Exploring Human Consciousness: What Does It Really Mean?

What does it mean to be a consciousness explorer in the modern world? Well, let’s break it down. The meaning of the word exploration is the act of traveling through an unfamiliar area in order to learn more about a topic. This can include an analysis of a subject, or a theme, or other more subjective areas instead of a physical place. And when studying human consciousness, that’s exactly the way we’ll be exploring.

The topic of human consciousness is a subjective idea that will easily differ from person to person. But, in basic form, human consciousness refers to your personal presence and awareness of your own unique thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Because of this, your awareness of your own consciousness is completely unique to you. That’s why, when exploring consciousness, which is generally done through meditation, everyone’s experiences are unique. Two people can perform the same meditation exercise at the exact same time and come out with experiences that are different in every way imaginable. And both are valid. The variable in this situation is you.

I think this is why it’s imperative never to compare your experiences with anyone else’s, as no one else is experiencing what you are at any given moment—ever. No one else sees the world the way that you do. Your life and who you are—your consciousness—is made up of unique experiences that only mean something to you. Therefore, the exploration of the human consciousness is not only subjective, but distinct.

Because of this, there is no real tool to measure human consciousness. That is why it’s crucial to record and measure your own experiences and to keep record of your own journey. You are the sole person experiencing each meditation you go through. You are the only one capable of understanding your own consciousness on a deeper level, though you can always share your experiences with the world if you’d like to. You set the boundaries of this exploration. You set the tools in your unique journey within yourself in which you measure your experiences, which is why it’s important to keep track of your unique data.

If you’d like to explore your consciousness but don’t know where to start, I’d highly recommend starting with the Gateway Voyage program at the Monroe Institute. Gateway Voyage is a perfect introduction to consciousness exploration that provides you with the basic tools, as well as a launching point to further your journey in whichever direction you feel inspired to go.

But, for the purposes of this blog post, I can also share a few other tools that have helped me throughout my experiences. If you haven’t guessed it, the tool that I consider most important is journaling. I think it’s important to be able to record your experiences as you explore your own consciousness, as looking back can help you notice trends in your meditation. Perhaps you typically have similar experiences in certain focus levels? Or maybe certain types of music that you listen to in your meditation bring forth certain emotions? It’s fun (and of course also important) to begin to understand how different environmental factors, different focus levels, and different positions can affect your exploration.

Setting and logging your intentions is another crucial way to learn about yourself and your own consciousness. Are you a very goal-driven person who enjoys meditating with a specific objective or purpose? Or perhaps your primary objective is to learn more about yourself and what makes you tick? There are several intentions you can set, but picking a clear purpose and logging the outcome of your intent in your journal is a great way to learn more about your own consciousness.

The idea of exploring human consciousness is a uniquely subjective experience that can be radically different for each person, but that’s what makes it so incredible. What will you learn about yourself in your meditations this week? Where are you currently in your exploration?