To be conscious means to be aware. Understanding the state of consciousness is a bit tricky. Any intellectual understanding of it pulls you away from the actual experience and back into the unconscious illusions of the mind. So, to truly understand the state of consciousness, you must experience that state for yourself, away from all concepts of the mind. This is pure consciousness, pure awareness. Awareness becomes aware of itself. Consciousness becomes conscious of itself.
1. Stillness
Stillness is one way to achieve a state of complete consciousness. Try sitting completely still for 15-60 minutes. During this time you will have to become more and more conscious in order to keep your body under control and prevent it from being moved by subconscious suggestions of the mind.
2. Peripheral vision
This was an exercise that Leonardo Da Vinci used to do to help enhance his vision. You can do this exercise anywhere, anytime. Look through your eyes. This works best if you’re not wearing a hood or anything like that that will obstruct your vision. Slowly become aware of the things at your immediate left and right, without moving your eyes to see them. Try to make out the shapes and colors of objects at the edges of your vision. Wiggle your fingers at the outermost edges of your vision and try to find the maximum range of your sight.
When your peripheral vision is expanded enough, you will begin to be aware of seeing. This may even happen in the initial stages of building up your peripheral vision. Eventually, you will see the world in an entirely new way.
3. One conscious breath
Another simple way to expand consciousness is by becoming conscious of the breath. Right now as you are reading this article, take the time to become aware of the feeling of taking breath in. Be aware of the sensation of it flowing into your nostrils. Then breath out, being aware of the feeling of it flowing out of your nostrils. When you breath, make sure to breathe deep into the diaphragm, where the muscles there will press on nerve endings that help you relax. This is the way babies breathe and this exercise will improve metabolism.
So consciousness is simply awareness. To truly understand consciousness outside of an idea in the brain, disconnected from actual experience, it needs to come into conscious perception. The aim of these exercises is to become conscious of consciousness. When you are in your mind you are unconscious. I recommend you practice these exercises as often as possible to achieve the desired results.
Related articles:
The power of present moment awareness
God as a state of higher consciousness
The power of meditation
