Introduction
The study of consciousness, both in the human and cosmic realms, is an odd one. The most genuine sensation of all is consciousness, which defines our awake moments and gives rise to all we think and feel. Without consciousness, we are unable to establish our identity or the existence of anything else. Only because we are conscious do we know that we exist. In the pitch-blackness of a motel room, you awaken. You don't know where you are. Even if you are aware of your identity and the nation from which you come, you are nevertheless aware of your existence. For hundreds of years, philosophers, psychologists, and scientists have been perplexed by the questions of what it is and why we have it. Researchers continue to explore the different bases of consciousness on the surface, including the physical, social, cultural, and psychological influences that contribute to our conscious awareness, and yet some of the greatest scientific minds, philosophers, and sages have been unable to solve. Perhaps no other aspect of life has drawn so much attention as puzzling consciousness. Some defined it as a subjective, first-person phenomenon and science as an objective, third-person endeavour. For some people, it is the same as the mind, while for others, it is a component of the mind. It was once conceived of as one's "inner life," or the realm of reflection, inward thought, imagination, and free will. Today, it frequently encompasses any thought, feeling, experience, or perception. It could be self-awareness, awareness of consciousness, or awareness itself, whether it changes over time or not. Nobody is aware of the origins of awareness. It's one of the great mysteries. Why did evolution bother putting consciousness in? How has evolution included consciousness? Why did we need a first-person subjective perception of the world when we could have accomplished what we did with a set of objective mechanisms? It's one of the biggest questions. Evolution created our brains, and then cultural evolution (via indoctrination) recreated them. Let's first comprehend what Western academics have to say about it, including physicists, philosophers, biologists, psychologists, and neuroscientists. Later, we shall examine the perceptions of the eastern sages who undertook this study and investigation over six thousand years ago in a scientific spirit with a view to arrive at the truth about human and nature, and finally, the author of this monograph will provide the conclusions. The significance of consciousness as a datum deserving of scientific study was disregarded by contemporary science until the 20th century. The continued successes achieved from exploring external physical nature in the 18th and 19th centuries had influenced many scientists to consider the objective world of matter and physical entities as the primary reality and treat mind and consciousness as derivable from these entities and reducible to these entities.
About The Book
in both human and cosmic contexts-an area that continues to challenge scientists in the West and sages in the East. It explores profound questions such as: Why did evolution introduce consciousness? How was it incorporated into the evolutionary process? Why do we need a first-person subjective experience of the world when objective mechanisms could suffice? Drawing on discoveries and theories from material science, neuroscience, biology, anthropology, psychology, and philosophy, the author contrasts these with the rich subjective insights of the Upanishadic sages and contemporary Indian philosophers and mystics. With extensive citations and thoughtful analysis, this monograph offers a compelling, scholarly, and thought-provoking read for anyone interested in the mysteries of consciousness.
About The Author
K.V. RAGHUPATHI, Ph.D. (b. 1957), born into a Telugu-speaking family, developed an interest in Yoga and spirituality at an early age. Without a guru, he left home at the age of eighteen (in 1974) and has lived alone ever since, dedicating over four decades to intense sadhana as a devoted sadhaka in the Patanjali Yogic tradition. His insights, drawn from personal experience, have found expression in numerous articles, books, lectures, and talks- many of which he shares through his own Yoga Channel, WhatsApp, and spiritual and philosophical discussions. He describes his entry into the Yogic path as an "accidental fall." A self-taught yogi, Raghupathi holds radical and original views on Yoga and spirituality. His notable books in this field include: My Tryst with Yoga and Other Essays (2018), Yoga for Peace (2007/2019), Yoga and Zen (2007), Hastha Yoga: Theory and Practice (2018), Dispersing Clouds: Discourses on Yoga (2022), and Think with Heart and Feel with Mind: The Yoga Diary (2 vols., 2023). In addition, he is widely recognized for his mystical poetry-having published fourteen collections to date-marked by profound philosophy, transcend-ental thought, romantic elements, and vivid imagery. He previously taught at the Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur, and now lives a reclusive life in Tirupati.
Hindu (1765)
Philosophers (2327)
Aesthetics (317)
Comparative (66)
Dictionary (12)
Ethics (44)
Language (350)
Logic (80)
Mimamsa (58)
Nyaya (134)
Psychology (497)
Samkhya (60)
Shaivism (66)
Shankaracharya (233)
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