Clarity Reference / Consciousness and Mental Awareness / What Consciousness Refers To
What Consciousness Refers To:
———————
In this reference, consciousness refers to the ever-present reality by which knowing is possible.
It does not refer to a state, a function, or an activity. Consciousness is not something that appears, changes, or disappears. It is that which remains present regardless of what the mind is doing or experiencing.
Consciousness is not known as an object. It is known only as the undeniable fact of knowing itself. Every experience presupposes it, yet no experience contains it.
Confusion arises when consciousness is treated as a subtle experience, a heightened awareness, or a refined mental state. These belong to the mind and vary. Consciousness does not.
Using the word consciousness here is not meant to explain or capture it, but to point to what is already evident and does not require verification through experience or effort.