This is http://www.essayz.com/a9507201.htm Previous-Essay <== This-Essay ==> Following-Essay Click HERE on this line to find essays via Your-Key-Words. {Most frequent wordstarts of each essay will be put here.} ========================================================== %OBJECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS REFLEXIVE REALITY REPORT 950720 FIRST ESSAY AFTER VACATION IN ALASKA Consciousness is a reflexive reality about which we reflect upon and give subjective reports. We do not see, feel, taste, smell or hear any person's consciousness in any objective way which makes use of our sense organs. During consciousness we are reflexively aware of our own continuity and integrity, not objectively aware of the continuity and integrity of another person. In self consciousness we are aware of the multitude of ways in which our past, present and future experiences (via memories, presence and anticipations) are inter- related, inter-active and inter-dependent. Our self consciousness is dependent in significant ways upon the symbolic tools (images, languages, pointers, abstractions, concepts) which we use to represent to ourselves our existential memories and our conceptual system pertaining to our past, present and future experiences (via memories, presence and anticipations). Consciousness may focus upon: present, past or future experiences (via memories, presence and anticipations) as existential realities. Consciousness may focus upon direct sensory stimulations---as remembered from our past experiences, as experiences in the present, or as anticipated. Consciousness may focus upon verbal or symbolic language representations of experiences---or upon abstractions which have no direct correlation with experiences. Consciousness may focus upon objective things which are devoid of obvious possibilities for personal intimate relationship---or upon reflexive people who are obviously open to all kinds of possible intimate personal relationships. People who are conscious of each other's consciousness through participation in intimate personal relationships---are not being objective about each other, and do not understand each other as objective things which are devoid of obvious possibilities for personal intimate relationships. People who are unconscious of each other's consciousness through detachment from intimate personal relationships---are ignorant of each other as persons and do not understand each other as reflexive beings who are capable of all kinds of possible intimate personal relationships. People who make measurements of other people's physiological processes during other people's life processes are not thereby conscious of the other people's consciousness; they are aware of objective processes which are correlated with other people's life processes and which may in turn be correlated with subjectively reported states of consciousness. Because consciousness is essentially reflexive--- consciousness cannot be objectively apprehended, measured or manipulated to achieve an objective understanding, predictive power or power of control as regards the consciousness of another person; or of self. The best we can do is to create secure communal contexts in which we may can safely be vulnerable in open and honest dialogue and intimacy---and so can share ourselves in being true to ourselves and each other as conscious personal beings of integrity in communities of integrity. See the article "Glimpses of the Brain" in TIME, Vol. 146 No 3. (July 17, 1995) page 44. (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy) ==========================================================