What Is Consciousness - All Questions Answered

"I regard consciousness as fundamental. I regard matter as derivative from
consciousness. We cannot get behind consciousness." - Max Planck

"All thoughts and events are merely pictures moving on the screen of Pure
Consciousness, which alone is real." - Ramana Maharshi

• Return from meditation retreat : Leo Gura is back from a 30-day meditation retreat and will share insights, mistakes, and lessons from the retreat in three separate videos on his blog.
• Importance of understanding consciousness : Leo highlights that understanding consciousness tops his list of life's most important questions. He emphasizes that it is a crucial question that has been understood by small portions of humanity for over 5,000 years.
• Consciousness within neuroscience : Leo criticizes the approach of neuroscience to consciousness, explaining that it is limited by the assumption that consciousness is a secondary or tertiary phenomenon.
• Consciousness as fundamental : He asserts that consciousness is more fundamental than atoms, energy, time, space, the universe, or life, and that it underlies all these phenomena, which occur within consciousness itself.
• Materialist paradigm and consciousness : Leo confronts the materialist perspective that reality consists of dumb matter, proposing that reality, including the universe, is conscious.
• Non-local nature of consciousness : Leo describes consciousness as universal and not localized within space or a brain, suggesting the universe itself is one conscious "giant mind".
• Resistance to metaphysical shifts : He points out the resistance materialists and rationalists have to accepting the idea of the universe as an intelligent, conscious entity due to paradigmatic implications.
• Conscious attributes : Leo claims that consciousness is devoid of attributes or content, existing as an "empty" canvas that allows all possible scenarios to manifest.
• Understanding the substance of reality : He invites the audience to see objects and the universe around them as manifestations of consciousness rather than separate, unrelated entities.
• Source of Reality : Leo questions the simplistic mechanistic view that reality is just atoms bouncing around and asserts that existence is nuanced and intelligent, akin to a universal mind.
• Recontextualizing Human Experience : He calls for a profound shift in perspective from seeing oneself as a human with consciousness to recognizing oneself as the universe experiencing consciousness through a human form.
• Infinite Clay Analogy : Leo introduces an analogy where consciousness is like an infinitely malleable clay, capable of forming any shape without limitation, except without the defining properties of ordinary clay.
• Limitations of Physical Material : He notes that physical materials, like clay, have limiting properties such as color and mass, making them less than truly infinite.
• Nature of Truly Infinite Substance : Leo describes a hypothetical substance with no properties that could interfere with its ability to form anything, making it truly infinite and capable of becoming any object or phenomenon.
• Exploring the Possibility of Infinite Substance : He challenges the perceived impossibility of something as fantastical as infinite substance, questioning the nature of possibility itself.
• Critiquing Materialist View of Consciousness : Leo criticizes the materialist model that likens consciousness to computer software running on the hardware of the brain, proposing instead that consciousness is more akin to pure software without the need for hardware.

• Qualia and the Mind-Body Problem : He addresses the philosophical mind-body problem, suggesting that instead of qualia arising from physical matter, all is mind, and what we consider the body is just a feature within the mind.
• Consciousness as the Essence of All Reality : Leo shares a personal experience in which he realized that everything, including books and metal forks, is pure consciousness, embodying the essence or 'quintessence' that the ancients spoke of.
• The Substance of Consciousness : He argues that consciousness is self-aware, alive, intelligent, and not akin to the physical concept of nothingness, necessitating a paradigm shift to truly comprehend.
• Distinction Between First-Order and Second-Order Reality : Leo explains first-order reality as the most fundamental, like atoms or the brain in a materialistic view, while second-order reality includes perceptions and emotions, considered emergent and less real. In contrast, dream and non-dual paradigms put mind and consciousness as first-order, while contents are second-order.
• Consciousness in Different Paradigms : He contrasts different paradigms—materialist, dream, and television—and how they structure the distinction between first-order and second-order realities, with consciousness taking precedence in non-materialist views.
• Third-Order Reality in Film Analogy : Leo uses movies to explain third-order reality, distinct from actors, stages, and props (second-order), as the emergent story composed of these elements. Similarly, in the context of consciousness, second-order reality includes all physical objects and experiences, while first-order reality is consciousness itself, the substratum of everything.
• Non-Duality Paradigm : In the non-dual paradigm, first-order reality is consciousness, which encompasses everything known as second-order reality—physical objects, human beings, natural phenomena, and abstract concepts like laws of physics and politics. They all arise within consciousness.
• Limitations of Pointing to Consciousness : Leo highlights the challenge in indicating consciousness since it contains all pointers. Analogous to a video game character unable to point at the pixels it's comprised of, humans cannot point to consciousness as they, too, are within it.
• Consciousness as Fundamental Substance : Leo discusses commonly asked questions, emphasizing that consciousness is made out of itself, not something else. It's an unanalyzable foundation, and while materialist paradigms reach rock bottom with atoms or quarks, consciousness is the more profound rock bottom and is equated to existence itself.
• Consciousness and Brain Damage : Addressing the concern of losing consciousness due to brain damage, Leo clarifies that injury affects the content within consciousness, not consciousness itself. He likens the brain to a structure built from LEGO blocks, which can be damaged without destroying the raw material (consciousness).
• Consciousness Without a Brain : Challenging the traditional view, Leo opens the possibility that consciousness doesn't require a brain, questioning the materialist belief that brains produce consciousness. He suggests that the assumption has not been clearly substantiated, despite long-standing scientific inquiry.
• Consciousness and Sleep : Consciousness does not disappear during sleep; the experience of 'losing' it is due to misidentification with the content (the castle) rather than the substrate (the Lego blocks). Upon reaching a higher level of consciousness, you maintain awareness even in sleep or death, experiencing pure, attribute-less existence.
• Awareness of Other Minds : Individual consciousness seems like isolated 'rooms' within a 'house' due to mental boundaries, but it's all part of the interconnected space of universal consciousness. Understanding and expanding one's consciousness can lead to recognition of this interconnectedness without direct access to others' thoughts.
• Consciousness and Matter : Matter is not separate from or a precursor to consciousness; it is an occurrence within consciousness. The notion that matter affects consciousness is reversed; matter and consciousness are the same, interacting with themselves.
• Existence and Consciousness : Consciousness equates to existence—there is only existence, not non-existence. Non-existence is a concept within existence, which becomes clear upon fully realizing the nature of consciousness.
• Consciousness in Animals and Objects : Consciousness did not evolve in animals; animals and evolution occur within consciousness. While a rock is not conscious, it exists within consciousness. A computer or AI could potentially become self-aware by developing an ego, though this is currently hindered by misunderstandings in neuroscience and AI research.
• Consciousness vs. Awareness : The terms 'consciousness' and 'awareness' are often used synonymously. However, distinctions may exist depending on the teaching or teacher, so context is key for understanding these terms.
• Beyond Consciousness : There is nothing beyond consciousness, as it is infinite and includes even the concept of 'beyond.' Boundaries between consciousness and 'not' consciousness are artificial constructs.
• Neuroscience and the Future : Neuroscience is not entirely false or useless but requires a shift in metaphysical foundations to align with non-duality. With such a paradigm shift, neuroscience could even help induce enlightenment chemically or surgically.
• Paradigm Shift in Neuroscience : Leo Gura predicts that once mainstream science embraces non-duality, there will be a paradigm shift in neuroscience leading to revolutionary discoveries, potentially allowing neuroscientists to induce enlightenment chemically or surgically.
• Enhancing Consciousness : Gura advocates focusing consciousness on itself to become more self-aware, using methods like yoga, meditation, self-inquiry, psychedelics, and contemplation with discipline and focus.
• Levels of Consciousness : He acknowledges the paradoxical nature of discussing levels of consciousness when in absolute terms everything is consciousness. Gura uses levels to discuss consciousness from a relative perspective, though ultimately, consciousness is singular and indivisible.
• Synonyms for Consciousness : Various terms such as awareness, infinity, reality, god, emptiness, void, Brahman, awakeness, absolute, and being are considered synonymous with consciousness, reflecting different facets of the same essence.
• Daily Consciousness and Morality : The level of consciousness a person operates from greatly influences their actions, emotions, and moral behavior, as higher levels of consciousness lead to a realization of self as an illusion, resulting in kindness and love.
• Altered States of Consciousness : Gura underlines the existence of numerous altered states of consciousness, emphasizing the complexity of spirituality and the lifelong journey to explore these states.
• Pursuit of Higher Consciousness : He asserts that the goal of Actualized.org is to guide individuals toward higher consciousness. Gura encourages continual growth as consciousness can dramatically increase, profoundly altering one's reality and understanding of life.