Perspectives vs. Perceptions:
Nature is the one whose beauty is admired in terms of it's complexity and mystery. Everyone, including you and me, has our own arguments on any topic with respect to any context! Why are there arguments? because people think differently. Why do people think differently? because people see things differently. Why do people see things differently? because everyone has their own perspectives and that conflicts with others! If you apply theory of relativity, it would make more sense.

Any object, which is observed, is subject to be relative to the observer based on his frame of reference.

Yes! What you see might not be seen by others who are in different side or view of the same object. Here is where perception comes. Though 'perspective' and 'perception' seems to mean the same, still they are different! Perception is the result of perspective. If two people perceives at one perspective of an object, then they would have the same perception of an object. So, in order to get the complete perception of an object, it is necessary to view the same object from all the perspectives.