Shalom Place

Types of Consciousness

- by Philip St. Romain; all rights reserved

Consciousness: a being's manner of perceiving and knowing; the human subject perceiving and knowing in such a manner, as to leave a memory that can be accessed. Characterized by various combinations of attention, intention, perceptual data, and energy.

Ego: The everyday experience of subjectivity and reflectivity, generally associated with self-image, and standing between and filtering the data of the outer world and the inner world.

Normal consciousness. A state in which the Ego is able to direct the activities of the person.

Abnormal consciousness. The Ego is unable to direct the activities of the person because the contents of consciousness are charged with negative energies that the Ego is unable to counter.
Ex. addictions, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, personality disorders.

Unconsciousness. A state in which the human subject perceives and knows (perhaps), but without creating memories which can be accessed by the Ego.
Ex. coma, intoxicating states, deep sleep.

Altered states of consciousness. States in which there is limited Ego-control, but which are not necessarily abnormal or pathological. Memory access is limited.
Ex. certain drug experiences, meditation states, dreams, hypnosis, daydreams, out-of-body experiences, near-death experiences.

Mystical Consciousness. Presence and energy of the divine are known (even if obscurely) and remembered by the human subject. Awareness infused with divine presence, will infused by love, energy joyful/blissful, contents may or may not be stimulated. May occur in normal, altered, and abnormal states. May be relational or non-relational in quality.

Psychic Consciousness. Normal, abnormal, altered, and mystical states in which the contents of consciousness are extra-sensory.